CASE NO. 017

Debutants

// verdict BUSTED
CASE NO. 017Debutants

First-time tournament nations never get out of the group stage.

Senegal opened the 2002 tournament by beating defending champions France 1–0 and went on to the quarter-finals on debut. Croatia, in their first tournament as an independent nation in 1998, finished third, beating the Netherlands in the bronze-medal match. Earlier examples include Cuba (QF, 1938) and the United States (SF, 1930). Debut nations are usually outclassed; 'never' is too strong.

// sources1Senegal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup2Croatia at the 1998 FIFA World Cup
Busted

«Busted.»

// verdictBUSTED

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← Myths
First-time tournament nations never get out of the group stage. — soccermyths