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A large population gives a massive advantage for team sports like football. To field a world class team, a country needs up to 30 elite players which means the national coach requires a massive pool of high-quality footballers competing against each other domestically to push standards up. In order to win the World Cup, population size, wealth and infrastructure as well as sporting culture must exist side-by-side. Small countries such as Cape Verde, Curacao, New Zealand and Iceland may make it to the World Cup, but few advance beyond the group stage.