Not since the 2006 World Cup has there been so many debutants at a tournament. That edition, hosted by Germany, holds the record for the most with seven, when discounting the first two tournaments (given everyone was a debutant in 1930 and 10 of the 16 involved in 1934 were, too).
Ghana and Ukraine were success stories 20 years ago, the former making the round of 16 and the latter reaching the quarter-finals. It’s one of four tournaments from 1938 onwards to see two debutants progress beyond the first stage; alongside 1966, in which the only two newcomers, North Korea and Portugal, met in the quarter-finals; 1990, as Costa Rica reached the last 16 and Ireland made the quarter-finals; and 1994, which saw Saudi Arabia and Nigeria both reach the round of 16.
The best tournament for first-timers in World Cup history was 1958, when all three newcomers – Northern Ireland, the Soviet Union and Wales – reached the last eight. This summer’s edition, then, has record-breaking potential, if all four debutants have a tournament to remember.
Of course, the chances of that happening are slim – but not impossible. After all, qualifying from the group stages is a more attainable goal than ever in 2026. That said, it still won’t be easy, with Uzbekistan, in Pot Three, the only debutant not to be in Pot Four for the World Cup draw last December, making for some tricky groups.
