FIFA World Cup: 5 teams you didn't know qualified once before

In 20 editions till date, the FIFA World Cup has seen 79 different teams qualify for the tournament at least once. But only 8 countries in the history have actually gone on to win it. And all the champions have been either a European or a South-American.

The Asian and the African zone have produced talented squads featuring equally talented player or two in the past, but were simply inferior in quality or didn't have the resources to launch a title assault. The circumstances in the CONCACAF and Oceanic regions are far grimmer.

But there have been subaltern outfits from these regions that although languish in the wrong end of the current rankings, did make it to the competition before against all odds. Their diminutive stature might have eclipsed their World Cup history, but here we bring 5 such teams to light, whom you probably didn't know dined at the high table of World Cup once.

#5 Kuwait (1982)

The Kuwaiti football team in 1982 World Cup

Ranked as low as 159 in the world, you won't believe, Kuwait was actually the first Gulf country to qualify for the World Cup. Not Saudi Arabia. The Al-Azraq won 9 of their 15 qualifying games to book tickets to Spain, where their national anthem was sounded for the first and the only time.

At the tournament proper, Kuwait were drawn into a daunting group alongside England, France, and Czechoslovakia, and expectedly bowed out without winning a single game. The 4-1 defeat to Les Blues, however, was a controversial one as the Arabians conceded a goal in bizarre circumstances that prompted Kuwaiti FA chief Prince Fahid to barge on the pitch and convinced the match official to chalk the goal off!

After 1982, the Blue Wave were never to be seen in a World Cup again. In fact, the following years witnessed a gradual decline of the national team as they struggled to get past even the group stages of the Asian Cup!

In December last year, Kuwait hit an all-time nadir when it slumped to 189 in world rankings.

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#4 Angola (2006)

Angola were a part of Portugal until 1974, but had to wait for another decade before they took a crack at the World Cups. However, it was only in 2006 when the Palancas Negras put the records straight. And just so that you know, the then-manager Golcalves sought to seek advice from then-Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, whose wife hailed from Angola, while selecting the squad!

Drawn alongside Portugal, Mexico, and Iran, they finished third with two draws and a defeat, including a goalless stalemate against Mexico! But Angola bowed out with a single goal when Flavio da Silva struck against Team Melli in the last group game.

For the subsequent World Cups, Angola haven't got past even the second round of the African qualifiers. They are currently 137th in the world.

#3 Cuba (1938)

The Cuban team that participated in 1938 World Cup

Only three Caribbean teams have ever graced football's biggest stage. And the first one to do that was Cuba, ironically, the lowest ranked team from the region at the moment (they are on 181!). However, their road to France, which hosted the World Cup then, is interesting.

The decision to stage a second consecutive World Cup in Europe was poorly received by all the nations in the Americas. Resultantly, all except Brazil from the region, pulled out of the competition, while barring Cuba, all other Caribbean outfits too gave it a cold shoulder. So Cuba and Brazil qualified automatically.

The 1938 World Cup didn't have any group games, so the Lions were directly drawn against Romania in the last 16, triumphing on penalties after a pulsating 3-3 draw. But in the quarter-finals, Sweden belted out an 8-0 shellacking that ended Cuba's short stint.

Exactly 80 years have passed since the game, and they could never again return to the World Cups.

#2 Iraq (1986)

For even a country that's no longer a country but rather a dystopic and completely destroyed piece of land in Western Asia, hold the distinction of having played in the World Cup once before. But back in the 1980s, Iraq enjoyed a golden period in their football history that culminated with a qualification for the Mexican showpiece in '86.

There, they finished at the bottom of their groups after losing all three games to Paraguay, Belgium, and Mexico. The only consolation was the solitary strike they mustered through Ahmed Radhi in the 2-1 defeat to Belgium; the only goal Iraq has ever managed at the World Cups to date.

The already grim state of football in the country was compounded with growing ISIS threat in the country, forcing the team to play all their 'home' games in the Iranian capital of Tehran. But despite all the issues, the Lions of Mesopotamia are ranked 89th currently, the tenth best Asian side.

#1 Indonesia (1938)

The first Asians to feature in a World Cup

The likes of Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran and Saudi Arabia have emerged as some of the best Asian sides in the recent times, but quite unbelievably, it was Indonesia who put the continent on the map first, way back in 1938.

Known as Dutch East Indies then, Japan was the only other nation to enter the qualification for the World Cup then, but a withdrawal meant the former was given a bye. They were drawn against Hungary in the last 16, and were handed a 6-0 hiding. That was the first and the last appearance by the team at the World Cups.

Currently ranked 164th in the world, Tim Garuda are now far from qualifying as they've been reduced to one of the weakest sides in the world, and their image took another beating in 2014 when FIFA banned the football team from participating in the qualifiers for Russia.

The embargo was later lifted in 2016.

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Edited by Zeeshan Ali