10 countries you never knew played in a FIFA World Cup

#7 Canada – 1986

Englishman Tony Waiters held the reins as Canadian football reached its peak in the 1980s. Olympic football champions in 1904, Canada had fallen behind the likes of Mexico and Honduras in the CONCACAF region and had never qualified for a World Cup till then.

Waiters oversaw a quiet revolution for the Canucks and they almost qualified for the 1982 World Cup but were denied by a 2-2 draw against Cuba in their final group game. But the Canadians made up for it four years later. Once again the CONCACAF Championships would act as World Cup qualifiers and Canada went past Jamaica, Haiti and a tricky Guatemala to reach the final qualification round featuring Honduras and Costa Rica.

Two draws against Costa Rica meant that if Canada could get a point in their final match against Honduras, they would win the CONCACAF Cup and qualify for the World Cup. At the King George V Park in Newfoundland, the hosts struck first through George Pakos, even though Honduras equalised shortly after the break. A mere two minutes later, Igor Vrabilic scored the winner for the Canucks, sending them to the World Cup in Mexico.

At the World Cup, the Canadians would produce a spirited performance against France in their opener, only to lose to a late Jean-Pierre Papin goal. Further defeats to Hungary and USSR meant that they finished bottom of their group.