The dream of the first World Cup: which teams can make history?

The biggest and most prestigious football tournament, the FIFA World Cup, will be held in 2026 with a new format and new debutants, with 48 teams participating for the first time in history. This change will open new hopes and opportunities for football-loving countries around the world, including those that have never participated in the World Cup before.

Brazil has participated in all 22 championships, Germany 20 times, and Argentina 19 times. However, more than 130 of FIFA's 211 member countries have not yet qualified for the World Cup finals.

It can be said that as a new page in football history is being written, the number of debutants who want to be part of it is growing.

Which countries are close to the first step?

FIFA analyzed the results of the World Cup qualifying process and highlighted 9 national teams:

• Jordan
• Uzbekistan
• Cape Verde
• Curacao
• Guatemala
• Nicaragua
• Suriname
• Venezuela
• New Caledonia

Although these teams have not yet participated in the World Cup, they have the opportunity to debut in the championship to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026.

Uzbekistan is the leader among debutants

The Uzbekistan national team, which is ranked 57th in the FIFA ranking, is the highest-ranked team on this list. For a country with a population of 36 million, the dream of participating in the World Cup has been postponed for years. But this time, the “White Wolves” are one step away from making history.

In the final round of qualifying, Timur Kapadze's team showed strong results. They drew 2-2 away against Iran, which allowed Iran to advance to the next round. However, this did not eliminate Uzbekistan's chances.

The team currently has 17 points in Group A with 5 wins and 2 draws, 4 points ahead of the UAE. Their next match will be held on June 5 at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Only one point in this match is enough to officially secure Uzbekistan's place.

How are the other debutants doing?

• Venezuela is the only country in South America that has not yet participated in the World Cup. It has increased its competitiveness in recent qualifiers and the work with Argentine specialists is paying off.
• Cape Verde is a country in Africa that is using the "step-by-step growth" model. They made a worthy appearance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
• Curacao and Guatemala are emerging as new “interesting forces” in the Concacaf zone.
• New Caledonia is competing with its main rival in the Oceania region, New Zealand, to qualify for the World Cup.

Conclusion: a new era in football is beginning

The 2026 FIFA World Cup aims not only to make football more interesting for spectators, but also to give new national teams the opportunity to make history on a global scale. For Uzbekistan and other countries, this is not just a sport - it is national pride, a love of football and the fulfillment of a dream of generations.

So, we wish good luck to Uzbekistan and other teams that are facing the opportunity to play in the World Cup for the first time. Because this time, history can be made.