World Cup 2026 Competing Countries By Population

World Cup 2026 Competing Nations By Population

World Cup 2026 map. — The USA has a population of around 343 million and is the largest competing country at World Cup 2026

'Big is beautiful' is a term heard from boardrooms to bedrooms but does population size matter in producing a successful national football team? If so China and India would be riding high in the Fifa rankings, but they are not and neither have qualified for '26. China have only qualified for one World Cup back in 2002 in Korea/Japan, India never. Indeed, 5 out of the 6 most populated countries in the world with nearly half the world's people have not qualified for this year's tournament. They include Indonesia who have never qualified for a World Cup, Nigeria who last qualified in 2018 in Russia (but have made the round of 16 on three occasions in 1994, 1998 and 2014) and Pakistan, who have never qualified.

Spain are the current number one ranked team in the world with a population of 49.4 million people.

See a list of the population size of the 48 nations competing at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

From Algeria to Uzbekistan; from 47.4 million to 37.5 million.

The USA has the largest population of countries at World Cup 2026 followed by Brazil with Curaçao the smallest.

Congo DR is the largest Francophone country in the world with more French speakers than France!

Germany has the largest population of the Western European countries competing at World Cup 2026.

Countries By Alphabetical Order

National Team	Population (millions)
Algeria	47.4
Argentina	46.7
Australia	28.2
Austria	9.2
Belgium	11.8
Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.1
Brazil	213
Canada	41.5
Cape Verde	0.525 (525,000)
Colombia	52.3
Congo DR	116
Croatia	3.87
Curaçao	0.185 (185,490)
Czechia	10.9
Ecuador	18.4
Egypt	116
England	69.5
France	68.6
Germany	84.1
Ghana	35.1
Haiti	11.7
Iran	92.4
Iraq	46.1
Ivory Coast	33.2
Japan	124.3
Jordan	11.7
Mexico	133
Morocco	39
Netherlands	18.4
New Zealand	5.3
Norway	5.6
Panama	4.57
Paraguay	7.01
Portugal	10.41
Qatar	3.2
Saudi Arabia	34.57
Scotland	5.5
Senegal	18
South Africa	65.5
South Korea	51.7
Spain	48
Sweden	10.7
Switzerland	9
Tunisia	12.4
Türkiye	87.9
Uruguay	3.5
USA	343
Uzbekistan	38

Countries By Population Size from Largest to Smallest

National Team	Population (millions)
USA	343
Brazil	213
Mexico	133
Japan	124.3
Congo DR	116
Egypt	116
Iran	92.4
Türkiye	87.9
Germany	84.1
France	68.6
South Africa	65.5
England	58.6 (UK 69.5)
Colombia	52.3
South Korea	51.7
Spain	48
Algeria	47.4
Argentina	46.7
Iraq	46.1
Canada	41.5
Morocco	39
Uzbekistan	38
Ghana	35.1
Saudi Arabia	34.57
Ivory Coast	33.2
Australia	28.2
Ecuador	18.4
Netherlands	18.4
Senegal	18
Tunisia	12.4
Belgium	11.8
Haiti	11.7
Jordan	11.7
Czechia	10.9
Sweden	10.7
Portugal	10.41
Austria	9.2
Switzerland	9
Paraguay	7.01
Norway	5.6
Scotland	5.5
New Zealand	5.3
Panama	4.57
Croatia	3.87
Qatar	3.2
Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.1
Cape Verde	0.525 (525,000)
Curaçao	0.185 (185,490)