How have debutant teams performed at the FIFA World Cup?

The four newcomers took the total number of nations to have participated in the World Cup up to 84 and, among them, there have been some excellent debutants. Technically, Uruguay and Italy are the best performing newcomers in the competition's history, both winning the trophy on debut in 1930 and 1934, respectively. The next best performances would then come from Argentina (1930) and Czechoslovakia (1934), who each finished as runners-up.

However, given the first World Cup came in 1930, these achievements came at a time when most teams were debutants. So, who has done well in the years since?

Since 1934, the best tournament for first-timers collectively was 1958 as all three - Northern Ireland, the Soviet Union and Wales - reached the quarter-finals. There was also a 100 per cent record for debutants making it beyond the first stage in 1966, as both North Korea and Portugal reached - and met in - the quarter-finals. The latter would prevail and then run England close in the semis, before losing 2-1 to the eventual champions.

Excluding the first two World Cup tournaments, making the semi-finals remains the best performance for debutants, with one other team joining Portugal over the years in getting that far in that first tournament. Others have come close, too, with three nations making the quarter-finals on debut since 1994.

In 2026, though, simply making the knockout stages was always going to be a good tournament for the newcomers, with it 16 years since one did so. That was Slovakia, who beat Italy in 2010 to send the holders crashing out in the group stages. Cape Verde have followed in their footsteps and then ran holders, and eventual runners-up, Argentina close in the round of 32, with extra-time needed for Lionel Scaloni's men to triumph.

Where do the heroics of the Blue Sharks rank among other newcomers over the years? GOAL details the debuts of all 84 nations to have played at the World Cup...

Uruguay

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Champions

Argentina

Year of debut: 1930

Performances: Runners-up

Belgium

Year of debut: 1930

Performances: Group stage

#WorldCup Archive: When Belgium's players landed at Uruguay 1930 after three weeks at sea #TBThttps://t.co/uXIDRiJEtE pic.twitter.com/5Z4mlqiEs0 — FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 10, 2016

Bolivia

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Group stage

The interesting kit that Bolivia’s national team wore at the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay... pic.twitter.com/XaIq5Wi3wm — The Antique Football (@AntiqueFootball) January 22, 2014

Brazil

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Group stage

Chile

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Group stage

#OnThisDayInFootball in the 1930 #WorldCup Chile played their first match facing Mexico, gaining a comfortable 3-0 win, thanks to the goals from the forward Carlos #Vidal Lepe and the first own goal in the history of #WorldCup by Mexican player "Chaquetas" Manuel Rosas Sánchez. pic.twitter.com/xVH1MQuLIt — Fútbolismo ⚽️🌎🌍🌏⚽️ (@ftblsm) July 16, 2020

France

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Group stage

Mexico

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Group stage

Paraguay

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Group stage

Peru

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Group stage

We have a two-part SPECIAL #TPWPod: Peru at the 1930 World Cup! Part 1: 👉 How World Cup was arranged 🏆 👉 🇵🇪⚽️ in 20s & 30s 👉 Journey from Lima to Montevideo 🚢 And more! SOUNDCLOUD: https://t.co/2KYImJJFMh APPLE: https://t.co/fBDvJOIj0X SPOTIFY: https://t.co/DJrfKN2gRF pic.twitter.com/jQLqwcSt8x — The Peruvian Waltz (@PeruWaltz) April 12, 2020

Romania

Year of debut: 1930

Performances: Group stage

👑 A royal decree from a football-crazy king 🚢 16 days on an ocean liner 🥅 A goal after just 50 seconds This is the incredible story behind @hai_romania's first #WorldCup match #OnThisDay in 1930 🇷🇴 👉 https://t.co/xRvnlFtfOI pic.twitter.com/kIgvtsvChz — FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 14, 2020

USA

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Semi-final

ℹ| Belgian Football History No 6... Belgium's Cpt Pierre Braine with USA Cpt Tom Florie (white kit) and the match referee and linesmen, prior to the @BelRedDevils v @USMNT match at 1930 World Cup in Uruguay. USA would win the match 3-0. pic.twitter.com/HBPDfjOLtJ — The Belgian Football Podcast (@BelgianPodcast) March 3, 2021

