Populous Countries, Weak Football Results - Where’s the Catch?

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It stands to reason that countries with a larger population will excel in sports, as they have a larger pool to choose from. By and large, this is the case, with countries like Brazil, Germany, Spain, Argentina, and England being among the most competitive. However, it is not always the case.

Uruguay, with a population of under 3.5 million, and Croatia, with just over, have both produced world-class players and are competitive on an international level. While countries with massive populations like the US, India, and China have not been as successful.

When looking at World Cup odds on the top sports betting apps, China is currently priced at around 1000/1 to win the tournament, while the US is the only national team from the top five most populous countries that is priced under 100/1 at 80/1. But why is this? We explore some of the key reasons that some of the world's most heavily populated countries have struggled to compete at a high level.

Culture

Many of the most populous countries in the world are in Asia, and, in terms of culture, many put a much stronger emphasis on education than on sports. This can be crucial at certain ages when other countries or regions attempt to balance education with specialist training for those showing an aptitude for certain sports.

This is by no means true of every region and country, and talented individuals will typically still get opportunities, but there is less of an emphasis at developmental stages.

Cost and Infrastructure

The most successful countries will have a relatively long history of sporting excellence, especially for football, and this has resulted in a lot of time and money going into building an infrastructure that is beneficial for the growth and development of the sport.

The cost of completely revamping a country’s sporting infrastructure can be high, and governments might struggle to make a case for this when setting out budgets.

We have seen in the recent past how investment in sporting infrastructures can make a massive difference, with Iceland creating high-quality indoor training facilities and heated pitches to ensure they could combat cold weather. This has resulted in the country, whose population is a little over 400,000, qualifying for major tournaments at the expense of more established countries.

Alternative Sports

One of the biggest reasons that some of the most populous countries in the world haven’t had more successful national football teams is that they focus on other sports. The US, in particular, places football, or soccer as they call it, below American Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Ice Hockey.

The game is enjoying greater adoption in America in recent years, and the sport’s popularity has benefited from players like Lionel Messi playing in the MLS.

China’s most popular sport is Basketball, while India has a passion for cricket. All of this can impact the number of people getting into the sport at a young enough age where they can dedicate their lives to the rigorous training schedules required of professional athletes.

Conclusion

It is perhaps unfair to expect every country to care as much about football, but its worldwide popularity makes it the biggest sport in terms of interest and viewing figures. This has helped improve its appeal in countries that focus on other sports, and grassroots development is beginning to improve.

It might be some time before we see the results of these changes, but if these countries start focusing on football, it could see a shift in power dynamics down the line.