2026 World Cup gives DR Congo chance to outplay Egypt

Two teams from Africa and the Caribbean returned to write a new chapter in World Cup history after a long absence that had fueled questions and curiosity for decades.

According to French network Statesfoot, history now marks the longest absences between two World Cup participants, with both teams set to return to the 2026 World Cup after a 52-year absence.

And he wears it Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly known as Zaire) shared the record with Haiti as they had missed the tournament since the 1974 World Cup and now return after a 52-year wait.

Wales top the list of longest historic absences by a wide margin, having waited 64 years before returning to the 2022 World Cup since their last appearance in 1958. While Norway and Egypt are in second place with 56 years each, Norway was absent from 1938 to 1994, while Egypt waited 530 years from 1999.

These statistics highlight the strength of the competition and the difficulty of qualifying for the World Cup. It also reflects the degree of determination and development of some teams to come back after long decades of absence, to write new stories in the history of the World Cup.