No Show: The World Cup Teams that Never Were

by James Bennett

No The World Cup Teams That Never Were is a fascinating collection of 24 stories of the greatest teams that failed to qualify for the World Cup finals. Ranging from continental giants that became inexplicable absentees to heartbreaking stories of underdogs coming oh-so-close to a place on the world stage, these are stories that stand alone as remarkable accounts of misfortune, whether through refereeing decisions, late goals or even global politics. Discover how some of the greatest players in history never played at the world’s biggest tournament, including Alfredo di Stéfano, George Best, Eric Cantona and George Weah. Learn how Johan Cruyff could easily have joined this list, but for a moment of controversy in a deciding qualifier. And relive classic tales of woe for the home nations, including Scotland in 1970, England in 1978 and Wales in 1986. Together, these captivating stories create a patchwork that tells the tale of the trials and tribulations of World Cup qualifying, one of the greatest challenges in world football.

Genres: Football

320 pages, Hardcover

Published March 30, 2026

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Rainbow Goth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to preface this review by saying that I'm not a football fan. I don't follow the sport and I'm definitely not the intended audience for this book. I went into it with literally no prior knowledge, so everything presented was completely new to me.

That said, when a friend and colleague writes a book, I think it's important to support them, buy it and take the time to read it, and that's exactly why I picked this one up.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. I liked Bennett's writing style and found it easy to follow and understand. There was a good blend of storytelling throughout the chapters, covering not only the pivotal moments that led to each team failing to qualify, but also the build-up, the political landscape and the state of the sport at the time. All of this really helped to set the scene and gave me the context I needed as someone with very little football knowledge.

The teams are presented in chronological order, which I thought was a smart choice, as you can really feel the sporting landscape evolving as the book progresses.

I do feel that some aspects went over my head, and there seemed to be more detail devoted to some teams than others, but overall the balance worked well.

Belgium 1974 was a particular favourite of mine.

I do wish there had been a short conclusion to bring everything together and to hear more of Bennett's own thoughts on why these particular teams were chosen. After all, I'm sure there are countless other heartbreaking football stories that didn't make the cut.

However, as a complete sporting novice, I enjoyed this book far more than I expected to, and I'll definitely be recommending it to all of my football-loving friends.

[Rhys Webster · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s fine. As he says at the start, it’s basically a blog post

[Stephen Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable and well written account of 24 teams who failed to grace a particular World Cup finals stage, would definitely read 24 more such stories. Bennett’s passion and knowledge of football, particularly the African teams, shines through with each page. A great idea for a book with stories that are long forgotten by most, Bennett excels in weaving each teams’ doomed campaign with the stories of the players and countries involved.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Not usually into sports books but this had fun facts and funny quips that made it interesting to read. Well written.

[Gary K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched and well written.

A strange idea for a book but I enjoyed it. The only downside was you always knew what was going to happen because of the theme of the book.