England's defeat to Argentina at the 2026 World Cup has extended their agonising wait for a major trophy to 60 years, making it one of the longest droughts in international football. The Three Lions won their sole major tournament, the World Cup, on home soil in 1966, and since then, they have lost three World Cup semi-finals and two European Championship finals, with four of those defeats having come since 2018.
The international football teams on the longest trophy droughts also include Sudan, who have not won a major tournament since claiming the Africa Cup of Nations title as host nation in 1970. Sudan's sole major tournament win came when Hasabu El-Sagheir scored the decisive goal in the 1-0 final win over Ghana. Since then, Sudan have struggled to make an impact, progressing out of the group stage at AFCON just twice. Israel is another nation with a long drought, having won the 1964 Asian Cup by beating South Korea in the final, but they have never qualified for a European Championship or World Cup.
Ethiopia and South Korea also feature on the list of teams with long trophy droughts. Ethiopia were a prominent part of the early Africa Cup of Nations, winning the tournament in 1962, but they have qualified only four times since and have never progressed from the group stage. South Korea, on the other hand, hold the unwanted record for the longest major tournament drought, having won back-to-back Asian Cup titles in 1956 and 1960, but enduring a wretched record since. They have finished as runners-up on four occasions and reached the semi-finals a further four times, including a memorable underdog run on home soil in 2002.
These long droughts are a testament to the challenges faced by international football teams in achieving success at the highest level. For nations like England, who pride themselves on being one of the world's most reputable footballing countries, the lack of tangible success is a source of frustration. As these teams continue to strive for success, their fans will be hoping that their wait for a major trophy will soon come to an end. With the next major tournaments on the horizon, these teams will be looking to break their droughts and bring joy to their fans, and the world will be watching to see if they can finally achieve the success that has eluded them for so long.
Source: Yahoo Sports