Spain's Sergio Ramos is seen during their 2014 World Cup Group B soccer match against Chile at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, June 18, 2014.

Photo/Agencies

Italy 1950

意大利（1950年）

The Italians were the long-standing defending champions, having won the World Cup in 1934 and 1938 - with a 12-year gap until the next tournament in 1950.

意大利曾分別在1934年和1938年贏得世界杯，是時間跨度最長的衛冕冠軍，但在歷經12年后的1950年，他們才迎來又一屆世界杯。

Their national team was weakened with some of the side sadly dying in the Superga air disaster a year before the start of the tournament and the champions were not keen to attend the finals.

在開賽前一年發生的蘇佩爾加山空難中，意大利國家隊的一些隊員罹難，其實力也因此被削弱，衛冕冠軍甚至都對參加決賽圈的比賽失去了興趣。

After some persuasion they travelled to Brazil, but by boat rather than plane.

經勸說他們決定前往巴西，不過是乘船而不是乘飛機去的。

They lost 3-2 to Sweden before beating Paraguay 2-0 but it wasn't enough and the Italians were on their way home - again by boat.

他們以2:3輸給了瑞典隊，之后以2:0戰勝了巴拉圭隊，但這還不夠，意大利人打道回府了——又是乘船回去的。

Brazil 1966

巴西（1966年）

The Selecao won their second World Cup in 1962, beating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final, but failed to clear the first stage at the following tournament in England, despite a star showing from Pele and Garrincha in their opening 2-0 victory over Bulgaria.1962年，巴西隊在決賽中以3:1擊敗捷克斯洛伐克，贏得了自己的第二個世界杯冠軍。但在1966年英國世界杯上，未能從小組出線，盡管在第一場比賽中涌現出了新星貝利和加林查，以2:0擊敗了保加利亞隊。

That win was marred by an injury to Pele, and the forward missed their second match, a 3-1 defeat to Hungary.

貝利在那場比賽中受傷，讓勝利打了折扣，他也因此錯過了第二場比賽，比賽中巴西隊以1:3輸給了匈牙利隊。

He recovered to start in the third and all-important game against Portugal, only for sidekick Garrincha to be ruled out.

貝利在至關重要的第三場對葡萄牙的比賽中康復并出任首發，他的隊友加林查在比賽中被驅逐出場。

Without the two working in tandem Brazil were easily beaten by a Portugal side inspired by Eusebio and with that Vicente Feola’s side were out.

沒有了這兩位巨星的組合，巴西隊被尤西比奧領銜的葡萄牙隊輕松擊敗。維森特·費奧拉的球隊因此出局。

France 2002

法國（2002年）

After thrashing Brazil in the 1998 final in front of their own fans in Paris, France began the following tournament in the worst possible fashion.

Tournament debutants Senegal pulled off one of the biggest World Cup upsets ever in the opening match, as Papa Bouba Diop scored in a shock 1-0 victory over Les Bleus.

在1998年世界杯決賽中擊潰巴西隊后，法國以最糟糕的狀態開始了接下來的世界杯賽。初次亮相世界杯賽場的塞內加爾造就了世界杯開幕戰最的冷門之一，在這場令人震驚的比賽中1:0戰勝法國，迪奧普攻入了唯一進球。

In their second Group A match, France failed to find a way past Uruguay, with the game finishing 0-0. The holders’ star striker Thierry Henry was sent off in that game to compound their misery.

在A組的第二場比賽中，法國隊沒有找到擊敗烏拉圭的辦法，以0:0結束比賽。著名前鋒亨利在比賽中被罰下場更是雪上加霜。

A limp 2-0 defeat to Denmark sent France crashing out after just three games. Their failure to score a single goal earned them the record of worst ever World Cup performance by a defending champion.

以0:2輸給丹麥隊后，法國隊僅僅在三場比賽過后就被宣告出局。他們一球未進，創造了歷屆世界杯衛冕冠軍表現最糟糕的記錄。

Italy 2010

意大利（2010年）

Four years on from the drama of their penalty shootout win in the 2006 final against France, Italy flew to South Africa with a strong squad intent on defending their crown.

在2006年戲劇性通過點球決戰在決賽中戰勝法國四年后，陣容整齊的意大利飛往南非，期待衛冕。

Drawn in a seemingly easy group with Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia, pundits tipped Italy to saunter into the knockout stages.

他們被分在了一個看似輕松的小組，對手分別是巴拉圭、新西蘭和斯洛文尼亞。專家們均認為意大利輕松挺進淘汰賽。

How wrong they were.

可是他們都大錯特錯了。

After being held to 1-1 draws by Paraguay and New Zealand, they lost 3-2 in their final group game to Slovakia, becoming the third nation to be eliminated in the first round as reigning champions.

在先后被巴拉圭和新西蘭1:1逼平后，他們在小組賽最后一場比賽中以2:3輸給了斯洛伐克隊，成為第三支在第一輪就被淘汰出局的衛冕冠軍。

Spain 2014

西班牙（2014年）

Casillas and the centre-back pairing of Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique looked like they had never met before, let alone won a World Cup and two European championships together.

卡西利亞斯和兩名中后衛拉莫斯及皮克看上去似乎從未在一起踢過球，更不用說還一起奪得過一個世界杯冠軍和兩個歐洲杯冠軍了。

Vicente Del Bosque made two changes for their second group game against Chile, not that it helped. Barcelona pair Gerard Pique and Xavi were replaced by Bayern Munich utility man Javi Martinez and their speedy club teammate Pedro.

在對智利的第二場小組賽中，博斯克作出了兩個變化，但無濟于事。巴塞羅那的皮克和哈維被拜仁替補馬丁內斯和他們的俱樂部隊友佩德羅所取代。

Napoli forward Eduardo Vargas gave Jorge Sampaoli’s side a deserved lead with a calm finish in the 19th minute, before an improvised Charles Aranguiz toe-poke doubled their lead three minutes before the break.

那不勒斯前鋒巴爾加斯在第19分鐘為智利隊攻入一球，之后查爾斯·阿蘭奎斯（Charles Aranguiz）再進一球，在上半場結束前3分鐘將領先優勢擴大為兩球。

Despite bringing Fernando Torres on after the break Spain still struggled to create chances, and the defeat dumped them out of the World Cup with one round of group stage matches still to play.

盡管在中場休息后托雷斯替補登場，但西班牙仍然很難創造出機會。這場失利讓他們在小組賽還剩一輪的情況下黯然出局。

（譯者 非石頭 編輯 齊磊）