Every football fan dreams of seeing a great football player represent his country world cupBut for many of FIFA’s 211 member associations, this ambition remains just a dream.
However, football’s showpiece event has been expanded to 48 teams for the 2026 tournament, which is co-hosted by? Canada, Mexico and this United States of AmericaIt has left the door open for countries that had previously fallen behind, while others with golden generations have hit their stride at just the right time, leading them to qualification for their first finals.
The record for World Cup debutants (except the first tournament in 1930) is six. Angola, Ivory Coast, ghana, To go, Trinidad and Tobago And ukraine All performed in the 2006 contest.
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While the March playoffs included nine potential newcomers for 2026, only four of those teams will be on the field when the competition begins on June 11.
Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan And Uzbekistan Their tickets have been cancelled, but what do we know about these countries on and off the field? For most fans around the world who will be watching this summer, that’s not much.
We spoke to an expert on each debuting nation to get better acquainted with the weaker teams at the 2026 World Cup.
Cape Verde, a volcanic archipelago of 10 islands off the west coast of Africa, secured their place in Africa by beating Group D. cameroon At the top position.
With a population of just 525,000, Cape Verde is the third-smallest country by population to qualify for the World Cup, behind Iceland in 2018 and fellow Curacao, who will debut in 2026. The decisive victory came on 13 October when Cape Verde defeated Eswatini 3–0 on home soil, leading to wild celebrations in the capital Praia.
“On the day of the Eswatini game I was trying to conserve energy, but my stomach was dancing with nerves,” Cape Verde defender Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes told ESPN.
“I was supposed to take a nap before the game, but then one of the other players took out a speaker and started playing music. We all started dancing. And then it was like we knew everything was going to be okay, this was supposed to be our day.”
Music and food have been a big part of what unites the Cape Verde team, who come together from all over the world for their international events.
“Music is a big part of the dressing room atmosphere,” Lopez said. “We play traditional songs, Funana music, a mix of old and modern. We eat cachupa (bean and corn stew) in the evening and at breakfast. It is the national dish and we eat it together.”
were blue sharks Africa Cup of Nations Quarter-finalists 2013 and 2023, so they are no strangers to major competition, but the enormity of qualifying for the World Cup was clear.
“We’ve been building for years and when the draw was made it was determination. We thought ‘if not now, then when?'” Lopes said.
“The government gave everyone a day off to watch the Eswatini games and qualifying is everything. We are a very proud football nation, but these 10 little islands off the coast of Africa where the biggest names are, how can you not be proud?”
Cape Verde have been drawn in Group H for the head-to-head spain, uruguay And saudi arabia.
“The little boy inside me wants to play brazil“He is the symbol of the World Cup,” Lopez said. But to get them to play we have to do some work! “We’re happy with the group we have.”
Jordan is an Arab nation located on the east bank of the Jordan River, bordering five countries: Syria, IraqSaudi Arabia, Israel and PalestineWest Bank. It has become a hugely popular tourist destination, with tourists coming to see its UNESCO heritage sites and swim in the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth.
“The most famous tourist site is the ancient city and archaeological site of Petra,” Jordan fan Zaid Al Atiyat told ESPN. “It is nicknamed the ‘Rose City’ due to its pink sandstone and is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World [after a campaign in 2000 to choose Wonders of the World from 200 existing monuments].
“Or, if you want to visit Mars but don’t want to travel very far, Wadi Rum is a good second option. Hollywood movies like Dune, Star Wars, The Martian and Lawrence of Arabia were set there.”
Jordan’s national dish, mansaf, made of lamb cooked in a fermented dry yogurt sauce and served with rice or bulgur, is a source of great pride for the country’s 11.5 million residents, but it was also At the center of controversy on the pitch.
“In 2023 AFC Asian Cup Round of 16 game between Jordan and Iraq, Jordan ahead, yazan al-naimat Al Atiyat said, “He celebrated his goal by gathering his teammates in a Bedouin-style circle and everyone gesturing with their hands, as if eating mansaf.” Once Iraq took the lead in the second half, the goal scorer ayman hussain Celebrated by sitting cross-legged in his own Mansaf gesture, before controversially receiving a second yellow card [referee] Alireza Faghani.”
Ayman Hussain is shown yellow color for the second time for excessive celebrating! 🍛#AsianCup2023 #HaiyaAsia pic.twitter.com/9i90ART2zh
– beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) 29 January 2024
Jordan got their last win against Iraq, winning 3–2, and they reached the final where they lost to the hosts. Queue.
Chevalier Vans qualify for World Cup in June 2025 with 3-0 away win oman This confirmed that they would finish second in Asia’s Group B south korea.
“Growing up, I never thought I would see Jordan on the global stage,” Al Atiyat said. “But the 2023 Asian Cup really allowed us to dream big in ways we never dreamed of before.”
Jordan was drawn into Group J at the World Cup and will compete austria, Algeria And argentina. While it looks like a tough test for the budding players, they have some talented players ready to step up.
