While the FIFA World Cup is celebrated for its breathtaking goals and legendary performances, the competition has also offered some unforgettable meltdowns that have amused fans across the globe.

From individual outbursts to complete team implosions, millions have watched in disbelief and laughter as some of football’s biggest stars left lasting scars on their legacies.

Here’s a look at nine World Cup breakdowns that could rival a toddler’s tantrum for sheer drama and entertainment.

After controversially qualifying for the 2010 finals thanks to Thierry Henry’s infamous handball against Ireland, France’s campaign in South Africa quickly descended into chaos. Following two goalless draws against Uruguay and Mexico, Nicolas Anelka was sent home, the rest of the squad went on strike, and manager Raymond Domenech awkwardly read a statement to the press explaining the mutiny.

In their final match, France only managed to deny South Africa a knockout spot. The disastrous campaign became the subject of a government inquiry once the team returned to Paris. The saga was later chronicled in a Netflix documentary.

“Mick, you’re a liar… you’re a f*cking wanker,” Roy Keane famously shouted during a training ground bust-up in Saipan. “I didn’t rate you as a player, I don’t rate you as a manager, and I don’t rate you as a person. You’re a f*cking wanker and you can stick your World Cup up your arse. The only reason I deal with you is because somehow you’re the manager of my country.”

Keane’s tirade at Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy led to his immediate expulsion from camp. Although Ireland reached the second round and lost to Spain on penalties, many fans still believe Keane’s presence could have carried them further.

Brazil stormed into the semi-finals of their home World Cup in 2014, fuelled by passion and tears, only for Germany to humiliate them 7–1 in a match that will forever define their footballing nightmares. The ghosts of 1950 were finally laid to rest—replaced by something far worse.

Cameroon entered the 2002 World Cup with high hopes of replicating their Italia ’90 heroics. But internal disputes over bonuses derailed their plans. “We had a major breakdown in Paris before the World Cup and spent six days in a hotel without proper training,” striker Patrick Suffo recalled. The team arrived in Japan just two days before their opening fixture and crashed out in the group stage behind Germany and an Ireland side missing Keane.

“We had one of the best Cameroon teams ever and we didn’t get the result we should have,” Suffo lamented. “It wasn’t the players this time—it was the officials. That’s the saddest part.”

At the 2010 World Cup, with England struggling under Fabio Capello, John Terry attempted a mini-revolt during a press conference, insisting that Joe Cole should be in the starting XI. “As a group of players, we owe it to ourselves and everyone in the country to speak up if there’s a problem,” Terry said. “If it upsets him or any other player, so what?”

The so-called “Cape Town Coup” fizzled out quickly, with Terry forced to issue an apology. England were soon knocked out by Germany in the last 16.

Before the 2014 tournament, Luis Suarez vowed to shed his ‘bad boy’ image, saying, “I want to change the bad boy tag because I don’t think I am how I’ve been portrayed.” Despite scoring twice to eliminate England, Suarez’s campaign was defined by his bite on Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder. FIFA responded swiftly, banning him for nine international matches and four months from all football. Uruguay’s president Jose Mujica famously branded FIFA “a bunch of old sons of bitches.”

Scotland’s 1978 World Cup in Argentina remains one of football’s great cautionary tales. Under Ally McLeod, they arrived full of confidence but were humbled by Peru and Iran. Even Archie Gemmill’s wonder goal against the Netherlands couldn’t save them. Their hotel was unfinished, and Willie Johnstone was sent home after a failed drug test. “When I was on that bus with two soldiers and two guns, I thought, ‘this is it—they’ll shoot me,’” Johnstone recalled. The team returned to Glasgow thoroughly humiliated.

Spain’s meltdown in 2018 came before the tournament even started. Two days before their first match, Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales sacked coach Julen Lopetegui after discovering he’d agreed to join Real Madrid without informing the federation. Fernando Hierro was rushed in as a replacement, but Spain crashed out to hosts Russia in the round of 16. It was the final World Cup for legends like Sergio Ramos, Andres Iniesta, and David Silva.

Togo’s only World Cup appearance in 2006 is remembered for bitter disputes over bonuses. FA president Rock Gnassingbe revealed players demanded £100,000 each before agreeing to play. “These amounts are too high for the country’s finances,” he said. After losing their opener, the players threatened to boycott the next game against Switzerland. FIFA intervened to prevent embarrassment, but Togo exited after three straight defeats.