Five teams crash out of World Cup in group stage

Tension has gripped the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. While several teams are dominating the pitch to seal their spots in the knockout rounds, others are heading home early after failing to clear the first hurdle. Panama is the latest team to join this list of heartbroken nations.

Panama faced Ghana in Group L in a desperate bid to keep their campaign alive. However, they crashed out of the tournament after a 1-0 defeat to Ghana in a rain-soaked encounter. Having also failed to secure a win in their opening fixture, consecutive defeats confirmed their group-stage exit. Panama coach Thomas Christiansen vented his frustration after the match over excessive "hydration breaks" introduced for television revenue and broadcaster advertisements, but his team could not avoid elimination on the pitch.

Many pundits tipped Turkey as the dark horses of this World Cup, but the team featuring Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz has endured a nightmare campaign. Turkey created an unwanted World Cup record since 1966 by failing to score a single goal despite taking 62 shots across two matches. Following a 2-0 defeat against Australia, they failed to find the net even against a 10-man Paraguay side, sealing their exit from the tournament.

Haiti made their return to the World Cup after 52 years, but their journey ended after a 3-0 thrashing by Brazil. The Caribbean nation had already suffered a 1-0 defeat to Scotland in their first match. The 83rd-ranked team confirmed their departure without scoring a single goal in their two matches.

Elsewhere, Tunisia sacked coach Sabri Lamouchi following a 5-1 demolition by Sweden. However, their new savior, Herve Renard, could not turn their fortunes around from the dugout. Tunisia suffered a 4-0 defeat against Japan in what was the 1000th match in World Cup history. This second consecutive loss confirmed the African nation's elimination.

World Cup debutants Jordan put up a brave fight in a tough Group J alongside Argentina, Austria and Algeria. Ali Olwan scored Jordan's first-ever World Cup goal during their 3-1 defeat against Austria. In the next match against Algeria, Nizar Al-Rashdan scored to give Jordan a first-half lead, but they eventually conceded a 2-1 defeat to bow out of the tournament.