European nations at the FIFA World Cup

Association football is the most popular sport in nearly every European country, and UEFA is one of the six confederations of world football's governing body FIFA. UEFA contains 55 national association members, some of which partially or entirely located in Asia. A total of 33 of the current members of UEFA have competed at the men's FIFA World Cup, while the defunct East Germany qualified once.

Overview

1930

(13)
1934

(16)
1938

(15)
1950

(13)
1954

(16)
1958

(16)
1962

(16)
1966

(16)
1970

(16)
1974

(16)
1978

(16)
1982

(24)
1986

(24)
1990

(24)
1994

(24)
1998

(32)
2002


(32)
2006

(32)
2010

(32)
2014

(32)
2018

(32)
2022

(32)
Total
Teams41212612121010991014141413151514131314(13)245
Top 1610[lower-alpha 1]10101010910661091
Top 8866765465567646346100
Top 414323324232433332432460
Top 202202112121211111221228
1st12
2nd16
3rd17
4th15
Country # Years Best result
 Germany[1]  191934, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 1st
 Italy  181934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 1st
 France  151930, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 1st
 England  151950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 1st
 Spain  151934, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 1st
 Belgium  131930, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2014, 2018 3rd
 Serbia[2]  121930, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1974, 1982, 1990, 1998, 2006, 2010, 2018 4th
 Sweden  121934, 1938, 1950, 1958, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1990, 1994, 2002, 2006, 2018 2nd
  Switzerland  111934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1994, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 QF
 Russia[3]  111958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 2002, 2014, 2018 4th
 Netherlands  101934, 1938, 1974, 1978, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010, 2014 2nd
 Hungary  91934, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986 2nd
 Czech Republic[4]  91934, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1970, 1982, 1990, 2006 2nd
 Poland  81938, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 2002, 2006, 2018 3rd
 Scotland  81954, 1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998 R1
 Romania  71930, 1934, 1938, 1970, 1990, 1994, 1998 QF
 Austria  71934, 1954, 1958, 1978, 1982, 1990, 1998 3rd
 Bulgaria  71962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1994, 1998 4th
 Portugal  71966, 1986, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 3rd
 Denmark  51986, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2018 QF
 Croatia  51998, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2018 2nd
 Norway  31938, 1994, 1998 R2
 Northern Ireland  31958, 1982, 1986 QF
 Republic of Ireland  31990, 1994, 2002 QF
 Greece  31994, 2010, 2014 R2
 Turkey  21954, 2002 3rd
 Slovenia  22002, 2010 R1
 Wales  11958 QF
 Israel  11970 R1
 East Germany  11974 R2
 Ukraine  12006 QF
 Slovakia  12010 R2
 Bosnia and Herzegovina  12014 R1
 Iceland  12018 R1

Results

Most finishes in the top four

Team # Top-four finishes
 Germany[1] 13 1934, 1954, 1958, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1982, 1986, 1990, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
 Italy 8 1934, 1938, 1970, 1978, 1982, 1990, 1994, 2006
 France 6 1958, 1982, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2018
 Netherlands 5 1974, 1978, 1998, 2010, 2014
 Sweden 4 1938, 1950, 1958, 1994
 England 3 1966, 1990, 2018
 Serbia[2] 2 1930, 1962
 Austria 2 1934, 1954
 Czech Republic[4] 2 1934, 1962
 Hungary 2 1938, 1954
 Spain 2 1950, 2010
 Portugal 2 1966, 2006
 Poland 2 1974, 1982
 Belgium 2 1986, 2018
 Croatia 2 1998, 2018
 Russia[3] 1 1966
 Bulgaria 1 1994
 Turkey 1 2002

Team results by tournament

Legend

The team ranking in each tournament is according to FIFA.[5] The rankings, apart from the top four positions (top two in 1930), are not a result of direct competition between the teams; instead, teams eliminated in the same round are ranked by their full results in the tournament. In recent tournaments, FIFA has used the rankings for seedings for the final tournament draw.[6]

For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament (in brackets) are shown.

