At midnight on July 15, 2026, Beijing time, when the referee blew the final whistle of the match, the entire Allianz Arena (Munich) turned into a sea of Spanish revelry, while on the other side were the dejected figures of the French.
0 to 2! In the recently completed first semifinal of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the championship favorite—France, who was almost unanimously expected to reach the finals by Opta big data, betting organizations, and global fans, was torn apart by Spain's youthful storm. Mbappé's despondent gaze once again proclaimed to the universe the unbreakable black swan law that applies equally in sports and finance: The favorites must die!
Today, let's talk about this mysterious force that shrouded the green fields of 2026 and how it crosses dimensional walls, compelling all kinds of 'bag holders' in the cryptocurrency market to follow suit.
The Green Field Slaughterhouse: The "Victims' Alliance of Favorites" of the 2026 World Cup
If you think France's exit from the semifinals is shocking enough, it only shows that you underestimate the ruthlessness of this year's World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Flipping through the casualty list of this World Cup is akin to a chronicle of pain and tears from the powerhouses.
1. France: The most luxurious battleship, perished due to arrogance
Before the match, the French team, featuring Mbappé, Dembélé, and Saliba, was valued at over 1 billion euros. Who would have thought, this luxury battleship would completely sputter in the crucial semifinal, with a sluggish offense throughout the match, being led by Spain and ultimately surrendering with a clean score of 0 to 2.
2. Brazil: The Samba army, defeated in disgrace
As the top contender in this World Cup, the "six-star Brazil" was hailed to the skies before the match. What happened? In the round of 16, they shockingly lost 1 to 2 against the Nordic tough guy, Norway, achieving their worst result in 36 years. Even more absurdly, after the loss, the stars each went their separate ways on vacation, leaving only veteran Danilo to fly back alone on the entire chartered flight, turning them into global laughingstocks.
3. Germany: The golden body is broken, penalty kicks fail
The German machine, which had been overwhelming its opponents in the group stage, faced a tough match against Paraguay in the round of 32. After failing to score despite relentless attacks, Germany was dragged into a penalty shootout, resulting not only in a shocking exit but also breaking the ironclad rule that Germany's men's national team had a guaranteed win in World Cup penalty shootouts.
Historically, cases like Brazil being knocked out by Croatia in 2022 in penalty shootouts, Germany finishing last in the group stage in 2018, and Brazil being trounced 1 to 7 on home soil in 2014… all these bloody examples prove one thing: When the whole world thinks you are guaranteed to win, it is often the time you lose the most miserably.
A Historical Review: The "Ancestral Masters" of Favorites Dominated by Curses Over the Years
In fact, the collective failures of major teams this year are not surprising at all. If you look back at the history of the World Cup, you will find that "the favorites must die" is not something new but rather an "ultimate curse" that occurs every four years to regularly harvest the "intellectual tax".
2018 Russia World Cup: The "Century's Shame" of the German Men's Model Team As the reigning champion of 2014 and the 2017 Confed Cup champion, the 2018 German team was recognized for its depth of talent, with the capability to field two teams that could both rank among the world’s top ten. Fans across the internet speculated on how Germany would defend their title. What happened? They lost their opening group match to Mexico and, facing a must-win situation in their final match, were shockingly defeated 0 to 2 by South Korea, thus finishing last in their group and facing disgraceful elimination. That night, countless German fans found themselves sleepless on rooftops.
2014 Brazil World Cup: The "Head-Seven Incident" of the Host Nation and the Collapse of Spain’s Dynasty That year, Brazil enjoyed a favorable position and everyone in the nation believed that the World Cup was theirs for the taking. However, in the semifinal against Germany, due to injuries to key player Neymar, the team was burdened with immense psychological pressure, succumbing to five goals in just 29 minutes, ultimately suffering a shocking defeat of 1 to 7, resulting in one of the most horrifying incidents in football history. Similarly, in this tournament, Spain, the cosmic-level powerhouse that had won two consecutive European Championships and one World Cup, faced a 1 to 5 revenge loss to the Netherlands in their opening match and declared the end of their dynasty after just two rounds of the group stage.
2002 Korea-Japan World Cup: The Gallic Rooster "Ends Before It Starts" If we look for the "root of all evils" of favorites dying, we must bring up the French team of 2002. They boasted the top scorers from Serie A, the Premier League, and Ligue 1 (Trezeguet, Henry, and Sissé) and were at the peak of their glory. However, in their opening match against Senegal, they shockingly lost 0 to 1. With core player Zidane injured, this super attacking line failed to score a single goal in three group matches, ultimately finishing with a humiliating record of 1 draw and 2 losses, returning home as a century-long joke.
The Cryptocurrency Version of "Favorites Must Die": Peaks at Launch, Cures All Discontent
Do not only laugh at the football fans on the rooftop; such "favorites must die" drama is playing out almost every moment in the cryptocurrency market. It can even be said that the crypto world has elevated this curse to an art form.
In the crypto market, this phenomenon is usually accompanied by two keywords: "Good news is bad news" (Sell the News), and "Overvalued, low liquidity" (High FDV, Low Float).
Let’s combine AiCoin’s historical and recent data to look at those tokens that once made countless people shout “To the Moon,” only to leave many heading to the rooftop.
1. Classic Tragedy: Internet Computer (ICP)
- Background of popularity: Before its launch in 2021, ICP was dubbed "Blockchain 3.0", "The Ultimate Computer," claiming to reconstruct the entire internet. Almost all top venture capitalists (VCs) backed it, and retail investors were stirred up to a frenzy.
