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Germany and Argentina played in the 2014 World Cup final. In 2018, Germany got eliminated in the group stage, and Argentina is the underdog in their round of 16 match against France.
What is the earliest both finalists of the previous World Cup got eliminated under the current format of 32 teams in 8 groups of 3 with wins earning 3 points, and draws earning 1 point? I'm particularly interested as 4 of the last 5 champions haven't made it out of the group stage.
Since the introduction of 32-team group stage format in 1998, the worst result by the finalists of the previous edition was achieved by Italy and France during the World Cup 2010.
Both of the finalists of the previous edition earned the last places in their groups not making it to the knockout stage. Italy scored 2 points, while France got only one.