World Cup results of UEFA members
Team 1930

(13)
1934

(16)
1938

(15)
1950

(13)
1954

(16)
1958

(16)
1962

(16)
1966

(16)
1970

(16)
1974

(16)
1978

(16)
1982

(24)
1986

(24)
1990

(24)
1994

(24)
1998

(32)
2002


(32)
2006

(32)
2010

(32)
2014

(32)
2018

(32)
2022

(32)
Total
(21)
Qual.
Comp.
(20)
 Austria ×4th••[7]×3rdR1
15th
×R2
7th
R2
8th
R1
T-18th
R1
23rd
718
 Belgium R1
11th
R1
15th
R1
13th
×R1
12th
R1
T-10th
R2
10th
4thR2
11th
R2
11th
R1
19th
R2
14th
QF
6th
3rd1320
 Bosnia and Herzegovina[2] Part of YugoslaviaR1
20th
16
 Bulgaria ××R1
15th
R1
15th
R1
13th
R1
12th
R2
15th
4thR1
29th
719
 Croatia[2] Part of Yugoslavia×3rdR1
23rd
R1
22nd
R1
19th
2nd56
 Czech Republic[4] ×2ndQF
5th
×R1
14th
R1
9th
2ndR1
15th
R1
19th
QF
6th
R1
20th
919
 Denmark ××××××R2
9th
QF
8th
R2
10th
R1
24th
R2
11th
515
 East Germany[1] Part of Germany××R2
6th
Part of Germany19
 England ×××R1
8th
QF
6th
R1
11th
QF
8th
1stQF
8th
R2
6th
QF
8th
4thR2
9th
QF
6th
QF
7th
R2
13th
R1
26th
4th1518
 France R1
7th
R1
T-9th
QF
6th
••R1
11th
3rdR1
T-13th
R1
12th
4th3rd1stR1
28th
2ndR1
29th
QF
7th
1st1521
 Germany[1] ×3rdR1
10th
×1st4thQF
7th
2nd3rd1stR2
6th
2nd2nd1stQF
5th
QF
7th
2nd3rd3rd1stR1
22nd
1919
 Greece ××R1
24th
R1
25th
R2
13th
319
 Hungary ×QF
6th
2nd×2ndR1
10th
QF
5th
QF
6th
R1
15th
R1
14th
R1
18th
919
 Iceland ××××R1
28th
114
 Israel[8] ×R1
12th
120
member of AFCmember of OFC
 Italy ×1st1stR1
7th
R1
10th
R1
9th
R1
9th
2ndR1
10th
4th1stR2
12th
3rd2ndQF
5th
R2
15th
1stR1
26th
R1
22nd
1820
 Netherlands ×R1
T-9th
R1
14th
××2nd2ndR2
15th
QF
7th
4thR2
11th
2nd3rd1018
 Northern Ireland ×××QF
8th
R2
9th
R1
21st
318
 Norway ××R1
12th
×R1
17th
R2
15th
318
 Poland ×R1
11th
××3rdR2
5th
3rdR2
14th
R1
25th
R1
21st
R1
25th
818
 Portugal ×3rdR1
17th
R1
21st
4thR2
11th
R1
18th
R2
13th
720
 Republic of Ireland[9] ×QF
8th
R2
16th
R2
12th
320
 Romania R1
8th
R1
12th
R1
9th
×R1
T-10th
R2
12th
QF
6th
R2
11th
720
 Russia[3] ×××××QF
7th
QF
6th
4thQF
5th
R2
7th
R2
10th
R1
17th
R1
18th
R1
22nd
R1
24th
QF
8th
1116
 Scotland ××ו•R1
15th
R1
14th
R1
9th
R1
11th
R1
15th
R1
19th
R1
T-18th
R1
27th
818
 Serbia[2] 4th[10]R1
5th
QF
7th
QF
5th
4thR2
7th
R1
16th
QF
5th
×R2
10th
R1
32nd
R1
23rd
R1
23rd
1220
 Slovakia[4] Part of CzechoslovakiaR2
16th
16
 Slovenia[2] Part of Yugoslavia×R1
30th
R1
18th
26
 Spain ×QF
5th
×4thR1
12th
R1
10th
R1
10th
R2
12th
QF
7th
R2
10th
QF
8th
R1
17th
QF
5th
R2
9th
1stR1
23rd
R2
10th
1519
 Sweden ×QF
8th
4th3rd2ndR1
9th
R2
5th
R1
13th
R1
21st
3rdR2
13th
R2
14th
QF
7th
1220
  Switzerland ×QF
7th
QF
7th
R1
6th
QF
8th
R1
16th
R1
16th
R2
15th
R2
10th
R1
19th
R2
11th
R2
14th
1120
 Turkey ××ו•R1
9th
×3rd217
 Ukraine[3] Part of Soviet Union×QF
8th
16
 Wales ×××QF
6th
118

