Random World Cup Facts

Well, it obviously has to be a country that has qualified for the last six World Cups and I believe that list of teams is single digits.

I would guess it's one of four European teams: England, France, Germany, Spain

I remember Germany finishing behind England in 2002 qualifying (1-5 in Munich).
And France with that Henry hand ball controversy v Ireland in the 2010 playoffs.
So England or Spain?

And since I follow Spain closely I know that they have not lost a qualifying match since the 1994 qualifiers... but they also finished second behind Serbia/Montenegro in either the 2002 or 2006 qualifiers.

So England (?!)

 

Yup! Fairly impressive as well considering they had Italy and Germany in their qualifying groups over that period.

Needless to say, it’s a rather dubious distinction (and probably one of the very few stats that puts England on top).

 

What team has the longest streak of qualifying for every World Cup and Euro? England lost hosting Croatia on the last matchday when a draw would have been enough to qualify for Euro 2008. I think they would have rather qualified by finishing second in a WCQ group and qualified for Euro 2008 than win a WCQ group and miss Euro 2008.

 

They didn't participate in the first two Euros in '60 and '64. In '68 they finished second in their first round group to Yugoslavia after drawing Albania and failed to reach the quarterfinals, and, therefore, the final four-team tournament. Their only two WC misses in 1930 and 1950 were because they chose not to participate in the former and were excluded from the latter. So Euro 68 is the only major tournament ever for which they attempted to qualify, and failed.

 

Australia is the only country that has qualified for the World Cup finals via penalty shoot out.



Japan is the only country that has qualified for the World Cup finals via golden goal.

 

Since 1998, during euro and world cup knockout stages, France has only been eliminated by the future champion.

1998: winner
2000: winner
2002: eliminated in group stage
2004: eliminated in quarter-final by Greece
2006: eliminated in final by Italy
2008: eliminated in group stage
2010: eliminated in group stage
2012: eliminated in quarter-final by Spain
2014: eliminated in quarter-final by Germany
2016: eliminated in final by Portugal
2018: winner

 

This is going to continue this year as well I think. I have France losing to Belguim in the semi-finals at the EUROs. Belguim will take it home this time.

 

Argentina and Poland have beaten all 3.

 

Italy have never beaten Peru in a World Cup

 

Here's one I just remembered: there is a country which has qualified for the WC on three occasions, which has lost to Italy on each of those three occasions. Italy is in fact the only team that has ever beaten them in a WC game.

 

Germany...though we have qualified for the WC more than Italy has.

 

Japan has lost to teams from everywhere but Asia. OFC (Australia in 2006), CAF (Ivory Coast), Concacaf (Jamaica) and several from Conmebol/UEFA.

 

Fwiw, two of those three Norway defeats to Italy were in Marseille.
(The other in East Rutherford, New Jersey)

 

Not too shocking if you consider that they played so many games at the World Cup. What's shocking is that it happened to Mexico and South Korea in the one and same year. 2018 was without a doubt a low for the German National Team.