The British invented both football and cricket. Cricket was mostly restricted to Commonwealth countries, while football spread throughout Europe. Despite this, a number of countries have achieved great success in both sports and qualified for both World Cups.
There are few countries that have participated in both Football and Cricket World Cups.
1. England
England are one of the powerhouses in both cricket and football. They have won both the cricket and football world cups. England went on to win their first cricket World Cup title in 2019, defeating New Zealand in the thrilling final that will be remembered for generations. With this victory, England became the first country to win the Cricket World Cup, Football World Cup, and Rugby World Cup all in the same year. England’s first significant sporting triumph occurred in 1966, when they defeated West Germany 4-2 in the final to win their first and only Football World Cup.
2. Australia
Australia are probably the biggest team when it comes to cricket world cups. They have won it a record 5 times. They also participate in the football world cups. Australia first qualified for the World Cup in 1974 with a team made up of amateur footballers, but they were eliminated after scoring only one own goal. It would take 32 years for the country’s golden generation, which included Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell, and Tim Cahill, to finally secure a place at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
3. Netherlands
Despite not winning the football world cup, the Netherlands are one of the powerhouses of football. The Netherlands finished among the top four teams in the tournament four times: in 1974, 1978, and 2010, the Dutch national team lost in the World Cup final, while in 1998 it finished fourth. Netherlands have also participated in the cricket world cup but never made it out of the first round.
4. Canada
Canada has competed in the ICC Cricket World Cup four times: in 1979, 2003, in the West Indies in 2007, and again in 2011. The men’s national football team of Canada has competed in the FIFA World Cup twice, in 1986 and in 2022. In most previous World Cups, Canada was unable to secure one of the berths reserved for North American CONCACAF teams. Canada qualified for the World Cup for the second time in history in 2022, breaking a 36-year wait.
5. New Zealand
Between 1970 and 2018, the New Zealand national football team competed in 13 FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns, qualifying for two FIFA World Cups: the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Meanwhile, in cricket, they are one of the biggest teams and are one of the favorites to win every cricket world cup.