“Moussa Al-Tamari And his lightning speed and dribbling should be on everyone’s mind whenever they think of Jordan,” Al Atiyat said. “He is the first Jordanian to play and score in the top five leagues, and he has established himself as a key player Stade Rennais.
“yazan al-arab Is our pillar at center back, he is the first Jordanian to play in K League 1 [or FC Seoul]And he was on the K League’s 2025 Team of the Year.”
An autonomous Caribbean island within the Kingdom of the Netherlands known for its stunning beaches and diving, Curaçao can now also claim a piece of football history. With a population of only 156,000, Curaçao became the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup, taking advantage of the absence in qualification of CONCACAF’s three traditional giants.
Curaçao’s two main sports are baseball and soccer. Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Andrew Jones is from Curaçao, but success on the football field has been difficult to come by so far.
“As soon as we found out the tournament would be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, we knew we could make it,” former Curaçao youth international and head of the country’s supporters group Brenton Ballantyne, also known as Captain Blue Face, told ESPN.
But the qualification process was not without tension. had to travel to curacao Jamaica A draw is required to book your place on the last day.
“When we beat Jamaica at home, I knew it was our year, but then I thought I was going to die during an away game,” Ballantyne said. “When they were finally awarded a penalty my heart stopped for a few seconds, but VAR didn’t allow it. That feeling stays with you though!”
Most of Curaçao’s players were born in the Netherlands and were led in qualification by the legendary Dutch coach Dick Advocaat. Advocaat, who is 78, would have become the oldest coach ever to manage at a World Cup, but he had to step down from the role last month due to family reasons. However, in addition to strong ties with the Netherlands, there are many other influences on Curaçaoan culture.
“Curacao It’s a very diverse island, a lot of different cultures merged into one,” Ballantyne said. “We speak five or six languages: Dutch, English, Spanish, Papiamento, Portuguese, French.
“Normally during the World Cup, a lot of people support the Netherlands, but for those born and raised on the island it is inevitable to support Brazil. They have been the most supported team since the days of Pelé.”
Curacao will have their work cut out for them when they face off in Group E Germany, Ecuador And Ivory CoastBut no matter what happens, it will be a special time to be on the island.
“There’s always energy, there’s always a party, especially when it comes to sports, the energy is crazy,” Ballantyne said. “We know good food and drink.
“Our specialty is cuminda de tera, or earthy food. We eat goat and iguana, okra soup, they are favourites. To drink we have blue curaçao (liquor with a vibrant orange flavor) – the original and the best in the world, produced at the local distillery Landhuis Chobolobo.
“It’s going to be a party whether we win, lose or draw. We’ll just celebrate the fact that we can play on such a big stage.”
The first Central Asian country to qualify for the World Cup, Uzbekistan finally exorcised the ghosts of the past to make it to football’s biggest event.
Geographically, the former Soviet republic of about 38 million inhabitants has an unusual claim to fame that it shares with the tiny European principality of Liechtenstein. “Uzbekistan is one of the world’s two largest landlocked countries. [meaning there are two other countries between it and a coastline in any direction]”Uzbekistan supporter Jaloliddin Makhmudov told ESPN.
“Our country was once the center of the Great Silk Road [a vast network of sea and land trading routes linking China to the Roman Empire, India and Africa]”
When it comes to food, Uzbekistan also has some impressive achievements.
“Our traditional food is known as Plov [a hearty one-pot rice dish] And it is served on every occasion, be it a wedding party or a funeral,” Makhmudov said. “We also created a Guinness World Record by lifting 7,360 kg. [16,226 lb] “Plov was prepared in the capital, Tashkent.”
Uzbekistan remained unbeaten in the second qualifying round and secured qualification with one game remaining after a goalless draw with the UAE. There was excitement as well as a sense of relief after Uzbekistan’s history of heroic failures.
The White Wolves lost 9–8 on penalties to Jordan in the 2014 World Cup qualification playoffs and were controversially eliminated from the 2006 edition on away goals. bahrain When the first leg was replayed due to a referee error.
“The whole of Uzbekistan has been waiting for the World Cup for 34 years,” Makhmudov said. “We will always fail in the final round, and that will really hurt the entire country.
“Football is undoubtedly the most loved sport in Uzbekistan, even though we are one of the best in boxing. Therefore, the World Cup is a huge opportunity. We always felt capable of getting there and our players are beginning to shine in the top five leagues, while our national league has improved significantly.”
Uzbekistan will have Fabio Cannavaro, ItalyThe World Cup-winning captain and Ballon d’Or winner in 2006, at top. Manchester City‘S Abdukodir Khusanov He will be the most famous face on the pitch, but other exciting players are also set to shine.
“oston urunov Makhmudov added, “Can grab the headlines with his excellent dribbling and shooting skills. And Abbas Faizullaev is another rising star, who was named the 2023 AFC Youth Player of the Year at the AFC annual awards in 2024. Prepare to be surprised!”
