Teams you would like to see in the World Cup (Back or for the first time)

Luke1995

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I was just thinking that Hungary haven't been in a World Cup since 1986 and I wondered, which national teams would you guys like to see take part in future World Cups ?

Finland has never been to one and that would be really cool. Not sure what their actual chances are.

What about you ?
 

Raredaredevil

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Yugoslavia but that will never happen. :(
Would be nice to see teams like Czech Republic and Hungary like you said come back to the World Cup and have some relevance again. That Czechslovakia team in the early 2000s was such a high quality team. I enjoyed watching them.
 

WakeAndBeek

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An Oceanian team other than New Zealand would be interesting, though very unlikely given the small populations and the fact that teams in the region have to go through playoffs before even qualifying for the tournament.
 

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Lay

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An Oceanian team other than New Zealand would be interesting, though very unlikely given the small populations and the fact that teams in the region have to go through playoffs before even qualifying for the tournament.
Tahiti were in the Confederations Cup in 2013. Lost 10-0 to Spain, 8-0 v Uruguay and 6-1 v Nigeria. Great celebrations for their goal.

Anyway for me:

India
Jamaica
Scotland
 

Handré1990

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North Korea. Think they have a pretty cool WC history. Norway, obviously. Haven’t been in a WC since 98 and EC since 2000.
 

Luke1995

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Yugoslavia but that will never happen. :(
Would be nice to see teams like Czech Republic and Hungary like you said come back to the World Cup and have some relevance again. That Czechslovakia team in the early 2000s was such a high quality team. I enjoyed watching them.
Yugoslavia used to have some hight quality players in the 80's and 90's didn't they ?
 

Luke1995

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An Oceanian team other than New Zealand would be interesting, though very unlikely given the small populations and the fact that teams in the region have to go through playoffs before even qualifying for the tournament.
I would like to see that aswell. Wonder why New Zealand has been able to develop such a higher quality of football than the other countries in the region though. Do you know anything about the state of football over there ?
 

Klopper76

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I’d love to see Canada host (or co-host with the US) a World Cup and be here for it.
 

WakeAndBeek

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I would like to see that aswell. Wonder why New Zealand has been able to develop such a higher quality of football than the other countries in the region though. Do you know anything about the state of football over there ?
I would guess a mix of infrastructure, population size (PNG being the exception, most of these islands have smaller populations than Manchester) and the popularity of other sports mainly rugby and cricket.
 

Jibbs

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India and Pakistan. Arguably the greatest sporting rivalry. When the two teams play against each other in any sport, 1.6 billion fans get directly involved.
 

Toshey

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I would like to see Bulgaria again.
We set the world on fire in mid 90's. Before that we had a good run of 4 WC qualifications in a row or so.

Unfortunately football here has been on the decline dramatically with insanely corrupt leaders, corrupt league and also - no desire for success whatsoever from the young footballers.
They are absolutely content with playing in embarrassing league and making idiots out of themselves in the national team as long as they get their wages. Most of the population has been alienated from the stadiums.
We used to have players in every top league and produced legends like Asparuhov, Balakov, Penev, Kostadinov, Stoitchkov, Stan Petrov, Berbatov..
Now our very best footballers barely look like average Northampton players.
The last guy that got a sniff of the Premier league was Tonev, who had a laughable spell at Aston Villa.
 

Karel Podolsky

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A South East Asian country (Thailand or Vietnam or Indonesia).

* I forgot Egypt in WC 2018
 

youngrell

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I'd like to see Wales there, no clue if they've ever been, definitely not since I've started watching the sport (mid-90s).
Came in to say Wales for obvious reasons :D

We reached the Quarter Final in 1958 and lost 1-0 to Brazil, a young Pele scoring the goal (might have been his first ever Brazil goal). Wales were missing John Charles due to injury.

And Jimmy Murphy was our manager, who only missed United’s fateful Red Star game (when Munich happened) because Wales were playing Israel in a play off the same night.
 

lysglimt

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Yugoslavia used to have some hight quality players in the 80's and 90's didn't they ?
They had a few excellent players - Sinisa Mihaijlovic, Dejan Savicevic, Darko Kovacevic, Savo Milosevic, Miroslav Dukic - Yeah they had some good ones
 

Stack

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I would like to see that aswell. Wonder why New Zealand has been able to develop such a higher quality of football than the other countries in the region though. Do you know anything about the state of football over there ?
About 20 years ago there was a major shift towards trying to produce more technically proficient players rather than our usual athletic approach with a focus on the mentally tough. Each WC FIFA does a technical report for every team for every age group or sex. The common theme was FIFAs technical report referring to NZ teams as being hard working and determined but never once was there any mention of technical ability.
We also benefitted from the connections started by former Aberdeen Goalkeeper Bobby Clarke who had spent a year as the coach of the mens National team but never got to manage any games. He went to the USA at college level and helped get a number of younger NZ players college scholarships. Ryan Nelsen being the most notable player who ended up captaining Blackburn Rovers in the EPl.
The change to a technical focus in coaching of kids and youth means that right now the current mens National team is arguably our most talented but the yearly problem of meaningful games for the National team makes it hard for them to get any traction.
So we are getting better from a technical position but still someway from being a top 50 nation etc. Our best players are now playing professionally all over the planet but our local domestic competitions are still relatively weak.
 

