The reputable FIFA World Cup has been gifting the world of football since 1930, with a total of 22 tournaments. The best 32 National teams in the world qualify for the tournament that takes place every four years.
This year’s World Cup in Qatar marked the first time the tournament was hosted by an Arab country in the Middle East, and the second was held in Asia after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.
Out of all participating countries, Brazil is the only team to have appeared in all 22 tournaments to date, with Germany having participated in 20, Italy and Argentina in 18, and Mexico in 17.
The World Cup Final is almost always a battle between Europe and South America; five European nations have won the tournament 12 times, while three South American nations have had nine victories. Five teams have made it to the Finals without winning [4] while eleven more have appeared in the Semi-Finals.
Related: Who has played the most times in the quarter-finals in World Cup history?
Let’s have a look at the list of countries that made it to the Semi-Finals over the years, as well as which country has played the most times in the Semi-Finals:
Semi-Finals history at the World Cups (1930-2022)
The champions of each World Cup are in bold
1930: Uruguay, Argentina, USA, Yugoslavia
1934: Italy, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Austria
1938: Italy, Hungary, Brazil, Sweden
1950: Uruguay, Brazil, Sweden, Spain
1954: West Germany, Hungary, Austria, Uruguay
1958: Brazil, Sweden, France, West Germany
1962: Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Chile, Yugoslavia
1966: England, West Germany, Portugal, Soviet Union
1970: Brazil, Italy, West Germany, Uruguay
1974: West Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Brazil
1978: Argentina, Netherlands, Brazil, Italy
1982: Italy, Germany, Poland, France “game of the century”
1986: Argentina, West Germany, France, Belgium
1990: West Germany, Argentina, Italy, England
1994: Brazil, Italy, Sweden, Bulgaria
1998: France, Brazil, Croatia, Netherlands
2002: Brazil, Germany, Turkey, South Korea
2006: Italy, France, Germany, Portugal
2010: Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Uruguay
2014: Germany, Argentina, Netherlands, Brazil
2018: France, Croatia, Belgium, England
2022: Morocco, Croatia, France, Argentina- Champion TBD
What team/country has played the most times in the Semi-Finals?
Germany is the country with the most appearances in the Semi-Finals, for a record 13 times. Brazil follows closely, with 11, and Italy comes in next with eight. Here is a list
Germany: 13 timesBrazil: 11 timesItaly: eight timesFrance: seven timesArgentina: six times to the Semi-FinalsUruguay, Croatia, Netherlands: five timesSweden: four timesEngland: three times
Related: Morocco became the first African team to reach the semifinals in Qatar 2022
Surprising teams that have made it to the Semi-Finals in World Cup history:
While Spain, Austria, Belgium, Czech, Poland, and Hungary have each played twice in the World Cup Semi-Finals history, five other underdogs have made it to the Semi-Final stage once:
Turkey, Bulgaria, South Korea, Morocco, and Chile: one time.
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