2026 World Cup: Curacao, Norway, lead list of debutants and returnees after long-term absence

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will kick off across Mexico, USA, and Canada from Thursday, June 11, and the quadrennial tournament will feature regular nations Brazil, Germany, Argentina, and others. Also joining the train for the latest edition of the Mundial are nations that are making their first World Cup trip, and those returning after a lengthy absence of 16 years (or four editions). The former has four nations- including tiny nations, while the latter includes seven countries set to be welcomed back to the biggest stage of national team football. Shock Debutants Curacao, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Uzbekistan are the latest countries to claim their first ever ticket for the World Cup. Curacao is the smallest nation of the lot, qualifying from the CONCACAF zone on the back of mostly Netherlands players who traced their roots back to the country with only 150,000 inhabitants. Cape Verde is also a tiny nation, but the country of many islands joined FIFA in 1986 and has been unsuccessful until now, shocking Cameroon to qualify directly from Group D, thanks to largely Portugal-based imports. Jordan and Uzbekistan held off more recognized football nations in Asia to clinch a shock qualification with top-two finishes. While the White Wolves of Uzbekistan clinched a ticket on the back of a restructuring that started in 2017, Jordan elide on counter attack during the qualifiers to reach the Mundial in North America. Long-term absence over for Norway, Congo DR The seven countries to have been away for 16 years or more are Norway, Austria, Haiti, Paraguay, New Zealand, Paraguay, and Africa’s Congo DR. Haiti and Congo DR return for a second appearance after 52 years away, with the latter known as Zaire in its first appearance in 1974. While the Congolese lost all matches without a goal, Haiti managed a goal that broke legendary Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff’s clean sheet streak. Norway, Scotland, and Austria are back on the world stage after 28 years away. Behind the duo of Norway and Scotland are a perceived golden generation, with EPL highest goalscorer Erling Haaland and EPL winner Martin Odegaard leading Norway, while Scott McTominay, Italian Serie A winner with Napoli, will be at the forefront for the Scots. Paraguay and New Zealand complete the long-term absentees’ list, appearing last in South Africa 2010. The South Americans’ golden generation got to the quarter-finals in 2010 where they fell to eventual winners Spain, while New Zealand went unbeaten in 2010 without winning a match. They have not won a World Cup match in their previous two appearances.