Dwight Corke

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I would really like to see Zambia in a Fifa Word Cup Finals tournament. Out of the countries in the Southern African subcontinental region, only South Africa and Angola have participated. Such a shame.

Senegal have a decent squad nowadays, so hopefully they can qualify for Qatar 2022, 20 years after they shocked Zizou and Co.

I wonder if Venezuela will ever appear on the World stage. Can't be easy being the only team from your confederation never to have qualified.
 

Foxbatt

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The Arab countries have individually good players but never play as a team. If we can see goals like the Saudi player scored against Belgium then more of that please.
To me his goal against Belgium was better than the one Maradona scored against England.
 

No Idea For Nickname

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They had a few excellent players - Sinisa Mihaijlovic, Dejan Savicevic, Darko Kovacevic, Savo Milosevic, Miroslav Dukic - Yeah they had some good ones
I think he meant old Yugoslavia. Not the ones you mentioned who played for last Yugoslavia which consisted of players of only Serbia and Montenegro.
Let's say, Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinecki, Davor Suker, Slaven Bilic, Robert Jarni, Aljosa Asanovic, Alen Boksic,... Blaz Sliskovic, Mehmed Bazdarevic, Safet Susic,...Milko and Bosko Djurovski, Darko Pancev,.. Srecko Katanec, Zlatko Zahovic,.. those that retired 10,15 or more years ago, you have a lot who are still playing for clubs but not for country..
Or todays players playing for Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, but if we were still Jugoslavija, it would be some team..
 

Rood

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India are surely due, you'd think you can find 11 half decent players out of a billion population
 

FootballHQ

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Venezuela.

Been wanting them to do it for years and they get in good positions halfway through qualifying but always end up finishing 7th or 8th.

Only South American nation that plays Commebol never to make a world cup but produced some decent players to europe in last 20 years with likes of Juan Arango, Tomas Rincon and Rondon who've made good impact on major euro leagues.

Improved a huge amount from late 90s when likes of Brazil were beating them 7-0 in Copa America, now the scoreline is more likely to be 0-0.

Will probably get in when world cup goes to 48 teams but would like to see them do it for final time with 32.
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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Yugoslavia but that will never happen. :(
Would be nice to see teams like Czech Republic and Hungary like you said come back to the World Cup and have some relevance again. That Czechslovakia team in the early 2000s was such a high quality team. I enjoyed watching them.
You’re misremembering. Czechoslovakia didn’t exist in the 2000s. Unless you’re just talking about the Czech Republic?
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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India are surely due, you'd think you can find 11 half decent players out of a billion population
If they prioritised the sport of course they could but cricket has such a stranglehold on the attention there that’s where all the talented young athletes turn.
 

Tapori

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It will never happen for decades probably, but seeing India, Pakistan and Bangladesh would literally unlock a whole region of football; you'llbe surprised how much football is played it just needs less corruption, better structures and care.
 

Rood

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If they prioritised the sport of course they could but cricket has such a stranglehold on the attention there that’s where all the talented young athletes turn.
Ye everyone knows cricket is the priority but India have a pro league nowadays and a lot more general interest in football than ever before so should be progressing the national team

They do hamper themselves by not allowing people of Indian origin to play despite FIFA rules permitting it - I remember Michael Chopra was ready to play for the national team but had to give up British citizenship if he wanted to.
 

groovyalbert

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Vietnam.

Lived there for a little over a year and they are football crazy. You should see some of the footage/celebrations from regional U21 competitions they've advanced through in the last few years. A world cup would bring the country to a halt.
 

shabin_d_great

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But just cannot imagine the noise proclaiming this as a victory for the supreme leader. Though with the state of football here, India wont make it in next 20 years. ISL has declining viewership and most teams are struggling financially. It will soon become the forgotten league.
 
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Luke1995

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I would guess a mix of infrastructure, population size (PNG being the exception, most of these islands have smaller populations than Manchester) and the popularity of other sports mainly rugby and cricket.
Maybe they are part-time players aswelll... New Zealand perhaps, has full-time players.
 

90 + 5min

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I have to throw a vote for Yugoslavia. If those countries didn’t go to war they would have been force in Europe and World. I could see them beat ”big” nations. Always good in sports.