Are any countries not in FIFA?

Yes, there are several countries that are not members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), including eight small sovereign states such as the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Monaco, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, and the Vatican City. These countries have played international football but are not affiliated with FIFA, which recognizes 211 national associations and their associated men’s national teams as well as 129 women’s national teams.

Understanding FIFA Membership

To understand which countries are not part of FIFA, it’s essential to look into the criteria for membership and the current status of various nations around the world. FIFA has a specific set of rules and regulations that countries must follow to be considered for membership.

FAQs About Countries Not in FIFA

General Questions

1. What countries are not in FIFA? – Countries like the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Monaco, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, and the Vatican City are not affiliated with FIFA.
2. Does FIFA have every country? – No, FIFA does not have every country as a member, with some small sovereign states and territories not being part of the organization.
3. How many countries are in FIFA? – FIFA recognizes 211 national associations and their associated men’s national teams as well as 129 women’s national teams.

Country-Specific Questions

4. Is Russia in FIFA? – Teams from Russia were banned from international football following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the country itself is a member of FIFA.
5. Why is Italy not in the World Cup? – Italy failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after being beaten by North Macedonia in its playoff.
6. Has China ever played in the World Cup? – Yes, China has participated in the World Cup, with its most recent appearance being in the 2002 tournament.
7. Why did Egypt fail to qualify for the World Cup? – Egypt missed out on the 2022 World Cup after losing to Senegal in the playoff, with Mohamed Salah missing a crucial penalty.

FIFA and World Cup Participation

8. Which countries did not qualify for FIFA 22? – Countries like Italy and several African nations did not qualify or were not included in FIFA 22 due to various reasons, including licensing issues and qualification failures.
9. Why is Brazil not fully represented in FIFA 23? – Brazil is not fully represented in FIFA 23 due to licensing issues related to image rights, resulting in generic players being used for the national team.
10. What about Japan and FIFA 23? – Japan’s league, J-League, is not featured in FIFA 23 after the partnership between J-League and EA Sports ended.

Discipline and Bans

11. Why was Mexico banned from the 1990 World Cup? – Mexico was disqualified from the 1990 World Cup after some players were found to be over the age limit allowed by FIFA in the qualifying round.
12. Is Zimbabwe banned from FIFA? – Zimbabwe was barred by FIFA in 2022 after the country’s government interfered with the running of its football association, which is against FIFA rules.

Historical Participation

13. Has India ever been in the World Cup? – India has never participated in the FIFA World Cup except for qualifying by default for the 1950 World Cup, which they later withdrew from.
14. Did Egypt ever win a World Cup match? – No, Egypt has never won a match in the World Cup finals, despite qualifying for the tournament three times.
15. Will Egypt be in the 2026 World Cup? – Egypt will commence its 2026 World Cup qualifiers campaign, aiming to secure a spot in the tournament, after already securing their place in the 2023 African Cup of Nations.