- Data validation: According to AiCoin's historical data, ICP skyrocketed on its launch day in May 2021, with prices exceeding $700 and a fully diluted valuation (FDV) nearing $100 billion, placing it among the top five by market cap.
- Result: What followed was one of the most brutal one-sided crashes in human financial history. Within a few weeks, ICP's price plummeted, hitting a low near $3, with a decline of 99%. Those who bought at several hundred dollars are still left bewildered.
2. Good News Equals Bad News: ETH during the Ethereum Merge (The Merge)
- Background of popularity: In September 2022, Ethereum underwent its largest technical upgrade to date—transitioning from PoW to PoS. The entire network was flooded with bullish rhetoric claiming "Ethereum will become deflationary and surpass Bitcoin."
- Data validation: AiCoin data shows that just before the Merge, ETH spot prices soared to nearly $1,780. A considerable amount of capital was bullish in the derivatives market, keeping funding rates high.
- Result: On September 15, the Merge was successfully completed, and the technology was flawless. However, at that moment, shorts were unleashed, leading to ETH plummeting over 20% within a week, falling below $1,300. This was a classic case of "buy the expectation, sell the fact."
3. The Collective Downfall of the New Generation of "VC Tokens" from 2024-2026
In the past year or two, many cross-chain bridge or Layer 2 projects, which were heavily packaged as "wonders" before their launches, inevitably fell into the "favorites must die" trap.
We will analyze AiCoin’s latest disclosed data for 2026 to observe the collapse trajectories of these two typical hot tokens:
Wormhole (W)
- Popularity and Background: Hailed as the king of cross-chain across the entire network, major institutions loudly recommended it before launch, garnering immense attention.
- Initial Price and Valuation: It shot up to a high of $1.50 at launch, with an initial fully diluted valuation (FDV) exceeding $15 billion.
- Current Status and Decline: With early airdrops and institutional tokens being released, the current price has fallen to about $0.22, with a maximum decline of -85.3%.
Starknet (STRK)
- Popularity and Background: Claimed to be one of the strongest Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solutions, eagerly anticipated by countless yield farmers and investors.
- Initial Price and Valuation: The opening price reached a high of $2.40, with initial valuation nearing $20 billion.
- Current Status and Decline: As the unlocking period for substantial tokens approaches, retail investors struggle to take over, and the price has continually declined. The current price stands at approximately $0.35, with a maximum decline of -85.4%.
According to AiCoin's flow of funds and token distribution data analysis, these types of tokens, at the time of their launch, attracted retail investors through extensive media promotion and KOL endorsements, completing a remarkably skillful "distribution" during the high volatility period. While retail investors were eagerly reading technical white papers and "future prospects," early investors and the project team had already made substantial profits using shorting tools or cashing out.
How to Survive the Chaos of Betting on Teams? OKX World Cup Champion Prediction Celebration is on the way!
Since the "favorites must die" curse is so ruthless, blindly buying the big teams is as good as adding bricks to the rooftop. So, how can you turn the passive into the proactive in the upcoming ultimate showdown, even snatching a little benefit with your keen senses?
📢 Special Announcement: OKX World Cup Champion Prediction Event is officially launched!
In the face of the unpredictable 2026 World Cup scenario, the globally leading crypto asset exchange OKX has tailored the “Green Field Prophet: World Cup Champion Prediction Celebration” for fans and traders!
- No Barrier to Entry: As long as you are a registered user of OKX, you can participate in the champion prediction for free, with a chance to share in the million-dollar prize pool if you guess correctly!
- Reverse Indicator Predictions: If you firmly believe in "the favorites must die," OKX has also set up an exclusive "Upset Hunter" leaderboard. Predict the underdog teams to win, and if you guess correctly, you can receive double rewards and limited-edition World Cup-themed commemorative NFTs!
- Trade to Unlock Boost Vouchers: During the event, engage in spot or contract trading of any tokens to unlock more prediction voting tickets, allowing you to enjoy both watching the matches and trading!
Don't blindly follow the trend and buy traditional strong teams anymore! Log in to OKX now, use your wisdom (or trust in the curse) to win your ultimate glory in 2026!
🎁 AiCoin Exclusive Registration Benefits Arrived!
Register on OKX through the AiCoin exclusive link and receive a permanent 20% rebate
👉 Register for OKX now:
https://jump.do/zh-Hans/xlink?checkProxy=true&proxyId=2
📢 Join the AiCoin community for more trading and earning information on new tokens from exchanges
Official Telegram community:
AiCoin Chinese Twitter:
OKX Benefits Group:
https://aicoin.com/link/chat?cid=l61eM4owQ
In the Clash of the US, Canada, and Mexico, who can break the ultimate curse?
Whether it is the tragic fall of the Gallic Rooster on the green field or the resounding crash of those "billion-dollar myths" on the price charts, they all reveal the same truth to us: When collective fervor reaches its peak, risk has quietly arrived. In any market, maintaining independent thought and remaining vigilant against high-level "favorites" is the only way to survive.
With the successive exits of major teams like France and Brazil, the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico is approaching its final championship match.
The ultimate suspense of this summer is about to be unveiled, let's wait and see! The rooftop winds are strong, so dress warmly, and see you at the final!
免责声明：本文章仅代表作者个人观点，不代表本平台的立场和观点。本文章仅供信息分享，不构成对任何人的任何投资建议。用户与作者之间的任何争议，与本平台无关。如网页中刊载的文章或图片涉及侵权，请提供相关的权利证明和身份证明发送邮件到support@aicoin.com，本平台相关工作人员将会进行核查。
