Record 14 Muslim-Majority Nations to Compete in Upcoming FIFA World Cup

A continental breakdown shows that the largest number of Muslim-majority teams will come from Asia and Africa, with six countries qualifying from each region.

The Asian representatives are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, and Uzbekistan.

From Africa, the qualified nations are Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Senegal.

Europe will be represented by Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina. No Muslim-majority nation from North or South America has qualified for this edition of the tournament.

The expansion of the World Cup to a 48-team format is seen as a major factor behind the increase in participation from Muslim-majority countries. In the 2022 tournament, only six such nations competed.

This year, the number has more than doubled to 14, accounting for nearly 30 percent of all participating teams.

Several countries are also returning to the World Cup after long absences. Turkey has qualified for the tournament for the first time in 24 years, while Iraq will make its World Cup return after 40 years.

Meanwhile, expectations are especially high for Morocco, which made history by reaching the semifinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first African and Arab nation to achieve the feat.