Following Tunisia’s recent exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup—marked by three consecutive losses and a goal difference of minus-10—we examine other teams that finished their group stages with zero points and double-digit negative goal differentials.
North Korea entered their difficult Group G with a respectable 2-1 defeat to Brazil, only to suffer a 7-0 blowout against Portugal and a 3-0 loss to Ivory Coast. Similarly, Saudi Arabia endured a disastrous tournament, highlighted by an 8-0 defeat to Germany, followed by losses to Cameroon and the Republic of Ireland.
Greece struggled significantly, failing to net a single goal while suffering 4-0 losses to Argentina and Bulgaria, alongside a 2-0 defeat to Nigeria. El Salvador holds the record for the tournament’s most lopsided loss, a 10-1 defeat to Hungary, followed by further losses to Belgium and Argentina. New Zealand’s initial tournament appearance in Spain proved equally difficult, with defeats against Scotland, the Soviet Union, and Brazil.
Mexico experienced a rare poor showing in Argentina, falling to Tunisia, West Germany, and Poland. Zaire, now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo, suffered heavy defeats to Yugoslavia, Scotland, and Brazil. Haiti also conceded 14 goals during their 1974 appearance, falling to Italy, Poland, and Argentina.
South Korea remains a holder of an unfortunate record, having lost 9-0 to Hungary and 7-0 to Turkey during their debut. Finally, in the 1950 tournament, Bolivia faced a single-game group stage where they were defeated 8-0 by eventual champions Uruguay after France withdrew from the competition.
