Adios, Espana: Defending World Cup Champion Eliminated
Better luck next time, Spain.
The defending World Cup champions won't be enjoying a repeat victory. All hope was lost for Spain when Chile dominated them in Rio de Janeiro today, winning 2-0 at Maracana Stadium.
The outlook for Spain was rattled after a less than impressive showing against the Netherlands last week. The teams' first game of the World Cup was a rematch of the 2010 final, but it was the Dutch who walked away with a 5-1 win.
2014 FIFA World Cup TV Schedule and Results
It's the fourth time a defending champion has floundered during the first round of the World Cup.
Led by the legendary Pele, Brazil started strong defending their title at the 1966 tournament in England with a 2-0 win over Bulgaria.
After being roughed up on the field, Pele missed Brazil's next game with Hungary, which resulted in a 3-1 loss. That handed the Brazilians its first defeat on the world stage in nearly a decade, and an early exit.
The French team went into the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan confident, but lost to Senegal in the opening round. They also went home early.
The 2010 World Cup in South Africa was disappointing for Italy, the defending champions. The squad fell to Slovakia in the first round. It was the first time the Italians failed to advance since 1974.
Get real-time World Cup results and news about all the matches you care about delivered right to your phone every day. To start, just "star" this story in ABC News' phone app. More of a casual fan? Sign up for occasional dispatches from Brazil -- including the best photos and limited highlights -- by "starring" this story. Download ABC News for iPhone here or ABC News for Android here.
