3 June 2026
The best teams never to win the World Cup
Some great footballing nations have come agonisingly close without ever winning it all. Here are the most notable, with their best finish.
| Team | Best result |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | Runner-up ×3 |
| Hungary | Runner-up ×2 |
| Czechoslovakia | Runner-up ×2 |
| Croatia | Runner-up (2018) |
| Sweden | Runner-up (1958) |
| Belgium | Third (1986, 2018) |
| Portugal | Third (1966) |
| Mexico | Quarter-finals |
The Netherlands are the unwanted record-holders: three finals, three defeats. Could 2026 finally end one of these waits?