Four New Nations to Debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Which Has Featured 80 Countries So Far

The difficulty of World Cup qualifiers and the unique thrill of playing in the World Cup is something only the participating teams truly understand. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will see four new nations—Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan—competing for the first time. Brazil has participated in all 22 editions of the World Cup so far and has won the title five times. Qatar, which took part in the 2022 World Cup, will be playing for the second time, while DR Congo and Haiti have returned to the tournament after 52 years.

The FIFA World Cup is the most popular, longest-running, and widely followed sporting event in the world. It is regarded as a festival or grand spectacle of football, where nations big and small compete in the qualifying stages. Securing a spot in the World Cup is no easy feat; the qualifiers are extremely competitive. FIFA, the global governing body for football, has 211 member nations. While every team dreams of playing in at least one World Cup, not all manage to achieve this goal.

Since its inception in Uruguay in 1930, 22 editions of the FIFA World Cup have been completed. The 23rd edition is set to begin on June 11 in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. To date, 80 nations have played in the World Cup. This time, four new countries will be added to this list: Jordan and Uzbekistan from Asia, Cape Verde from Africa, and Curaçao from the Caribbean region, all set to make their World Cup debuts.