Countdown 2026 World Cup Already turned on! Each day leading up to the event’s return to North America, Yahoo Sports will highlight an insight or moment that shows just how big the world’s biggest sporting event has become—even beyond the expanded venues for this year’s global event.
The World Cup is about to get bigger and more diverse. This summer there are four countries participating in the World Cup for the first time: Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan. Due to the expansion of the field, 16 spots were up for grabs during the qualifying period, and these countries were awarded these spots.
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But there may be more to the first-time party than meets the eye. New Caledonia, Suriname, Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia are still set to be beaten in the World Cup qualifying play-offs later this month.
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Looking back, since the first World Cup in 1930, 80 countries have participated in the World Cup. The largest number of participants at a first World Cup since World War II was in Germany in 2006, when six took part. That summer, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago and Ukraine competed for the first time.
It has actually become a permanent fixture in some countries. The Brazilian team has set a historical record of never missing the 23rd World Cup. Germany ranks second with 21 appearances, followed by Argentina (19), Italy and Mexico with 18 each. Team USA has been to seven World Cups and will soon be playing in eight.
World Cup history is littered with regulars, debutants and hopefuls. This year, the story gets even bigger.