CASE NO. 020

Host advantage

// verdict BUSTED
CASE NO. 020Host advantage

The host nation always reaches the semi-final.

Across the 22 prior editions, the host reached the semi-final 13 times — roughly 59%. The recent record is patchier: South Africa (2010) and Qatar (2022) went out in the group stage; Russia (2018) was beaten in the quarter-final; Brazil (2014) reached the semi-final but lost 1–7 to Germany. Home advantage is real; it does not guarantee a top-four finish.

// sources1Host nation results at the FIFA World Cup
Busted

13 / 22

Host SF appearances

// verdictBUSTED

Football lives in stories.
Some of them survive the data.

Most don't. We're building the longest fan-maintained record of folklore-versus-fact in the sport. New cases drop when the record changes. Old cases reopen when the data does.

← Myths
The host nation always reaches the semi-final. — soccermyths