The Morocco squad pictured just before one of their group stage in France 1998 [Getty/file photo]
The 2026 World Cup will see more Arab teams than ever participate, with a total of eight teams and 208 players selected.
Arab teams have featured often – but not frequently – in nearly 100 years of World Cup tournaments. How have they fared in the past?
The New Arab takes a trip down memory lane.
Egypt
Egypt was the first Arab team to qualify for the 1934 World Cup in Italy, which was hosted under Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime.
At the time, only 16 teams took part, with Egypt being the sole representative from both the African continent and the Arab worl
The Kingdom of Egypt, as it was known then, lost its only match against the Kingdom of Hungary 4-2, with goals scored by Abdelrahman Fawzy – a legend of Zamalek FC who died in 1988.
The 1934 tournament was won by Italy and was subject to criticism with Mussolini accused of using the competition as a propaganda tool for the country’s then-fascist ideology.
Egypt would not go on to appear at the World Cup again until 1990, where they were grouped with England, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Ireland in Group F.
Egypt failed to impress in their return – drawing two games and losing one before eventually finishing bottom of the group. The Pharaohs’ only goal contribution came via a penalty kick from Magdi Abdelghany during a 1-1 draw against the Dutch.
Egypt went through another prolonged absence before returning to the World Cup, only qualifying in 2018. The Russia-hosted finals saw the iconic Mohamed Salah make his World Cup debut, following two record-breaking seasons at Liverpool FC. Despite Salah’s presence, Egypt failed to make it out of the group stage, losing all three challenging games against the hosts, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay.
The “Egyptian king”, however, managed to score two goals and will be looking to score more this year at the 2026 torunament co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.
Total appearances: 4
Morocco
Morocco is regarded as the most successful Arab and African team at the World Cup, having reached the semifinals four years ago in Qatar.
They made their World Cup debut in 1970, ending a decades-long absence of Arab and African representation at the tournament. The Atlas Lions were drawn in Group 4 alongside West Germany, Bulgaria, and Peru, losing twice and drawing once.
Despite finishing bottom of their group, their presence marked a watershed moment for African and Arab football as they qualified through the African continental spot for the first time in FIFA history following intense lobbying from the continent’s nations.
Their 1-1 draw against Bulgaria also marked the first time that an African nation gained a point at a World Cup.
Following a 16-year absence, Morocco returned to the World Cup in 1986, where they made history. The Atlas Lions finished top of their group ahead of Portugal, Poland, and England, much to the surprise of the footballing world.
Group F was dubbed the “Group of Sleep” given the lack of goals in the first few matches. Morocco had held England and Poland to a draw, but a 3-1 victory over Portugal was enough to see them top the group. In their second round match, Morocco lost 1-0 to West Germany – the tournament’s runners-up.
The 1986 squad was composed of the likes of Aberrazak Khairi, Zaki Badou, Abelaziz Bouderbala, and Abdelmajid Dolmy, who remain iconic names in the football-mad country today.
Morocco did not return to the World Cup until 1994, when they endured a disappointing campaign, losing all of their group-stage matches. In 1998, the Atlas Lions were drawn with Norway, Brazil and Scotland, recording one win, one draw and one defeat, but still falling short of the knockout rounds.
Their next appearance didn’t come again until 2018, ushering in what was dubbed the new generation of Moroccan football. The North African country was faced with the difficult task of playing against powerhouses Spain and Portugal and a resilient Iran in their group, mustering only one point.
In 2022, a new generation of Moroccan players came into their own, stunning the football world with a run to the semifinals, where they eventually lost to eventual finalists France.
It was their performances that solidified Morocco as a powerhouse of football alongside the top European and South American teams.
Total appearances: 7
Algeria
Algeria have made several appearances at the World Cup and are firmly ranked among the region’s best performing teams.
Their debut came in 1982 with a surprise 2-1 win over West Germany in Group 2, and with goals from the legendary Rabah Madjer and Lakhdar Belloumi.
Despite a 3-2 win against Chile and a 2-0 loss against Austria, the Fennec Foxes were unable to progress to the next round based on goal difference alone.
Successfully qualifying for the next World Cup in 1986, Algeria nevertheless failed to recreate the magic of 1982 and had a disappointing run with losses against Spain and Brazil, and a draw against Northern Ireland.
Algeria would have to wait over 20 years before competing at another World Cup, only appearing next in 2010. The tournament hosted by South Africa was also a disappointment for Algeria, who lost to the United States and Slovenia and drew with England, leading to a last-place finish in Group C.
In 2014, a stronger Algeria remerged with the likes of household names Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani, and Rais M’bolhi.
A better squad produced better results – the Fennec Foxes finished second in their group, second only to Belgium.
In their knockout stage game against Germany, Algeria gave the eventual champions a scare, holding them to a goalless draw and forcing the game into extra time. Although it was Germany that emerged victorious, Algeria’s resilient performance was deemed among the highlights of that tournament.
Boasting a skilled squad, Algeria will look to make their mark this year in North America.
