Do Non-European Countries Have a Chance of Winning This Year's FIFA World Cup?

Despite its population of less than 10% of the world's population, European countries have dominated the tournament for decades. And the 2022 FIFA World Cup is no different since over 40% of the countries competing are European.

Why is this? Are European countries just so good at football? Are there other reasons behind their world cup domination?

Are European countries just so good at football?

Europe has a long and storied history in the sport of football (or soccer, as it is known in the United States). The game was first codified in England in the 19th century, and the first professional clubs were founded in Scotland and England in the 1870s. Europe was also home to the first international football match, between England and Scotland in 1872.

Since then, European countries have been among the most successful at both club and international level.

European teams have won the FIFA World Cup™ a total of 12 times, with Italy, Germany and England winning it four times each. Of the last 10 World Cups, European teams have won eight times.

There are a lot of reasons Europe has been so successful at football over the years:

Firstly, there is a huge amount of passion for the game across the continent. Football is one of the most popular sports in Europe, with hundreds of millions of fans tuning in to watch both club and international matches. This passion drives players to train harder and perform to their best on the pitch.

Secondly, there is a great deal of competition among European clubs. In countries like England, Spain, and Italy, there are multiple clubs vying for honors each season. This means that players have to be constantly on their toes lest they be replaced by someone else who is hungrier for success. This high level of competition leads to higher standards overall, which benefits both club sides and national teams.

Finally, Europe has some of the best infrastructure for football in the world. There are top-class stadiums everywhere you look, while facilities for training and player development are also world-renowned. This enables players to hone their skills from an early age and reach their full potential as professionals.

All of these factors come together to create a continent that is dominant in world football. Europe may not have invented the game, but it has certainly perfected it over the years!

Are there other reasons behind their world cup domination?

The fact that Europe has 14 teams qualified while Africa has just 5 in this year's World Cup, tripling their chance of winning compared to Africa, tells us so much about the unfairness of the qualification system. That doesn't provide equal representation of each continent such that a continent with less than 10% of the world's population represents 40% of the competing countries.

European countries tend to invest more in their football teams than other continents. A big part of this investment goes to acquiring international talent, resulting in Europe having the world's top players. This not only deprives non-European countries of their talents but also creates a hurdle for them to move and practice with their national teams.

The world is not Europe, yet the World Cup seems to have turned into a European playground.

Every 4 years, as the World Cup approaches, many fans and pundits alike are questioning whether non-European countries have a chance at winning football's most prestigious prize.

Looking at data from previous World Cups, Europe has won 12 of the previous 21 cups and the remaining 9 were won by South American countries, leaving the rest of the world with 0 winnings.

And it's not just about winning first place. Europe has also dominated the runner-up (16 times), third (16 times), and fourth place (14 times).

This means Europe has won about 70% of all World Cups combined.

And regarding hosting the world cup, Europe is also dominating the completion, having hosted the FIFA world cup times 11 (50%) since its inception.

What should we do about it?

So what can be done to level the playing field and give non-European countries a better chance at winning in the World Cup?

One solution would be for FIFA to invest more resources into developing football programs in these countries. This could include providing financial support to help build facilities and hire qualified coaches. In addition, FIFA could create opportunities for young players from these countries to train and play against top European teams. By doing so, they would gain invaluable experience that would help them perform better on the world stage.

Another solution would be to change the format of the World Cup itself. One idea would be to have more than one host country, with each continent being represented by at least one host nation. This would make sure that all teams would have an opportunity to play on their home continent, which would give them a distinct advantage over their opponents.

Alternatively, FIFA could increase the number of teams that qualify for the tournament, giving more countries a chance to compete.

Whatever solution is implemented, it is clear that something needs to be done to provide non-European countries with a level playing field at the World Cup. Otherwise, we are likely to see the same pattern of European domination continue for many years to come.

To help you understand European World Cup domination, please explore the following dashboard.