- Ask Steven
First World
Now the line-up for the 2014 FIFA World Cup is complete, how many nations have qualified for the first time? asked Ken Fielder
The only country at the 2014 World Cup which has not been in one before will be Bosnia and Herzegovina, who qualified for the final stages in Brazil by topping European Group H, narrowly ahead of Greece.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a relatively new nation, gaining independence in 1992: it was formerly part of Yugoslavia, and several Bosnian players represented Yugoslavia in seven World Cups between 1950 and 1990. Bosnia and Herzegovina's first match in the finals will be against Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on June 15.
Hosts Brazil will be taking part in their 20th World Cup finals tournament: they are the only nation to have played in all of them. Italy and Germany (including West Germany) will be appearing for the 18th time.
Apart from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the least-experienced teams in the 2014 finals will be Ecuador, Ghana, Greece, Honduras and Ivory Coast, who have all appeared in only two previous tournaments.