Yugoslavia (now Serbia)

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Semi-final

Italy

Year of debut: 1934

Performance: Champions

Czechoslovakia (now Czechia)

Year of debut: 1934

Performance: Runners-up

Germany

Year of debut: 1934

Performance: Third place

Germany v Czechoslovakia getting ready to kick off their semi final, 1934 World Cup. pic.twitter.com/nqCyVoJCaU — The Antique Football (@AntiqueFootball) February 11, 2014

Austria

Year of debut: 1934

Performance: Fourth place

Egypt

Year of debut: 1934

Performance: Round of 16

The Story of Africa's First Appearance At The FIFA World Cup World Cup victory has eluded African teams but they can claim credit for providing some of the tournament's most memorable moments. Egypt🇪🇬 was the first African country to play at the World Cup in 1934, in Italy pic.twitter.com/CqIn77i5TQ — POWER OF AFRICA (@Powerofafrica_) June 2, 2022

Switzerland

Year of debut: 1934

Performance: Quarter-final

Swede Ivan Eklind is still the only referee in the history of @FIFAWorldCup, who was the youngest referee in two World Cup tournaments. He was 28 at the 1934 World Cup, 32 at @mondial1938. Photos before the match Switzerland - Germany replay on 09.06.1938 pic.twitter.com/ZQnIPtpnKR — Sergey_Koloskov (@KoloskovSerge) December 30, 2021

Hungary

Year of debut: 1934

Performance: Quarter-final

Netherlands

Year of debut: 1934

Performance: Round of 16

Netherlands take to the field in Milan for their match v Switzerland, 1934 World Cup. pic.twitter.com/k5kAhF4ybs — The Antique Football (@AntiqueFootball) May 31, 2014

Spain

Year of debut: 1934

Performance: Quarter-final

Sweden

Year of debut: 1934

Performance: Quarter-final

1930s - Sweden beat Argentina 3-2 in Bologna in the 1934 World Cup 1st Round. Sven Jonasson scored twice. pic.twitter.com/nOV2HniJSX — Michael Frijj (@frijj_0) May 3, 2015

Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia)

Year of debut: 1938

Performance: Round of 16

It was the Dutch East Indies! #OnThisDay in 1938 the Dutch East Indies (known now as Indonesia) became the 1st Asian nation to compete at the #WorldCup 📷 @theafcdotcom Learn more about the fascinating story & watch a FIFA TV video about it here 👇 — FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 5, 2020

Norway

Year of debut: 1938

Performance: Round of 16

Poland

Year of debut: 1938

Performance: Round of 16

Cuba

Year of debut: 1938

Performance: Quarter-final

England

Year of debut: 1950

Performance: First round

South Korea

Year of debut: 1954

Performance: Group stage

#KoreanHistoryToday: South Korea's national football team qualifies for its first World Cup appearance in 1954. By competing in the tournament hosted in Switzerland, South Korea becomes the first independent Asian country to competete in the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/2qGkP0xN2d — Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) (@KoreaEconInst) March 14, 2021

Scotland

Year of debut: 1954

Performance: Group stage

Turkey

Year of debut: 1954

Performance: Group stage

Northern Ireland

Year of debut: 1958

Performance: Quarter-final

Soviet Union (now Russia)

Year of debut: 1958

Performance: Quarter-final

Wales

Year of debut: 1958

Performance: Quarter-final

Bulgaria

Year of debut: 1962

Performance: Group stage

Colombia

Year of debut: 1962

Performance: Group stage

#CountdownToRussia2018 - 100 Only one goal has ever been scored directly from a corner at the World Cup. It was Colombia’s Marcos Coll in 1962 against the great Lev Yashin. pic.twitter.com/C5x6Q9AFXD — Joe Crann (@YesWeCrann) March 6, 2018

Portugal

Year of debut: 1966

Performance: Quarter-final

North Korea

Year of debut: 1966

Performance: Quarter-final

El Salvador

Year of debut: 1970

Performance: Group stage

El Salvador won the match in extra time. They would go on to qualify to the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, their first ever participation at the event. 17 days later El Salvador launched an invasion into Tegucigalpa. pic.twitter.com/3QVyEyHt9u — Nico Cantor (@Nicocantor1) September 5, 2021

