HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 29: A ******* an fan reacts after the 1-2 loss during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between Brazil and ******* an at Houston Stadium on June 29, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
At this summer’s World Cup, African national teams have soared higher than ever before, whilst for some European and South American teams it has been a case of “business as usual”.
But for national teams from Asia, most disappeared without a trace after the group phase.
The tournament hardly got off to an auspicious start for Asia, with both China and India yet again failing to qualify for world soccer’s biggest spectacle.
The two most populous countries in the world have an abysmal World Cup qualifying record: China has qualified only once (in 2002), and India has never qualified directly (it secured a place in the 1950 edition but then withdrew).
At this summer’s World Cup, African national teams have soared higher than ever before, whilst for some European and South American teams it has been a case of “business as usual”.
But for national teams from Asia, most disappeared without a trace after the group phase.
The tournament hardly got off to an auspicious start for Asia, with both China and India yet again failing to qualify for world soccer’s biggest spectacle.
The two most populous countries in the world have an abysmal World Cup qualifying record: China has qualified only once (in 2002), and India has never qualified directly (it secured a place in the 1950 edition but then withdrew).
3 months ago
