Ninety-six years separate the Estadio Centenario from the continental sprawl of 2026 — twenty-three tournaments, every four years a verdict. Below, every nation that ever reached a World Cup: how far it went, cell by cell, and where the world ranked it once the dust settled, point by point. Hover the matrix to magnify; click a cell for the full campaign; brush the timeline to choose an era. Podium finishes wear their medals.
Every nation, every tournament — one cell each
Rows are nations, columns the twenty-three editions. Colour says how far a campaign went — metals for the podium, fading earth for earlier exits, empty paper for the years a nation watched from home. The grid is dense by design: sweep your pointer across it and the fisheye lens does the reading. Click any cell for the campaign sheet.
Where the world ranked them, every four years
One point per nation per tournament played: the world ranking just after the final — FIFA’s ledger since 1994, the Elo ledger before it, and the pre-tournament ranking for the live 2026 edition (hollow points). Gold, silver and bronze badges mark the podium. Dotted joins bridge missed tournaments. Hover for the campaign; click to pin a nation; drag the strip below to choose an era.