12 Longest Absences From The World Cup

Last Appearance: 1970

Despite being geographically located in Asia, Israel is a UEFA member and has competed in European qualifying for the World Cup since 1992. This is somewhat disadvantageous to them given that the European continent boasts the majority of the top performing nations in world football and they have finished in third place (second earning advancement to the playoffs) in their group in every qualifying campaign bar two.

Politics should have no place in football, but the fact that so many of Israel's neighbours refuse to acknowledge their existence or compete against them exiled them from the international football scene before the agreement with UEFA was reached. Prior to that they took part in the Oceania qualifying campaign in 1986 and 1990, missing out on the latter in an inter-confederation playoff.

Allowed to compete in three Asian qualifying campaigns before that, Israel were successful in making the finals in 1970. Draws against Italy and Sweden and a loss to Uruguay meant that they finished bottom of their group and they subsequently lost out to South Korea in the battle to make the 1974 and 1978 editions.

Though they were once ranked as highly as fifth in FIFA's world rankings, the Israelis are currently only a few positions higher than their all-time lowest rank of ninety ninth. Their ascension in the current climate seems unlikely given how few players they possess with experience outside of anything but the relatively weak domestic league.