How defending champs go at the World Cup

Germany are the third straight World Cup champions to be eliminated at the group stage in the next tournament.

HOW THE CHAMPIONS FROM THE LAST WORLD CUP HAVE FARED AT THE NEXT TOURNAMENT (Uruguay won the first World Cup in 1930):

1934: Uruguay - did not play

1938: Italy - winners

1950: Italy - group stage

1954: Uruguay - fourth place

1958: Germany - fourth place

1962: Brazil - winners

1966: Brazil - group stage

1970: England - quarter-finals

1974: Brazil - fourth place

1978: Germany - second round

1982: Argentina - second round

1986: Italy - last 16

1990: Argentina - runners-up

1994: Germany - quarter-finals

1998: Brazil - runners-up

2002: France - group stage

2006: Brazil - quarter-finals

2010: Italy - group stage

2014: Spain - group stage

2018: Germany - group stage