Eight of the 10 most populous countries are not in the World Cup

Eight countries among the world's ten most populous nations did not qualify for the FIFA World Cup. India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Brazil, Ethiopia, and Mexico were absent from the most recent tournament, according to World Population Review data and FIFA qualification records. China and the United States were the only two of the ten most populous countries that competed. The reasons for non-qualification vary by country and include factors such as regional competition strength, infrastructure investment, and historical participation rates in football development programs.

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