12 Longest Absences From The World Cup

Last Appearance: 1982

With their appearance in this year's tournament, Iceland have become the smallest country (in terms of population) to ever qualify for the World Cup. Prior to that Trinidad & Tobago had held the record, which was previously owned by Northern Ireland for almost half a century.

Kuwait weren't far off when they reached the finals in 1982, having a population of just over 1.5 million at the time. Though this has more than doubled since as a result of large scale expatriation, rather than develop into a greater football force they have been hit by three suspensions by FIFA in recent years as a result of government interference in the sport.

The Kuwaitis went into the tournament as the defending AFC Asian Cup champions, topping a final qualification group that featured New Zealand, China and Saudi Arabia all attempting to reach the finals for the first time. Though they managed a 1-1 draw with Czechoslovakia, defeats to England and France saw their one and only journey end early.

They were responsible for one of the most bizarre moments ever seen at a World Cup, however, with their players stopping play (and allowing the French to score) after hearing a whistle from the crowd mistakenly believed to be the referees, walking off the pitch as a result. It took the intervention of one of the nation's sheikhs to have the goal struck from the record and the match resumed - France eventually winning 4-1.