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England’s painful wait for a major international football title continues following their defeat to Argentina at the 2026 World Cup. It marks 60 years since the Three Lions lifted their only major trophy, making it one of the lengthiest barren spells in the history of international football.

Sudan enjoyed their moment of glory as hosts of the 1970 Africa Cup of Nations, claiming their first and only continental title. Hasabu El-Sagheir netted the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory over Ghana in the final, sealing Sudan’s only major success to date. Despite this triumph, Sudan have never qualified for a World Cup and have advanced beyond the group stage at AFCON only twice since their 1970 win.

Among European nations, England currently hold the record for the longest period without a major trophy after having previously won one. Their 1966 World Cup victory on home soil, inspired by Geoff Hurst’s unforgettable hat-trick in a 4-2 win over West Germany, remains their crowning achievement. Since then, the English side have suffered three World Cup semi-final defeats and two European Championship final losses – four of those heartbreaks coming after 2018. For a nation that sees itself as a football powerhouse, tangible success has proven elusive.

A recurring pattern among several of these nations is that their lone major triumph came when they hosted the tournament. Israel, for instance, secured the 1964 Asian Cup title after defeating South Korea in the final. During the 1990s, Israeli clubs and the national team joined UEFA competitions, over two decades after leaving the Asian federation due to political opposition from other Asian countries. To date, Israel have never qualified for either the European Championship or the World Cup.

Ethiopia played a key role in the early history of the Africa Cup of Nations. In the first three editions, they finished runners-up, third, and then champions in 1962. After reaching at least the semi-finals in five of the first six tournaments, Ethiopia have since managed to qualify only four times and have never advanced past the group stage.

South Korea hold the unenviable distinction of enduring the longest major tournament drought in international football. The Taegeuk Warriors won consecutive Asian Cup titles in 1956 and 1960 but have failed to reclaim that success in the 66 years since. In that period, they have finished as runners-up four times and reached the semi-finals on another four occasions. However, their remarkable run to the World Cup semi-finals as co-hosts in 2002 remains a cherished highlight in their footballing history.