QUIZ: When did this nation last play at the men's World Cup?

Since the first staging of the men's World Cup in 1930, a total of 80 countries have played in international football’s showpiece event.

The first edition was due to involve 16 teams, although Egypt, Japan and Siam (now Thailand) all withdrew. The Egyptian side missed the ship that was due to transport them to host country Uruguay.

There were also only teams from three confederations involved. In the modern-day, five of the six confederations are now given automatic qualification spots by FIFA.

The volume of the teams in the World Cup has grown over time, with 16 becoming 24 and later becoming 32.

For the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, FIFA are planning for a total of 48 teams to take part from all six confederations.

That means at least 16 nations who missed out on Qatar 2022 will return to football’s grandest stage. But there will, of course, be others that remain in the World Cup wilderness.

With that being said, the below quiz will test your knowledge of when each country last competed at a men's World Cup.

There is a HINT button available if you’re struggling - see how you get on.