Tournament standings

TeamChampionsFinalsSemifinalsQuarterfinals2nd Round
Performance of each nation
 Germany[1] 4813179
 Italy 46887
 France 23686
 England 11398
 Spain 11258
 Netherlands 03566
 Hungary 02250
 Czech Republic[4] 02241
 Sweden 01464
 Croatia[2] 01222
 Serbia[2] 00252
 Belgium 00237
 Austria 00231
 Portugal 00223
 Poland 00222
 Russia[3] 00153
 Bulgaria 00112
 Turkey 00111
  Switzerland 00034
 Denmark 00014
 Republic of Ireland 00013
 Romania 00013
 Northern Ireland 00011
 Ukraine[3] 00011
 East Germany[1] 00010
 Wales 00010
 Greece 00001
 Norway 00001
 Slovakia[4] 00001
  • Quarterfinals = knockout round of 8: 1934–1938, 1954–1970, and 1986–present; second group stage, top 8: 1974–1978
  • 2nd Round = second group stage, top 12: 1982; knockout round of 16: 1986–present

Overall team records

As per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws. 3 points per win, 1 point per draw and 0 points per loss.

Results through World Cup 2018

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Germany[1] 109672022226125+101222
 Italy 8345211712877+51156
 France 6634131912077+43115
 England 692921199164+27108
 Spain 633015189972+27105
 Netherlands 502712118648+3893
 Sweden 501913188071+970
 Belgium 48209196872-469
 Russia[3] 451910167754+2367
 Serbia[2] 46188206663+362
 Poland 34165134645+153
 Hungary 32153148757+3048
 Portugal 30146104935+1448
  Switzerland 37128175064-1444
 Czech Republic[4] 33125164749-241
 Austria 29124134347-440
 Croatia[2] 2211483526+934
 Denmark 199462925+431
 Romania 218583032-229
 Scotland 2347122541-1619
 Bulgaria 2638152253-3117
 Turkey 105142017+316
 Republic of Ireland 132831010014
 Northern Ireland 133551323-1014
 Norway 823378-19
 East Germany[1] 62225508
 Greece 10226520-158
 Ukraine[3] 521257-27
 Wales 51314406
 Slovakia[4] 411257-24
 Slovenia[2] 6114510-54
 Bosnia and Herzegovina[2] 31024403
 Israel 302113-22
 Iceland 301225-31
Breakdown of successor teams
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Points
 Czechoslovakia (1930–1994) 30115144445-138
 Czech Republic (since 1998) 310234-13
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Points
 Germany (1930–1938) 63121413+110
 West Germany (1950–1990) 6236141213177+54122
 Germany (since 1994) 4128588135+4689
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Points
 Soviet Union (1930–1990) 31156105334+1951
 Russia (since 1994) 144462420+416
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Points
Yugoslavia (1930–1938) 32017706
 Yugoslavia (1950–1990) 30127114835+1343
 FR Yugoslavia (1994–2002) 421154+17
 Serbia and Montenegro (2006) 3003210-80
 Serbia (since 2010) 620447-36

