Four of the five most populous countries in the world will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. India, with a population of 1.451 billion, China with 1.049 billion, Indonesia with 283 million, and Pakistan with 251.3 million, failed to qualify for the prestigious tournament. These countries have a combined population of over 3 billion people but have yet to find their way to football's highest levels, despite their enormous potential.