DavidP on BudgetPixel
@DavidP · 6/17/2026
**Participating Nations Pyramid** Original topic for QTing - **Football World Cup Trivia** --- Following on from the surprising statistic that only 8 nations have ever won the World Cup (my DC entry), is the fact that only 80 nations have ever participated in the World Cup Finals tournament. Football is the most popular sport by participation (people and countries) with FIFA having 211 member nations. Between the Finals Tournament held every four years are the continentatl qualifying tournaments. The 80 number is boosted in 2026 as the number of nations participating in the finals has been increased from 32 to 48, that includes 4 nations qualifying for the first time.
AI Model: gpt-image-2
Comments
panos
panos
OK, David, now I get it! 🙂I go to NC just for a daily creation to keep up the streak. I have days to post something ther. Anyway, I dn't have access to GPT models there, either. That's why I came here.
panos
A funny reverse-side of this phenomenon, happened in Greece. American baseball players of greek origin got the greek nationality so we could offer a baseball team in the Olympics. Everybody was pelased. Those players were of such caliber that they wouldn't see the outside of the US team not even with a radiotelescope 😃 and yet they got to be in the olympics, and we got a team in a sport we know absolutely nothing about. (Actually, baseball is the US national sport and almost the whole of the rest of the wolrd doesn't give a damn about. Despite their efforts to advance it - thus its inexplicable inclusion in the olympics. Sorry from any american friends who happen to read this, but it's true)
chris70
Since I live in a country that has already won the World Cup four times, I probably don't have an objective view of the whole situation. However, Germany lags far behind internationally when it comes to developing young talent. France—which happens to be my second nationality 😉—is miles ahead in that regard, thanks to its training centers. That is why I believe the team with the best individual players isn't necessarily the one with a good chance of winning the title; rather, it is the team with the best spirit. And fortunately, Germany can still keep up in that area—for now, at least.
panos
...now THAT is something I don't like... It is one thing to make a private career in another country than yours, and another to turn your back on your country in the national sport level. And the blame lies not on the athlets - a better life for them & their families is very understandable - but in rich countriies stealing poor countries taleltns so as to reinforce their national name in various sports
Sealine
Interesting
panos
I'll have to agree with Lrgion here. If you take int oaccount the other significant statistic - that of 22 World Cups having taken place in toto - the number looks normal. This is not by lottery. As in all things there are teams with history, infrastructure, tradition: all these bring with them a subtle, unquantifiable quality, a kind od 'esprit de corps' that also play a great role in match results
legion
If you look at the fact that 22 World Cups have been played in total, with 8 champions, it's not so strange.
charlypalermo
Excellent! My Argentina is one of the 8. Proud.
jmn
So only 10% of all qualifiers ever have won it?! That is very surprising.