Appearances

Ranking of teams by number of appearances

European team appearances at the World Cup
Team Appearances Record streak Active streak Debut Most recent Best result (* = hosts)
 Germany[1] 19171719342018Champions (1954, 1974*, 1990, 2014)
 Italy 1814019342014Champions (1934*, 1938, 1982, 2006)
 Spain 15111119342018Champions (2010)
 France 156619302018Champions (1998*, 2018)
 England 156619502018Champions (1966*)
 Belgium 136219302018Third place (2018)
 Serbia[2] 124119302018Fourth place (1930,[10] 1962)
 Sweden 123119342018Runners-up (1958*)
  Switzerland 114419342018Quarterfinals (1934, 1938, 1954*)
 Russia[3] 114219582018Fourth place (1966)
 Netherlands 103019342014Runners-up (1974, 1978, 2010)
 Hungary 94019341986Runners-up (1938, 1954)
 Czech Republic[4] 93019342006Runners-up (1934, 1962)
 Scotland 85019541998Round 1
 Poland 84119382018Third place (1974, 1982)
 Portugal 75519662018Third place (1966)
 Bulgaria 74019621998Fourth place (1994)
 Romania 73019301998Quarterfinals (1994)
 Austria 72019341998Third place (1954)
 Croatia[2] 53219982018Runners-up (2018)
 Denmark 52119862018Quarterfinals (1998)
 Norway 32019381998Round 2 (1998)
 Northern Ireland 32019581986Quarterfinals (1958)
 Republic of Ireland 32019902002Quarterfinals (1990)
 Greece 32019942014Round 2 (2014)
 Turkey 21019542002Third place (2002)
 Slovenia[2] 21020022010Round 1
 Iceland 11120182018Round 1
 Wales 11019581958Quarterfinals (1958)
 Israel 11019701970Round 1
 East Germany[1] 11019741974Round 2 (top 8) (1974)
 Ukraine[3] 11020062006Quarterfinals (2006)
 Slovakia[4] 11020102010Round 2 (2010)
 Bosnia and Herzegovina[2] 11020142014Round 1
Breakdown of successor teams
Team # of appearances Record streak Active streak Debut Most recent Best result
 Czechoslovakia (1930–1994) 83019341990Runners-up (1934, 1962)
 Czech Republic (since 1998) 11020062006Round 1
Team # of appearances Record streak Active streak Debut Most recent Best result
 Soviet Union (1930–1990) 74019581990Fourth place (1966)
 Russia (since 1994) 42219942018Quarterfinals (2018*)
Team # of appearances Record streak Active streak Debut Most recent Best result (* = hosts)
 Germany (1930–1938) 22019341938Third place (1934)
 West Germany (1950–1990) 1010019541990Champions (1954, 1974*, 1990)
 Germany (since 1994) 77719942018Champions (2014)
Team # of appearances Record streak Active streak Debut Most recent Best result
 Yugoslavia (1930–1990) 84019301990Fourth place (1930,[10] 1962)
 FR Yugoslavia (1994–2002) 11019981998Third place (1998)
 Serbia and Montenegro (2006) 11020062006Round 1
 Serbia (since 2010) 21120102018Round 1

Team debuts

Each successive World Cup has had at least one team appearing for the first time. This table shows the national associations in alphabetical order per year.

Year Debutants Total
1930  Belgium,  France,  Romania,  Yugoslavia[2] 4
1934  Austria,  Czechoslovakia,[4]  Germany,[1]  Hungary,  Italy,
 Netherlands,  Spain,  Sweden,   Switzerland
9
1938  Norway,  Poland 2
1950  England 1
1954  Scotland,  Turkey 2
1958  Northern Ireland,  Soviet Union,[3]  Wales 3
1962  Bulgaria 1
1966  Portugal 1
1970  Israel# 1
1974  East Germany[1] 1
1978 0
1982 0
1986  Denmark 1
1990  Republic of Ireland 1
1994  Greece 1
1998  Croatia[2] 1
2002  Slovenia[2] 1
2006  Ukraine[3] 1
2010  Slovakia[4] 1
2014  Bosnia and Herzegovina[2] 1
2018  Iceland 1
Total 34
*This total number of UEFA teams which have participated in the World Cups through 2018 is 34, using FIFA's view on successor teams (e.g., Russia is a successor of USSR and not a separate team, whereas Ukraine is a newer separate entity).
#Israel represented AFC in the 1970 tournament.

Never qualified

22 of the 55 active FIFA and UEFA members have never qualified for the final tournament.

