Biggest Fails in FIFA World Cup Qualifying

What hurts more than losing in a grand tournament? Failing to qualify for one. Throughout the years, different national teams pick their best set of players to compete in the biggest four-year recurring tournament in sports, the FIFA World Cup.

When talented teams fail to qualify for the FIFA World Cup every four years, it hurts the players and the nation, which no one wants to see. In this article, we highlight five talented soccer countries that failed to qualify for the World Cup, including the year(s) they failed to qualify, who played on their team and what inherently led to their team failing to qualify.

National teams that failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup

#5 – United States – 2018

Having made every World Cup from 1990 until 2014, and growing a considerably better team, the United States men’s national team shockingly failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup run. Despite having a strong and youthful lineup with players like Christian Pulisic, Sergino Dest, Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna, they lacked experience, losing in an easily winnable game to Trinidad.

Fans knew from the start the US would struggle against some of the more dominant soccer nations, but failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup from such an easily winnable scenario was truly a surprise, and the United States team went down as one of the best countries that failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018. 

#4 – Hungary – 1986

You might not know it, but Hungary is historically a very strong contender in the World Cup. From 1934 to 1966, the Hungary men’s national teams would make it to at least the quarter-finals stage of the World Cup, making the finals but failing to win two separate years. Then, after eight years of failing to qualify, Hungary had seemingly sorted out their national team issues, making the World Cup group stage in 1978, 1982 and 1986.

From this point forward, Hungary would completely fail to qualify for the World Cup in the coming years, mostly due to heavy competition now widespread throughout Europe. Therefore, they’ve made our list of top countries that failed to qualify for the World Cup.

#3 – England – 1994

Since World War II, the 1994 World Cup qualifiers were the first time every U.K. Home Nation (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales) failed to qualify. The talented English men’s national team would lose to Norway and the Netherlands, coming up against Brickhouse legends Ronald Koeman and Dennis Bergkamp, who arguably changed the entire game for the Netherlands.

Afterward, English players Ian Wright, John Barnes, Dennis Wise and Alan Shearer would crush their final opponents, San Marino, 7-1 in a last-ditch attempt to qualify before falling short due to the Dutch winning their final game to knock out England.

#2 – Sweden – 2010, 2014, 2022

Sweden is one of the few European nations that on and off qualifies for the World Cup, yet does relatively well every time it qualifies. In their first four qualified FIFA World Cups ever, starting in 1934, Sweden would make the quarter-finals, fourth-place, third-place and even runner-up in 1958. From 1970-1978 and again in 1990, they’d comfortably qualify for the World Cup group stages and even made third place in the 1994 U.S. World Cup.

Sprinkle in two more rounds of 16 appearances and another quarter-final in 2018, and we see how abnormal it is that all the years Sweden failed to qualify, particularly in 2010 and 2014 with big-time player Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and again in 2022.

#1 – Italy – 2018, 2022

Based on the evidence, we know how difficult it is for European nations to consistently compete against each other, considering how large the talent pool is. After winning the 2020 FIFA Euros, it was jaw-dropping to see Italy fail to qualify for the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

Failing to make the 2018 tournament was already surprising, as they had no shortage of talented players, including Giorgio Chiellini, Jorginho, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne, and other major firepower. In 2022, even players like PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and young prospect Federico Chiesa couldn’t help secure a spot in the FIFA 2022 World Cup, making Italy one of the latest countries that failed to qualify for the World Cup.