Morocco

Year of debut: 1970

Performance: Group stage

Israel

Year of debut: 1970

Performance: Group stage

Australia

Year of debut: 1974

Performance: Group stage

Haiti

Year of debut: 1974

Performance: Group stage

Zaire (now DR Congo)

Year of debut: 1974

Performance: Group stage

East Germany

Year of debut: 1974

Performance: Second round (Quarter-final)

Iran

Year of debut: 1978

Performance: Group stage

World Cup action (1978) #Mendoza #SanMartin #Argentina #Netherlands v #Iran #WorldCup #Mundial pic.twitter.com/s5dMww8nka — MotherSoccer (@MotherSoccerNL) May 30, 2019

Tunisia

Year of debut: 1978

Performance: Group stage

Algeria

Year of debut: 1982

Performance: Group stage

Cameroon

Year of debut: 1982

Performance: Group stage

With my friend Dino Zoff after a FIFA World Cup game between Cameroon and Italia in 1982. 🇨🇲🇮🇹 #Memories pic.twitter.com/3EUnHgApYC — Roger Milla (@roger_milla_9) August 21, 2020

Honduras

Year of debut: 1982

Performance: Group stage

Honduras goalkeeper Julio Cesar Arzu dives to claim the ball, closely watched by Northern Ireland's Billy Hamilton during the team's World Cup clash in 1982. The match ended 1-1. pic.twitter.com/bHwpSkZmB8 — GoaliesAreDifferent (@goalkeepersdiff) June 5, 2020

Kuwait

Year of debut: 1982

Performance: Group stage

New Zealand

Year of debut: 1982

Performance: Group stage

Canada

Year of debut: 1986

Performance: Group stage

Denmark

Year of debut: 1986

Performance: Round of 16

Iraq

Year of debut: 1986

Performance: Group stage

United Arab Emirates

Year of debut: 1990

Performance: Group stage

Costa Rica

Year of debut: 1990

Performance: Round of 16

1st #WorldCup match ✔️ 1st #WorldCup goal ✔️ 1st #WorldCup win ✔️ 🇨🇷 30 years ago today, Costa Rica made a dream World Cup debut at Italy 1990 😍#OnThisDay | #TBT | @fedefutbolcrc pic.twitter.com/2bahx09518 — FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 11, 2020

Republic of Ireland

Year of debut: 1990

Performance: Quarter-final

Greece

Year of debut: 1994

Performance: Group stage

Nigeria

Year of debut: 1994

Performance: Round of 16

Saudi Arabia

Year of debut: 1994

Performance: Round of 16

Jamaica

Year of debut: 1998

Performance: Group stage

Japan

Year of debut: 1998

Performance: Group stage

South Africa

Year of debut: 1998

Performance: Group stage

Croatia

Year of debut: 1998

Performance: Semi-final

China

Year of debut: 2002

Performance: Group stage

Ecuador

Year of debut: 2002

Performance: Group stage

Slovenia

Year of debut: 2002

Performance: Group stage

Senegal

Year of debut: 2002

Performance: Quarter-final

Angola

Year of debut: 2006

Performance: Group stage

Ivory Coast

Year of debut: 2006

Performance: Group stage

Togo

Year of debut: 2006

Performance: Group stage

Trinidad and Tobago

Year of debut: 2006

Performance: Group stage

Ghana

Year of debut: 2006

Performance: Round of 16

Ukraine

Year of debut: 2006

Performance: Quarter-final

Slovakia

Year of debut: 2010

Performance: Round of 16

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Year of debut: 2014

Performance: Group stage

Iceland

Year of debut: 2018

Performance: Group stage

Panama

Year of debut: 2018

Performance: Group stage

Qatar

Year of debut: 2022

Performance: Group stage

Curacao

Year of debut: 2026

Performance: Group stage

Cape Verde

Year of debut: 2026

Performance: Round of 32

Jordan

Year of debut: 2026

Performance: Group stage

Uzbekistan

Year of debut: 2026

Performance: Group stage