Total appearances: 5
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia are the Arab team with the most appearances at the FIFA World Cup including the 2034 tournament, for which they gain automatic qualification for as hosts.
The team has appeared relatively frequently since the 1990s, first playing in the United States in 1994.
Their 1994 bouts are often dubbed their best-ever at a World Cup, where they beat the likes of Belgium and Morocco to reach the second round. The games featured the 70-yard solo goal by Saeed Al-Owairan against the Belgian Red Devils, long considered to be one of the most iconic goals in Saudi football history. In the second round, the Saudis failed to beat Sweden – but their impressive debut performance is still engraved in Saudi memory to this day.
Four years later, the Green Falcons were unable to replicate their success of 1994. 2002 saw a less-than-memorable performance, enduring a 8-0 loss against Germany. Further defeats to Cameroon and Ireland left Saudi Arabia on zero points and with one of the worst goal differences in the tournament.Their 2006 appearance also failed to produce any solid results.
Following a 12-year absence, Saudi Arabia re-emerged in 2018 and 2022 consecutively, delivering better performances but still failing to qualify for the next round. Qatar 2022, however, saw their unforgettable 2-1 win over Argentina, and the iconic backflip celebration from Salem Al-Dawsari.
Total appearances: 7 (8 when considering the 2034 World Cup)
Iraq:
Iraq stunned the world when it qualified for this year’s World Cup after a rigorous qualification process. 2026 will mark the Lions of Mesopotamia’s first tournament in 40 years and their second overall appearance.
Iraq made their World Cup debut at the Mexico-hosted tournament in 1986, becoming the third MENA side at the games alongside Morocco and Algeria. Their qualification campaign unfolded amid the Iran‑Iraq war, forcing Iraq to play ‘home’ fixtures on neutral grounds in the Gulf. The team also faced heavy political interference from Saddam Hussein’s regime, with his son Uday, who oversaw Iraqi football, meddling in federation and squad affairs. Even so, Mexico 1986 is still remembered by many Iraqis as a rare moment of pride and a brief distraction from war.
The Iraqi side’s sole goal of the tournament came from Ahmed Radhi in a 2-1 loss against Belgium. The side finished bottom of their group after enduring additional losses against Paraguay and Mexico.
This year, the Iraqis again qualified under the cloud of war and uncertainty, after the country was dragged into the wider Middle East conflict triggered by the US-Israeli assault on Iran on 28 February.
Total appearances: 2
Tunisia
Tunisia are among the Arab teams to have appeared at the World Cup earliest, making their debut in 1978.
Tunisia put on a solid first performance by beating Mexico 3-1 with goals from Ali Kaabi, Nejib Ghommidh, and Mokhtar Dhouieb. The Eagles of Carthage also drew against West Germany 0-0 and lost against Poland 1-0.
Three points were deemed impressive for a debuting team, but insufficient to progress to the next round.
Tunisia failed to qualify for the next four editions of the World Cup, returning to the competition in 1998. They were placed in a tough group with England, Romania, and Colombia, managing only one point, which came in a 1-1 draw against the Romanians.
2002 also saw Tunisia gain one point after being grouped with co-hosts Japan, Russia, and Belgium. 2006 witnessed a similar performance, but the Tunisians met with Saudi Arabia in one of their group stage games, drawing 2-2.
Tunisia failed to qualify for the next two World Cups after that, before reappearing in 2018. In Group G, the Eagles of Carthage lost against Belgium and England, but beat Panama 2-1.
2022 witnessed their best performance in decades, gaining four points from three matches – including a shock 1-0 win against France, thanks to a goal by Wahbi Khazri.
Total appearances: 7
Qatar
Qatar have only ever participated in one previous World Cup, doing so four years ago after qualifying as hosts. The Qataris were grouped along with Ecuador, Senegal, and the Netherlands in Group A and played the first match of the tournament against the South American side.
In their debut appearance, Qatar scored one goal, thanks to Mohammed Muntari, which came in their 3-1 loss against Senegal.
This year marks Qatar’s second World Cup appearance, and their first achieved through qualification on merit.
Total appearances: 2
Jordan
Jordan has never participated in a World Cup before, and will feature in the upcoming North America tournament alongside Cape Verde, Curacao, and Uzbekistan for the first time ever in their respective histories.
Al-Nashama came close to qualifying in 2014, but lost 5-0 to Uruguay in the intercontinental play-offs.
Total appearances: 1
Other MENA countries
Though not qualified this year, the UAE and Kuwait are the other Arab teams to have played at the World Cup, doing so in 1990 and 1982, respectively.
In 1990, the United Arab Emirates were drawn against eventual champions West Germany, Yugoslavia, and Colombia, losing all three of their matches but managing two goals. These came from Ali Thani Jumaa and Khalid Ismail Mubarak.
In 1982, Kuwait managed two goals and one point in their games following a draw against Czechoslovakia, and two losses against France and England. The team’s goals came from Faisal Al-Dakheel and Abdullah Al-Buloushi.
