Since FIFA implemented its world rankings of teams on August 8, 1993, only on two occasions have all the countries that were in the top ten managed to qualify for the final phase of a World Cup.
Those occasions were in the World Cups of Germany 2006 and Brazil 2014.
In the tournament organized by the Germans, the top ten were: Brazil, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Argentina, France, Spain, Mexico, United States, England, and Portugal. Germany, on the other hand, which was the host, was ranked 16th according to the FIFA ranking on November 21, 2005.
Meanwhile, in the championship hosted by the Brazilians, the top ten were: Spain, Germany, Argentina, Colombia, Portugal, Uruguay, Italy, Switzerland, and Netherlands, who qualified for that World Cup. Brazil, the host, closed the group in 10th place in the FIFA world ranking on November 28, 2013.
In the other five World Cups, counted only from 1993, the year in which the FIFA world ranking came into effect, at least one country from the top ten was always absent.
For the tournament in United States 1994, Denmark and England, ranked 6th and 8th respectively on the FIFA list on November 19, 1993, failed to qualify. However, the remaining eight teams in the top ten did: Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and Argentina.
In the France 1998 World Cup, the Czech Republic, who was fourth in the FIFA ranking on November 19, 1997, failed to show up. However, the other nine teams in the top ten were present: Brazil, Germany, Spain, Romania, England, France, Denmark, Colombia, and Italy.
In the Japan/South Korea 2002 championship, Colombia and Netherlands, ranked 5th and 8th respectively in the FIFA ranking on November 21, 2001, failed to qualify. The other eight teams in the top ten did advance: France, Argentina, Brazil, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and England.
For the South Africa 2010 tournament, Croatia, ranked 10th on the FIFA list on November 20, 2009, did not qualify. However, the other nine teams in the top ten managed to qualify: Spain, Brazil, Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Germany, France, Argentina, and England.
And for the upcoming Russia 2018 World Cup, Chile, which was ninth in the recent FIFA list on October 16, 2017, failed to qualify. However, the other nine teams in the top ten did qualify: Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, France, Spain, and Peru. (D)