Which teams are being called upon by World Cup history?

Many new names have officially emerged. It's not out of the question that the 2026 World Cup will have nearly a dozen newcomers – the most in the tournament's history. Who are these teams?

The new heroes of Asian football?

The fourth phase of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region will begin on October 8th, with six teams competing for two spots in the finals, using a round-robin format. These are Qatar, UAE, and Oman in Group A (playing in Qatar) and Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia in Group B (playing in Saudi Arabia). There will only be three matches, taking place on October 8th, 11th, and 14th. The top two teams in each group will qualify directly for the finals, while the second-placed teams will then compete for a place in the final play-off round (this round features six teams: two from CONCACAF and one each from Asia, Africa, Oceania, and South America, vying for the last two qualifying spots).

The Cape Verde national team is writing a fairytale in the African qualifiers as they move closer to securing a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

PHOTO: REUTERS

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Excluding the period when Indonesia was a Dutch colony, this is a historic opportunity for the Indonesian national team to qualify for the World Cup for the first time, signifying the first appearance of a Southeast Asian team in the World Cup. Indonesia previously participated in the 1938 World Cup under the name Dutch East Indies. Besides Indonesia, Oman also has a similar opportunity. As long as they don't finish last in their group, the hope of participating in the 2026 World Cup is not yet over for both teams.

After three stages of this qualifying round, Asia has already allocated the first six tickets to the 2026 World Cup, with the notable detail being the appearance of two teams making their first appearance in the World Cup: Uzbekistan and Jordan.

A breath of fresh air everywhere.

Not only in Asia, but a fresh breeze is blowing everywhere in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Don't assume this is solely a consequence of expanding the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams. That's only part of the reason. Throughout history, the World Cup has never failed to introduce new teams whenever this global football festival takes place, but the number of new teams is usually small. Only five new teams have appeared in the last four World Cups. This year, Jordan and Uzbekistan have officially qualified, as mentioned above. And it's worth noting that they have surpassed traditional regional powerhouses like Iraq, Qatar, and the UAE.

In Africa, there's a very "unusual" team soaring high, with a 90% chance of securing a direct spot in the 2026 World Cup. That's Cape Verde – currently leading Group D, 4 points ahead of Cameroon with only two matches remaining. Besides Cape Verde, two other teams are hoping to make history in this qualifying round, to varying degrees: Benin and Gabon. Benin is currently ahead of South Africa, while Gabon is only 1 point behind Ivory Coast. All have two matches left, and any slip-up by a strong team would make a comeback difficult.

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In the CONCACAF region, pay special attention to Suriname – the home of countless Dutch legends such as Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Clarence Seedorf, and Edgar Davids. This South American country (but playing in the CONCACAF region) is leading its qualifying group, full of hope of securing a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. Guatemala, Curacao, and Bermuda are other teams quietly waiting for their chance to make history in this region.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lich-su-world-cup-dang-moi-goi-nhung-doi-nao-185251006213622961.htm