Why Are the Most Populous Countries in the World Missing From the World Cup?

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When Lionel Messi scored his first goal of the 2026 World Cup against Algeria, thousands of fans in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, erupted in celebration. The scenes appeared to be coming from Argentina, as many of them were wearing blue and white shirts, but in fact not a single Argentine fan was among the crowd. They were local fans, who have embraced Argentina and Messi for years, after their national team failed to qualify for the biggest s…