FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers: Post Italy debacle, an interactive look at other top teams who failed to qualify in past

Every four years, the world of football gets to witness the ultimate showpiece event of the sport. The FIFA World Cup, first introduced in 1930, sees top footballing nations fighting for the coveted trophy and permanently mark their names in the history books. A total of 32 teams participate in the main tournament out of which 31 nations come through the continental qualifications campaign. The host team doesn’t have to play the qualifying round. The continental qualifications are usually rigorous and competitive, and that might result in some of the top footballing countries faltering during the process. Italy became the latest victim of that process as they failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia after they were undone by Sweden in their playoff matches. Take a look below to know how often top footballing countries failed to qualify for the prestigious tournament: