Jordan becomes the 82nd World Cup team, and it will be difficult to surpass 90 teams in the future

In the field of national teams, there should be more than 200 teams in the world football world. Note that the number of national teams and countries is inconsistent. For example, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales all belong to the United Kingdom, but they are all independent teams in the context of the national team.

So, how many teams have scored in the World Cup in history?

The reason why I think of this question is that Uzbekistan and Jordan scored to the World Cup for the first time in history. The World Cup has added a new army. There are new troops in each World Cup, which is a consistent tradition from the first to the previous one. Let me give you a few recent examples. 2022 is Qatar, 2018 is Iceland, 2014 is Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 2010 is Slovakia. In 2006, the new army exploded, reaching 8, namely Seychelles (Serbia cannot be completely equivalent to Yugoslavia), Czech Republic (not to be equivalent to Czechoslovakia), Togo, Angola, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Ukraine, Trinidad and Tobago.

Uzbekistan is the 81st participating team in World Cup history, and Jordan is the 82nd. Is there a feeling that with the expansion of the World Cup, the new army will usher in another wave of blowout? 82. It is not far from 100. Perhaps, in the next few years, the 100th team will be born in the World Cup? That would be a historic moment.

But this matter is not as optimistic as imagined. With the current world football landscape and ecology, let alone 100, it is difficult to get the 90th.

The reason is very simple. The stratification of teams on every continent is very obvious. They will always go in what should be entered. They should not go in. No matter how hard they try, it is difficult to achieve hierarchical leap.

Let's talk about the recent Asian football world. This time, two new troops emerged in Asia at once. Isn’t it eye-catching? Moreover, there is a possibility that a third one will appear, and Oman can make a rush. But that's all. The pattern of Asian football is very solid. Japan, South Korea, Isham and Australia already occupy five seats, while Asia has 8.5 places and the other 3.5 are really not enough for teams such as Uzbekistan, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq. In the future, can there be other teams that can replace the big names mentioned above? At least we haven't seen such characters appear yet.

European football is even more serious. Although Europe has the largest quota, in terms of the proportion of strong teams, Europe has the lowest quota. Look at the more than 50 teams in European football, it is indeed difficult to pick out a new team. If you insist on a general, maybe Finland, Georgia and Albania have the power to fight, but it is difficult to break through the siege.

Africa and North America may be able to provide several new troops, but the number is also very limited. Although there are many places in Africa, there are many strong teams in Africa. There are more than 10 African teams that have scored in the World Cup in history, and they basically occupy these 9.5 places. Maybe there is some hope in Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, but that's all.

It is worth mentioning South America. There is currently only one potential new army in South America, Venezuela. South America has many places, and Venezuela will sooner or later reach the World Cup. If it is fast, you will see them in 2026.

As for Oceania, although there are 1.5 places, the actual beneficiary is New Zealand. The team that has won 0.5 places will find it difficult to break through the siege of the playoffs, no matter who they are. Therefore, Oceania is the most difficult area to create a new army.

Theoretically speaking, as long as the World Cup continues to be held, one day, all teams around the world will have the experience of participating in the World Cup. But in fact, due to the solidification of the structure, the chances of most teams are slim. Unless, the world football will undergo a major reshuffle and order will be reorganized. By then, maybe even the Faroe Islands, Azerbaijan, and Suriname will be able to play the World Cup.