The world's four highest-ranked teams have reached the World Cup semifinals, underlining the dominance of football's traditional powers. Yet two of the planet's biggest nations, China and India, remain absent despite the tournament's expansion to 48 teams. If FIFA eventually increases the field to 64 nations, other populous countries may finally have a realistic path to football's biggest stage.
Home to a combined 2.89 billion people, China and India boast millions of passionate football fans, but neither has established itself on the global stage. China has qualified for the men's World Cup only once, in 2002, when it lost all three group-stage matches without scoring a goal. Despite years of heavy investment in the sport, the country's domestic league has struggled to sustain its growth.
India, where cricket dominates the sporting landscape and field hockey also enjoy widespread popularity, has never qualified for a men's World Cup. An expanded 64-team tournament could give countries like India and China, along with other emerging football nations, a greater opportunity to compete on the sport's biggest stage.
Population does not translate into footballing success, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino has offered hope that countries such as India and China could reach the 2030 or 2034 World Cup if the tournament expands to 64 teams.
"The whole world must be allowed to dream of the World Cup and not only Europe and South America," Infantino was quoted as telling Swiss outlet blue Sport on Saturday.
The tournament has only just expanded to 48 teams for this edition. But the sight of debutant Cape Verde reaching the knockout stage and giving defending champion Argentina a scare, along with the Democratic Republic of the Congo impressing in only its second World Cup, has helped counter claims that expanding the field would reduce the tournament's quality.
Apart from the United States and Brazil, eight of the world's 10 most populous countries are not at the World Cup, but they soon could be.
In the world's most populous country, cricket is the unchallenged national sport. The national team's success and the billion-dollar Indian Premier League command talent, money and attention, often at football's expense.
Other reasons cited for India's lack of success in football, despite the sport's popularity, include poor infrastructure, inadequate talent development and a demanding climate.
India is trying to catch up. Since its launch in 2014, the Indian Super League has sought to professionalize the sport with investment from businesses and the entertainment industry.
But the road to the World Cup remains long. India was eliminated in the second round of qualifying for the 2026 tournament, finishing behind Qatar and Kuwait in its group.
China once again missed out on qualifying for the World Cup. It is ranked 91st in the FIFA rankings.
President Xi Jinping, like many Chinese, is considered a football fan and has set the goal of making China a major football nation. But the sport has made headlines more for match-fixing and corruption than for success on the field.
Observers point to structural problems, saying clubs and leagues cannot develop independently in China, where the Communist Party has built an extensive web of bureaucratic controls over decades.
There is some hope, however. China's women's team is ranked 16th in the FIFA rankings.
In the world's largest archipelago, Indonesia, with a population of at least 280 million, football is by far the most popular sport. But the country's only World Cup appearance came in 1938, when it competed as the Dutch East Indies.
As recently as the 1950s, Indonesia was among Asia's leading football nations. Political upheaval was followed by decades of mismanagement, corruption allegations and a lack of youth development. Talent development has also been hampered by the country's geography, with more than 17,000 islands. In 2015, FIFA temporarily suspended Indonesia's football association after government interference in the domestic league.
Things are improving. The association is investing more heavily in youth development and can also draw on players trained in Europe who have Indonesian heritage, including Kevin Diks of Borussia Mönchengladbach and Maarten Paes of FC Dallas.
Interest in football is also high in Pakistan, which has a population of more than 255 million. Many fans wear Lionel Messi jerseys, and the Lyari district in the port city of Karachi is known as "Mini Brazil" because of its passion for the South American nation.
But the country's sports infrastructure is geared toward cricket, introduced during British colonial rule. Attempts to establish a professional football league have been ongoing for years.
Disputes, limited funding for youth programs and a lack of quality pitches across the country continue to hinder development.
Pakistan has never qualified for the World Cup, but the country is represented at this tournament. The official match ball, "Trionda," is manufactured for Adidas in the industrial city of Sialkot.
Nigeria, with a population of about 242 million, is one of Africa's football powers despite failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. As in other West African countries, football academies fuel the dreams of many young players hoping to become professionals. But after the Super Eagles failed to qualify again, critics said talent development had been neglected.
Bangladesh is the world's eighth-most populous country, with nearly 180 million people, but it has never qualified for a men's World Cup.
Images of thousands of Bangladeshi fans wearing Lionel Messi jerseys and supporting Argentina have gone viral, illustrating the country's passion for football.
Brazil matches have also brought many streets in Dhaka to a standstill.
Bangladesh's men's national team, however, went winless in the second round of World Cup qualifying, scoring one goal and conceding 20 in six matches.
Weak administration, insufficient investment and poor infrastructure are widely cited as the main reasons.
In March, Bangladesh qualified for the Women's Asian Cup for the first time. The national association celebrated by declaring: "Get ready, Asia. Bangladesh has arrived on the football map!"
Ethiopia, with a population of about 139 million, is known for producing world-class distance runners. In men's football, however, it ranks among Africa's weaker nations, sitting 143rd in the FIFA rankings. Armed conflict, security concerns and a lack of quality pitches have slowed development. The national team has even been forced to play home matches abroad in recent years because none of its stadiums met international standards.
Russia, a regular World Cup participant before its suspension, is not competing because FIFA and UEFA have barred Russian national and club teams from international competitions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The 2018 World Cup host could return in the future if football's governing bodies follow the International Olympic Committee's lead and lift the suspension.