What country has played the most times in semi-finals in the history of the World Cup?
With Morocco qualifying for their first-ever Semi-Finals at the Qatar World Cup, one European country continues to lead the list for the most appearances.
The reputable FIFA World Cup has been gifting the world of football since 1930, with a total of 22 tournaments. The best 32 National teams in the world qualify for the tournament that takes place every four years. This year’s World Cup in Qatar marked the first time the tournament was hosted by an Arab country in the Middle East, and the second was held in Asia after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.
Out of all participating countries, Brazil is the only team to have appeared in all 22 tournaments to date, with Germany having participated in 20, Italy and Argentina in 18, and Mexico in 17.
The World Cup Final is almost always a battle between Europe and South America; five European nations have won the tournament 12 times, while three South American nations have had nine victories. Five teams have made it to the Finals without winning [4] while eleven more have appeared in the Semi-Finals.
Related: Who has played the most times in the quarter-finals in World Cup history?
Let’s have a look at the list of countries that made it to the Semi-Finals over the years, as well as which country has played the most times in the Semi-Finals:
Semi-Finals history at the World Cups (1930-2022)
The champions of each World Cup are in bold
- 1930: Uruguay, Argentina, USA, Yugoslavia
- 1934: Italy, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Austria
- 1938: Italy, Hungary, Brazil, Sweden
- 1950: Uruguay, Brazil, Sweden, Spain
- 1954: West Germany, Hungary, Austria, Uruguay
- 1958: Brazil, Sweden, France, West Germany
- 1962: Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Chile, Yugoslavia
- 1966: England, West Germany, Portugal, Soviet Union
- 1970: Brazil, Italy, West Germany, Uruguay
- 1974: West Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Brazil
- 1978: Argentina, Netherlands, Brazil, Italy
- 1982: Italy, Germany, Poland, France “game of the century”
- 1986: Argentina, West Germany, France, Belgium
- 1990: West Germany, Argentina, Italy, England
- 1994: Brazil, Italy, Sweden, Bulgaria
- 1998: France, Brazil, Croatia, Netherlands
- 2002: Brazil, Germany, Turkey, South Korea
- 2006: Italy, France, Germany, Portugal
- 2010: Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Uruguay
- 2014: Germany, Argentina, Netherlands, Brazil
- 2018: France, Croatia, Belgium, England
- 2022: Morocco, Croatia, France, Argentina- Champion TBD
What team/country has played the most times in the Semi-Finals?
Germany is the country with the most appearances in the Semi-Finals, for a record 13 times. Brazil follows closely, with 11, and Italy comes in next with eight. Here is a list
- Germany: 13 times
- Brazil: 11 times
- Italy: eight times
- France: seven times
- Argentina: six times to the Semi-Finals
- Uruguay, Croatia, Netherlands: five times
- Sweden: four times
- England: three times
Related: Morocco became the first African team to reach the semifinals in Qatar 2022
Surprising teams that have made it to the Semi-Finals in World Cup history:
While Spain, Austria, Belgium, Czech, Poland, and Hungary have each played twice in the World Cup Semi-Finals history, five other underdogs have made it to the Semi-Final stage once:
Turkey, Bulgaria, South Korea, Morocco, and Chile: one time.