The draw paired Poland with Brazil, which traveled by ship aboard the British vessel “Arlanza” to France. In the opener, played on June 5 at Stade de La Meinau in Strasbourg, the Brazilians won 6-5 after extra time — after 90 minutes, the score was 4-4. The Black Diamond, Leônidas, scored three goals, Perácio added two, and Romeu scored one.

Historic Milestones and Rising Stars in Asian Football at the FIFA World Cup The first Asian country to participate in the FIFA World Cup was Indonesia, then known as the Dutch East Indies, during the 1938 tournament in France. Despite losing their only match 6-0, they paved the way for future Asian participants.

The 2026 World Cup field looks different from past tournaments, and this chart shows how expansion changed the balance among FIFA’s regions.