How Bad Can a Team Perform at the World Cup Without Getting Knocked Out?

Germany’s World Cup survival depends on a single match against Switzerland, where Manuel Akanji’s defensive dominance will clash with Granit Xhaka’s fiery leadership. With the tournament’s group stage elimination rules in play, here’s what’s at stake—and how close to disaster a team can get before the knockout phase begins.

Germany’s 2-1 victory over Costa Rica on Tuesday left them on the brink: one more loss in their final Group E match against Switzerland (June 26, 15:00 CET / 13:00 UTC at the Allianz Arena, Munich) could end their World Cup campaign before the knockout rounds. But how bad can a team perform without facing elimination? The answer lies in a mix of defensive resilience, offensive spark, and the tournament’s unforgiving group-stage rules.

Germany’s Survival Hangs on a Single Match—and One Player

Switzerland’s defense, led by