Why are densely populated countries like Bangladesh outside world stage of football?

The football craze peaks in Bangladesh whenever the World Cup arrives. Millions of people watch matches wearing the jerseys of Argentina, Brazil, or their other favorite teams, immersing themselves in joy and celebration.

However, amidst this excitement, a question remains. That is—despite having so many football lovers, why hasn't Bangladesh been able to play in the World Cup yet?

It is not just Bangladesh; the situation is the same for populous countries like India, Pakistan, China, and Ethiopia. Among the world's 10 most populous countries, eight have failed to secure a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup—even though these countries are home to hundreds of millions of football fans.
On June 17, 2026, Argentine star Lionel Messi scored his first goal in that World Cup. After his brilliant goal past Algeria's goalkeeper, the spectators erupted in celebration.

However, there was not a single Argentine among them. Thousands of people, wearing the famous white-and-sky-blue jerseys of Argentina, jumping and cheering, were Bangladeshi football fans. Such scenes were visible at large watch parties organized in various open spaces across Dhaka city.

It is not just Bangladesh; similar emotional football festivals were also arranged in various cities in India and Indonesia.

As their own countries repeatedly fail to qualify for the World Cup, many fans in these nations have adopted Messi and his country Argentina as their own team.

Among the world's 10 most populous countries, only two—the United States and Brazil—are participating in the current World Cup. Russia and Nigeria have played in the World Cup multiple times in the past. On the other hand, China and Indonesia have qualified for the World Cup only once each.

India, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Pakistan are still dreaming of playing in the World Cup. Although India had qualified for the 1950 Brazil World Cup, the team withdrew its name less than a month before the tournament began.
Aditi Karim, a renowned Bangladeshi actress, writer, and football enthusiast, told the BBC, "It is absolutely unacceptable that a country with millions of football lovers should lag so far behind."

Large population does not guarantee success

Theoretically, the larger a country's population, the greater the opportunity to find promising players.

Among the eight countries that have won the World Cup so far, seven—Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain—have relatively large populations.

The only exception is Uruguay.
However, according to British economist and researcher Stefan Szymanski, population is just one factor in success.

Stefan Szymanski, co-author of the best-selling book Soccernomics, said, "Football is much like a country's economy. Having people alone isn't enough. You need money, infrastructure, and long-term planning."
According to him, another crucial characteristic of successful football countries is economic prosperity.

In their research for Soccernomics, he and co-author Simon Kuper showed that to win the World Cup, the average annual per capita income generally needs to be at least $15,000.

However, despite Brazil and Argentina's per capita incomes being well below this threshold, the two countries have won the World Cup a combined eight times.

As the reason, Szymanski points to a third factor: experience and footballing knowledge.

He said, "The countries that dominated football a hundred years ago are the ones that have won the World Cups."
This means that European and South American countries, having participated in high-quality international football for a long time, possess far greater experience and skill.

This is why Uruguay, with a population of just 3.5 million, was able to win two World Cups in 1930 and 1950.

Africa and Asia's Challenges

In many countries in Africa and South Asia, football developed relatively late. As a result, they are struggling more to catch up.

However, there are exceptions too.

Morocco, which gained independence from Spain and France in 1956, made history by reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. And in 2002, South Korea set a precedent as the only Asian country to reach the World Cup semi-finals as co-hosts.

But according to Szymanski, "Many countries, including Indonesia, India, and Bangladesh, have yet to close that gap."

Ethiopia's Infrastructure Crisis

Ethiopia has never played in the World Cup. The country won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1962. However, they reached the final round of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup but lost to Nigeria.

The country's football is currently suffering from a severe investment crisis.

Kifle Saife, CEO of the Ethiopian Premier League, told the country's newspaper The Reporter, "This season, over 380 matches had to be organized at just three approved stadiums."

Due to the stadium crisis, the national team also had to play their home World Cup qualifying matches in Morocco.

Is Cricket a Major Obstacle in South Asia?

India is one of the strongest cricket countries in the world. Their IPL is the richest franchise cricket league globally.

According to former Indian footballer Shyam Thapa, as a result, many parents are encouraging their children to play cricket instead of football.

He said, "Parents need to understand that it is possible to build a successful career and earn good money in football too."

However, Aditi Karim believes it is not fair to blame cricket.

She said, "Australia and New Zealand are cricketing powers, yet they regularly play in the World Cup. So, the popularity of cricket is just an excuse."

Regarding Bangladesh, she said, "In our country, there is no preparation, planning, or structure to play in the World Cup."

The Sleeping Giant: China?

Although China is one of the most successful countries in world sports, their success in men's football is very limited.

According to Beijing-based football analyst Mark Dreyer, "Theoretically, China can produce world-class footballers. But the big problem is excessive political interference in football governance."

China has not returned to the World Cup since 2002.

Although massive investments were made in the 2010s to bring star players from Europe and South America to the Chinese league, the desired improvement did not materialize.
Indonesia's Different Path

Indonesia has played in the World Cup only once—in 1938, under the name Dutch East Indies, when the country was a colony of the Netherlands.

In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, they reached the final round.

However, according to Jerome Wirawan, News Editor of BBC Indonesia, a major reason for this success was the inclusion of players of Indonesian descent who were born in Europe.

He said, "In many matches, eight or nine of Indonesia's starting eleven were players born in Europe."

On the other hand, Bangladesh and Pakistan were eliminated from the group stage of the Asian qualifiers. Neither country won a single match in their six games.

Additionally, due to internal political turmoil within Pakistan's Football Federation, FIFA suspended the country from international football three times between 2017 and 2025.

The Dream Still Lives

For many countries, the dream of playing in the World Cup remains a distant one.

Still, Aditi Karim believes that playing in the World Cup is not the only condition for enjoying the joy of football.

She said, "Considering the reality, I do not see any possibility of seeing Bangladesh play in the World Cup in my lifetime. Yet, football fans in Bangladesh will want to enjoy every moment of the World Cup."

Source: BBC