Thirty two teams from six different continents have descended upon Qatar for the 22nd World Cup.
Among this field are a pack of historic heavyweights who have come to treat the World Cup like clockwork, a task every four years with the expectation of competing for a title. They’ve been here before and are comfortable under the bright lights. But first, they have to get through a number of up-and-coming scrappy teams that won’t take this opportunity for granted.
Here’s a look at which teams have the most World Cup appearances:
Which country has the most World Cup appearances?
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Brazil will make its record 22nd World Cup appearance in Qatar, continuing a streak that dates back to the inaugural 1930 tournament in neighboring Uruguay.
How many World Cup appearances does the U.S. have?
The U.S. enters Qatar with 10 World Cup appearances under its belt. Prior to missing the 2018 tournament, the United States had competed in seven straight World Cups dating back to 1990.
Here’s a list of all countries with double-digit World Cup appearances (not including the 2022 tournament:
1. Brazil (21)
2. Germany (19)
3. Italy (18)
4. Argentina (17)
5. Mexico (16)
T-6. England (15)
T-6. Spain (15)
T-6. France (15)
T-9. Uruguay (13)
T-9. Belgium (13)
T-11. Serbia (12)
T-11. Sweden (12)
13. Switzerland (11)
14. Russia (11)
T-15. South Korea (10)
T-15. United States (10)
T-15. Netherlands (10)
All of these countries except for Italy, Sweden and Russia will be present in Qatar.
Which countries are making their World Cup debut in Qatar?
Host country Qatar is the lone debutant in this year’s tournament.
Wales and Canada are making their second appearance, respectively, breaking 64- and 36-year dry spells.
Which country has won the most World Cups?
Only eight countries have had the privilege of hoisting the World Cup trophy and it shouldn't come as a surprise on who tops the list.
Brazil once again leads the way with five victories, followed closely by Germany and Italy with four wins apiece. Up next is Argentina, France and Uruguay with a pair of wins each. Spain and England’s single titles round out the winners circle.
Croatia, Sweden, Hungary, the Netherlands and the former country of Czechoslovakia have all appeared in at least one World Cup Final but left empty-handed everytime.
Has any country appeared in every World Cup?
Brazil truly is synonymous with the World Cup, having appeared in every tournament since its inception in 1930.
Like many European countries, neither Germany nor Italy made the trip to Uruguay in 1930. The tournament then traveled to Europe for the next eight years before World War II sent it into a 12-year hiatus. While the tournament returned to the international stage in 1950, Germany remained disbanded and banned from FIFA until 1952. The Italians failed to qualify in 1958, 2018 and 2022.
