World Cup Flops: Teams With Worst Records in History

Tunisia's players react after losing the 2026 World Cup Group F football match between Tunisia and the Netherlands at the Kansas City Stadium in Kansas City on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Juan MABROMATA / AFP)

Tunisia’s World Cup campaign ended with zero points and a minus-10 goal difference after a 3-1 defeat by the Netherlands on Thursday, placing the Carthage Eagles among the worst-performing teams in tournament history.

Below is a list of previous teams to finish a World Cup with zero points and a double-digit negative goal difference:

North Korea (2010)
Group record (played, won, drawn, lost, goals scored, goals against, points): 3 0 0 3 1 12 0

Advertisement

North Korea got off to a promising start in a fiendishly difficult Group G with a narrow 2-1 loss to Brazil, but were brought back down to earth by a 7-0 thumping at the hands of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and a 3-0 defeat by Ivory Coast.

Saudi Arabia (2002)
Group record: 3 0 0 3 0 12 0

The Saudis got off to the worst possible start as Miroslav Klose scored his first World Cup goals with a hat-trick in an 8-0 victory for Germany, which was followed by 1-0 and 3-0 losses for Saudi Arabia to Cameroon and the Republic of Ireland, respectively.

Greece (1994)
Group record: 3 0 0 3 0 10 0

Another team which failed to score a goal on this list, Greece opened with 4-0 defeats by Argentina and Bulgaria, before losing 2-0 to group winners Nigeria.

El Salvador (1982)
Group record: 3 0 0 3 1 13 0

El Salvador were the victims of the heaviest defeat in World Cup history when they lost 10-1 to Hungary in their opener. They then suffered further losses to Belgium and Argentina, as Hungary remarkably joined them in failing to go through.

New Zealand (1982)
Group record: 3 0 0 3 2 12 0

New Zealand’s first World Cup didn’t go to plan in Spain, losing 5-2 to Scotland, 3-0 to the Soviet Union and 4-0 to Brazil.

Netherlands’ defender #06 Jan Paul Van Hecke and defender #05 Nathan Ake fight foe the ball with Tunisia’s midfielder #25 Anis Slimane during the 2026 World Cup Group F football match between Tunisia and the Netherlands at the Kansas City Stadium in Kansas City on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Juan MABROMATA / AFP)

Mexico (1978)
Group record: 3 0 0 3 2 12 0

Perhaps a surprising nation on this list, Mexico kicked off their campaign in Argentina with a 3-1 defeat by Tunisia, were thumped 6-0 by reigning champions West Germany and then were beaten 3-1 by Poland.

Zaire (1974)
Group record: 3 0 0 3 0 14 0

Zaire lost 9-0 to Yugoslavia, either side of a 2-0 loss to Scotland and a 3-0 reverse against Brazil. Now the Democratic Republic of Congo, they returned to the global stage earlier this month, getting their first-ever point against Portugal.

Haiti (1974)
Group record: 3 0 0 3 2 14

Like DR Congo, Haiti also last played at the World Cup 52 years ago, when they also conceded 14 goals. A creditable 3-1 loss to Italy was followed by a 7-0 humbling by Poland and a 4-1 defeat against Argentina.

South Korea (1954)
Group record: 2 0 0 2 0 16 0

Still the unwanted record holders for the worst World Cup, South Korea lost their first-ever match in the tournament 9-0 to Hungary, for whom Sandor Kocsis scored a hat-trick and Ferenc Puskas netted twice. It didn’t get much better in their second and last group match – a 7-0 thrashing by Turkey.

Special mention – Bolivia (1950)
Group record: 1 0 0 1 0 8 0

Originally a 14-team World Cup with two four-team groups and two three-team groups in 1950, Bolivia ended up with only Uruguay for company in Group 4 after France withdrew from the tournament. Hosts Uruguay made short work of the ‘group’, winning 8-0 before going on to lift the title for the second time.

Author

  • Jimisayo Opanuga

    Jimisayo Opanuga is a web writer in the Digital Department at News Central TV, where she covers African and international stories. Her reporting focuses on social issues, health, justice, and the environment, alongside general-interest news. She is passionate about telling stories that inform the public and give voice to underreported communities.

Share the Story
Advertisement

Keep Up to Date with the Most Important News

Weekly roundups. Sharp analysis. Zero noise.
The NewsCentral TV Newsletter delivers the headlines that matter—straight to your inbox, keeping you updated regularly.