Legend
  •    Did not qualify
  •  ×  Did not enter / Withdrew / Banned
  •     Not affiliated in FIFA
European teams who have yet to qualify
CountryNumber of
Qualifying
attempts
1930
1934
1938
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002

2006
2010
2014
2018
 Luxembourg20×
 Finland18×××
 Cyprus15×××
 Albania12××××××××
 Malta12×××
 Estonia9×part of USSR
 Lithuania9×part of USSR
 Faroe Islands7×
 Latvia7×××part of USSR
 San Marino7×
 Armenia6part of USSR×
 Azerbaijan6part of USSR
 Belarus6part of USSR×
 Georgia6part of USSR×
 Kazakhstan6part of USSR
member of AFC
 Liechtenstein6×××××
 North Macedonia6part of Yugoslavia
 Moldova6part of USSR
 Andorra5×
 Montenegro3part of YugoslaviaSerbia and Montenegro
 Gibraltar1part of England[11]
 Kosovo1part of YugoslaviaSerbia and MontenegroSerbia[12]
 Saar1part of Germany×part of West Germany and Germany

Footnotes

  1. In 1982, the second round featured 12 teams from which only 4 advanced to the semi-finals (top 4).

Notes

  1. Germany (since 1949 officially Federal Republic of Germany) is since 1904 represented by the same governing body (Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB)). After World War II and the division of Germany, the DFB was only re-admitted to FIFA after the 1950 WC, while Saar (until 1956) and East Germany (until 1990) fielded teams of their own before (re-)joining (West) Germany and the DFB in the German reunification. FIFA officially attributes all international results of the DFB team since 1908 to Germany, including the results of 1954-1990, when the team was often called West Germany.
  2. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1930) and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (19501990) qualified eight times from 19301990 under the name Yugoslavia prior to its breakup by the secession of many of its constituent republics in 1992. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia qualified once in 1998 under the name Yugoslavia, and Serbia and Montenegro qualified once in 2006 after a name change in 2003. All these teams are considered the predecessor of the current Serbia team by FIFA. The other national teams which resulted from the breakup of the original Yugoslavia Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and FYR Macedonia are considered distinct entities from the Yugoslavia team of 19301990. Montenegro and Kosovo now also compete separately after independence in 2006 and 2008, respectively. In 2010, Serbia debuted at the FIFA World Cup with their own national team.
  3. The Soviet Union qualified seven times prior to being dissolved in 1991. The 15 nations that were former Soviet Republics now compete separately. FIFA considers Russia as the successor team of the USSR.
  4. Czechoslovakia qualified eight times prior to being divided into Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 1993. FIFA considers the Czech Republic as the successor team of Czechoslovakia. The other national team which resulted from the breakup of the Czechoslovakia Slovakia, is considered a distinct entity from the Czechoslovakia team. The Czech Republic national team qualified for the World Cup for the first time as a separate nation in 2006, with Slovakia doing the same in 2010.
  5. "FIFA World Cup Statistical Overview (page 4)" (PDF). Retrieved May 17, 2006.
  6. Seeding of national teams (PDF). Accessed 12 September 2016.
  7. Austria qualified in 1938, but withdrew to play as part of Germany after being annexed.
  8. Israel competed as Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel) in 1934 and in 1938, with a team consisting exclusively of Jewish and British footballers from the Palestine Mandate.
  9. Republic of Ireland competed as the Irish Free State in 1934 and then as Ireland in 1938 and 1950.
  10. There was no official World Cup Third Place match in 1930; The USA and Yugoslavia lost in the semi-finals. Currently, FIFA recognizes USA as the third-placed team and Yugoslavia as the fourth-placed team, using the overall records of the teams in the 1930 FIFA World Cup.
  11. The Gibraltar Football Association was affiliated to the Football Association (of England) between 1909 and 2013, when the GFA became full members of UEFA. The GFA became full members of FIFA in 2016.
  12. The Republic of Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. It has since gained diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 113 UN member states. Prior to the admission of Kosovo into UEFA and FIFA, Kosovo was recognised as part of Serbia by these organisations.

See also

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