2. Spain 1-5 Netherlands
Alvaro Barrientos/AP/Press Association ImagesTheir have been numerous humiliating World Cup defeats scattered throughout the tournament's history, as evidenced by this list, but you don't have to go back very far to find the next two most embarrassing defeats. They both happened at the current World Cup in Brazil, with the first taking place on July 13. Reigning World and European Champions Spain were expected to go all the way in this tournament, despite the fact they had been placed in a rather tough group that also contained Chile and the Netherlands. They took on the latter in their very first group game, and were highly-fancied to come through unscathed. When Xabi Alonso gave Spain the lead from the penalty spot after half an hour, it looked like business as usual. The groundwork had been laid for another Spain victory. Or so it seemed. What happened next was astonishing. Robin van Persie restored parity just before half-time with a sublime acrobatic diving header, while two second half goals from Arjen Robben, a solo effort from Stefan de Vrij and a second from van Persie completed a 5-1 rout for the Dutch. It was a result nobody expected, and it did so much damage to Spain that they tumbled out of the group stages following another defeat to Chile days later. The World Champions had been routed, humbled and humiliated, and one of football's greatest dynasties crashed to the ground in a smouldering pile of rubble.