The dream of an Asia-Africa final: How far is it?

The FIFA World Cup has long been dominated by teams from Latin America or Europe. In its 92-year history, no team outside of these two regions has ever won the title. Although teams from Asia and Africa have shown potential, they have never made it far, and no country from these regions has ever reached the final. The World Cup trophy has always ended up in the hands of a team from either Latin America or Europe. Three Latin American countries—Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay—have won the World Cup a total of nine times. Brazil has lifted the trophy five times, while Argentina and Uruguay have each won it twice. The remaining titles have gone to various European countries, with Germany and Italy winning four times each. France has won twice, while England and Spain have each won once.

In the Qatar World Cup, the teams considered contenders for the title are all from Latin America or Europe. Brazil, Argentina, France, and Spain are among the favorites. No Asian or African country is considered among the top contenders. Neither region has ever seen a team reach the semifinals, with South Korea's semifinal appearance on home soil in 2002 being the best achievement for Asia. Africa has never seen a team reach the last four.

However, this time, with surprising performances from several teams, some are starting to imagine the possibility of an Asia-Africa final. In this Middle Eastern World Cup, some Asian teams have shown remarkable performances, while African teams have also demonstrated their capabilities. Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Iran have all shown improvement on the field from Asia. Meanwhile, Morocco, Senegal, Ghana, Tunisia, and Cameroon have represented Africa well.

Among these teams, four countries stand out: Japan, South Korea, Morocco, and Senegal. All four have reached the Round of 16, with two teams from each region vying for a spot in the quarterfinals. Japan, in particular, has performed spectacularly, winning their group despite being placed in a group with powerhouses like Spain and Germany. They defeated both teams to advance to the second round. In the Round of 16, they face the current runners-up, Croatia.

South Korea also surprised everyone by defeating Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, to secure their spot in the second round, where they will face the formidable Brazil. Morocco's journey has been even more impressive. They went undefeated in the group stage, drawing with Croatia and then defeating Belgium and Canada. In the second round, they face Spain.

Senegal, the second African team to reach the Round of 16, has also put on strong performances. Despite losing to the Netherlands, they defeated Ecuador and Qatar to advance. In the Round of 16, they will face England.

Apart from these four teams, notable moments from this World Cup include Saudi Arabia's victory over Argentina, Iran's win against Wales, and Cameroon's defeat of Brazil.

With four teams from these two regions making it to the Round of 16, and several others showing promise, the hope for an Asia-Africa final has been rekindled. Although the path ahead is challenging and fraught with difficulties, the idea of a World Cup final between Asia and Africa, once nearly impossible, now seems more plausible. But before we indulge in such dreams, let's take a look at the success of teams from these two regions in the World Cup.

Asian Teams in the World Cup

Japan:

Japan, currently ranked second in Asia by FIFA and 24th globally, first qualified for the World Cup in 1998. Before that, they had never managed to qualify, although they withdrew from the 1938 World Cup and were banned by FIFA from the 1950 World Cup. Since their first appearance in 1998, Japan has participated in every World Cup, reaching the Round of 16 three times. Their performance this year has surprised the entire football world.

South Korea:

Ranked 28th by FIFA, South Korea has the longest history in the World Cup among Asian teams, having first participated in 1954. They reached the Round of 16 in their first appearance but failed to qualify for the next seven tournaments. Since returning to the World Cup in 1986, South Korea has participated in every tournament. Their best performance was in 2002 when they reached the semifinals on home soil. They also reached the Round of 16 once. In 2018, South Korea eliminated Germany from the World Cup with a shock victory.

Iran:

Iran, the highest-ranked Asian team by FIFA, made their World Cup debut in 1978. After missing the first three World Cups due to not being a FIFA member, they had to wait 20 years for their second appearance in 1998. Since then, Iran has qualified for four out of the six World Cups, but they have never made it past the group stage. This year, they raised hopes but were ultimately eliminated.

Saudi Arabia:

Saudi Arabia, ranked 51st by FIFA, stunned the world this year by defeating Argentina. They first qualified for the World Cup in 1994, when they made it past the group stage. The team has participated in six World Cups, with their best performance coming in their debut tournament.

Qatar, the first-time World Cup hosts, had a disappointing campaign, losing all three of their matches. North Korea, who withdrew from this year's World Cup, has participated in two tournaments, with their best performance being a quarterfinal appearance in 1966. China has also made one World Cup appearance in 2002, exiting in the group stage.

African Teams in the World Cup

Morocco:

Although Morocco is geographically an African country, they often identify as an Arab nation. However, as they belong to the African continent, their success brings joy to Africans as well. Morocco ended a 36-year wait by advancing to the knockout stage of the Qatar World Cup. Their previous best performance was reaching the Round of 16 in 1986. If Morocco defeats Spain in the Round of 16, it will mark the greatest achievement in their football history.

Senegal:

Senegal, currently the strongest African team in terms of FIFA ranking and overall capability, advanced to the knockout stage without their star player, Sadio Mané. The reigning African Nations Cup champions have reached the World Cup knockout stage for the second time. In their first World Cup appearance in 2002, Senegal made it to the quarterfinals.

Ghana:

Ghana's World Cup journey is relatively recent, having first qualified in 2006. They made it to the knockout stage in their debut tournament and almost reached the semifinals in 2010, a feat that would have made them the first African team to do so. However, they were stopped by a controversial handball by Luis Suárez, a moment that still angers Ghanaians today.

Cameroon:

Cameroon became the first African team to reach the World Cup quarterfinals in 1990. No other African team has managed to surpass that achievement, with Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010 both being eliminated in the quarterfinals. Aside from this, Cameroon has no other notable World Cup achievements.

Tunisia, another African team that participated in Qatar, showed potential but was eliminated in the group stage as usual. Among the teams that didn't qualify this year, Nigeria has twice reached the knockout stage, while Egypt and Algeria have each made it once. Other than these, African teams have little to show in terms of World Cup success.