Which nations haven't made it to the World Cup? A rundown of national squads that have never participated in the men's FIFA competition.

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• List of all teams never to qualify for the FIFA World Cup
• Largest nations never to qualify for a FIFA World Cup
• Smallest nations to qualify for the FIFA World Cup

A place at the World Cup is the high point of an international career but the dream remains unfulfilled for hundreds of national teams ahead of the 2026 competition in USA, Canada, and Mexico.

To earn a World Cup berth, national teams must overcome their continental rivals. While FIFA has faced some criticism regarding the organization of its men's tournament, establishing a perfectly equitable system for 211 member nations presents a significant challenge.

Even with The World Cup expanding to 48 teams for the upcoming tournament, numerous countries face an extremely difficult challenge in attempting to qualify. A significant number of these nations are smaller ones, with many having played international football for only a few decades or even less.

The World Cup offers an opportunity to witness elite global talent compete for a prestigious trophy, yet the number of countries that haven't participated significantly exceeds those that have.

AllSportsPeople outlines the nations that haven't yet participated in the premier global football tournament, along with an in-depth examination of that roster.

MORE: Countries making their debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Nations that have never made it to the FIFA World Cup

For the 2022 World Cup, UEFA and CONMEBOL have historically held sway in qualification, with UEFA receiving 13 berths.

The established hierarchy has remained largely consistent over recent years, notwithstanding shifts in World Cup qualification pathways, as only four nations made their tournament debut between 2006 and 2022. Nevertheless, the upcoming 2026 World Cup's expansion to accommodate 48 teams is anticipated to introduce several countries to the competition for the first time.

By September 2025, the top-ranked nation that hasn't participated in a World Cup is Venezuela, standing as the sole CONMEBOL team to miss out on the major tournament. Close behind are African teams Mali and Burkina Faso, both positioned in the 50s and 60s rankings.

In total there are 131 countries who have never qualified for the FIFA World Cup, having chalked three off the list so far this 2026 World Cup cycle. The three debutants to have already confirmed a place in the World Cup field are Uzbekistan, Jordan, and Cape Verde, the latter of whom becomes the second-smallest nation ever to qualify.

MORE: All teams to have qualified so far for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Every nation that has yet to participate in the FIFA World Cup

FIFA rankings as of October, 2025

** Eritrea are unranked by FIFA due to not having played a competitive fixture since 2020.

Source: WorldAtlas.com

The 10 largest nations that have never made it to a World Cup

The size of a nation's population doesn't ensure World Cup qualification; Qatar, the 2022 host, established a new benchmark as the least populous country to host the event, with an estimated population of 2.8 million.

Some of the most populated countries on Earth have never reached a World Cup with qualification often concentrated within certain global areas. In fact, the most populous nation in the world, India, has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup, proving that weight of numbers doesn't always translate into sporting success.

China, the nation with the second-highest population, was mentioned only one time, having made it to the 2002 World Cup, which marked their only appearance.

Nations with the largest populations that have never made it to the FIFA World Cup

Data via www.worldpopulationreview.com

Smallest nations ever reach World Cup

Conversely, while billions of supporters miss out on seeing their national squads compete in a World Cup, a fortunate few thousand from some of the most diminutive countries have experienced a World Cup aspiration, especially since the year 2000.

Iceland's iconic trip to the 2018 World Cup in Russia broke new ground as they set new record as the smallest ever World Cup nation.

That record was broken in November of 2025 when tiny Caribbean island nation Curacao became the smallest nation to qualify for a FIFA World Cup, securing a spot in the expanded 48-team 2026 tournament thanks to CONCACAF's extra qualification slots.

The nations with the smallest populations that have made it to the FIFA World Cup.

Data via www.worldpopulationreview.com