Qatar crashed out of the World Cup as hosts after two games, arguably the worst performance of any host nation in history

Uruguay 1930 – WINNER

Italy 1934 – WINNER

Reigning champion Uruguay boycotted the 1934 tournament as only four European teams had accepted their invitation to the previous Cup, which paved the way for Italy to take the crown.

Italy came back from a goal behind to beat Czechoslovakia in the final. 

France 1938 – Quarterfinals

No host nation has ever played fewer matches at a World Cup than France did in 1938. 

With only 16 teams and no group stage, France won its first match against Belgium but then was beaten by reigning champion and eventual winner Italy in its second. 

Brazil 1950 – RUNNER-UP

Switzerland 1954 – Quarterfinals

The 1954 tournament used a unique format, with 16 teams split into groups of four but only playing two matches each.

Switzerland beat Italy in its opening game but then lost to England, setting up a play-off against Italy for a spot in the quarterfinals.

The host beat the Azzurri, 4-1, but then was beaten 7-5 by Austria in the last eight, in what remains the highest-scoring World Cup match of all-time. 

Sweden 1958 – RUNNER-UP

Sweden may have made a shock run to the final in 1958, but this tournament was all about one player in particular – Brazilian teenager Pelé.

The then-17-year-old scored six goals, including two in the final, as Brazil lifted its first ever World Cup.

Chile 1962 – THIRD PLACE

England 1966 – WINNER

Mexico 1970 – Quarterfinals

Having previously won only one World Cup game across six previous tournaments, Mexico upset the odds to reach the last eight on home soil in 1970.

El Tri beat El Salvador and Belgium en route to the quarterfinals, where it eventually lost 4-1 to Italy. 

West Germany 1974 – WINNER

The 1974 tournament in West Germany marked the first time the current World Cup trophy was awarded. The previous trophy, the Jules Rimet, had been awarded permanently to Brazil after the country won it for the third time four years earlier in Mexico.

1974 was also the first World Cup to have two group stages, the second of which consisted of two groups of four, wherein the winner of each progressed to the final and the second placed teams progressed to the third place play-off.

Host West Germany came from a goal behind to beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the final.

Argentina 1978 – WINNER

Spain 1982 – Second round

In the last ever World Cup with two group stages, host Spain squeezed out of its first group despite losing to Northern Ireland and drawing with Honduras.

In the second stage, it finished last behind West Germany and England to cap off a disappointing tournament. 

Mexico 1986 – Quarterfinals

Italy 1990 – THIRD PLACE

USA 1994 – Last-16

When the US hosted the 1994 World Cup, it was only the country's second appearance at the tournament since 1950.

Unfortunately for the home nation, that lack of experience showed. Bora Milutinović's men scraped through its group as a best third-place team before it was beaten by Brazil, who went on to win the tournament, in the round of 16.

France 1998 – WINNER

South Korea/Japan 2002 – Semifinals/Last-16

The only World Cup to date to have two hosts, both South Korea and Japan did themselves proud on home soil in 2002.

Having never made it past the group stage of any previous World Cup, South Korea made it all the way to the semifinals, where it eventually lost to Germany.

Japan didn't go quite so far but went undefeated in the group stage before losing to Turkey – which would go on to beat South Korea in the third place play-off – in the round of 16.

Germany 2006 – THIRD PLACE

Germany's Miroslav Klose finished as the World Cup's top scorer in 2006, with five goals.

But the striker's scores weren't enough to see Germany lift the title, as it lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Italy. The Germans, however, did beat Portugal in the third place play-off. 

South Africa 2010 – Group stages

Brazil 2014 – Semifinals

Brazil looked like it was cruising to victory on home soil at the 2014 World Cup, winning its group comfortably, before knocking out Chile in the round of 16 and Colombia in the quarterfinals.

But an injury to talisman Neymar against Colombia forced him to miss the semifinal, and it proved costly. Germany dominated Brazil 7-1 that night, a defeat that still stands as the heaviest any home nation has ever suffered at a World Cup.

Russia 2018 – Quarterfinals