The Georgian national football team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. They became a FIFA member in 1992 and have entered qualification for every tournament since 1998, eight campaigns in all, without getting through. Across those campaigns they have played 70 qualifying matches, winning 12, drawing 17 and losing 41. Their best finish was third in their group in the 2002 qualifiers.

The Soviet Years

Before 1992, players from this region represented the USSR, and several were central to the Soviet side. The Dinamo Tbilisi defender Murtaz Khurtsilava played at both the 1966 World Cup, where the Soviet Union finished fourth, their best ever result, and the 1970 tournament in Mexico. He went on to captain the USSR, one of only two Georgians to do so, along with Aleksandre Chivadze, and was named Georgia's Golden Player in 2003.

The winger Slava Metreveli went to three World Cups, in 1962, 1966 and 1970, and had already scored for the Soviet Union in the 1960 European Nations' Cup final, won 2–1 against Yugoslavia. He spent most of his career at Dinamo Tbilisi.

Euro 2024

Georgia's breakthrough came at the European Championship rather than the World Cup. They came through the play-offs in March 2024, beating Greece on penalties after a goalless draw, to reach their first major tournament.

In Germany they lost 3–1 to Türkiye and drew 1–1 with the Czech Republic, then beat Portugal 2–0 in Gelsenkirchen through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Georges Mikautadze, one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history, and went through to the round of 16. Spain beat them 4–1 there.

2026 Qualifying

Hopes were high that the same generation would finally reach a World Cup, but Georgia drew a hard group. Placed with Spain, Türkiye and Bulgaria in European Group E, they lost their opening match at home to Türkiye 3–2, then beat Bulgaria 3–0 in Tbilisi through Kvaratskhelia, Nika Gagnidze and Mikautadze. That was their only win.

2026 Qualifying, Group E P W D L GF GA Pts
Spain 6 5 1 0 21 2 16
Türkiye 6 4 1 1 17 12 13
Georgia 6 1 0 5 7 15 3
Bulgaria 6 1 0 5 3 19 3

Four defeats followed, home and away to Spain and Türkiye and away to Bulgaria, and Georgia finished third, level on three points with Bulgaria but ahead on goal difference and ten points short of the runners-up place that led to the play-offs. Spain went to the 2026 finals as group winners, and Türkiye came through the play-offs to join them. Georgia's wait goes on.

Trivia

  • Georgia is one of the few European nations never to have reached a World Cup, and the 2026 campaign was its eighth unsuccessful attempt since 1998.
  • Georgian players have been to the World Cup, just not for Georgia. Murtaz Khurtsilava and Slava Metreveli both appeared at the 1966 and 1970 tournaments for the Soviet Union.
  • Georgia's 2–0 win over Portugal at Euro 2024 came in their third match at a major tournament, and the goal that started it was scored by Kvaratskhelia inside two minutes.
  • Dinamo Tbilisi won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1981, beating Carl Zeiss Jena in the final, the only major European club trophy won by a Georgian side.