When you think of the World Cup , there are some teams who always come to mind: Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy and France, to name but a few.
But what happens when these iconic nations fail to qualify? In this year's massive international spectacle, which starts in a matter of days, both the Netherlands and Italy will be absent due to their shocking performances in qualifying. This is the first time Italy hasn't appeared in a World Cup since 1958.
But how often does this happen? Here is a look at some of the most disappointing and surprising omissions in the history of the World Cup.
Spoiler alert: this wouldn't be much of a list without the Netherlands.
1. Netherlands - 1982
Appearances in the final of both the 1974 and the 1978 World Cup meant that the Netherlands were becoming an international footballing force, with fans mesmerised by players like Johan Cruyff, Johnny Rep and Johan Neeskens.
A tough group in the qualifying stages, however, ensured the 1978 finalists would not travel to the Spanish World Cup, as they finished behind Belgium, France and the Republic of Ireland and kicked off an ultimately disappointing decade for the Netherlands and its World Cup record.
2. Netherlands - 1986
Despite the failures four years prior, this Netherlands squad should have secured a place in the 1986 World Cup. With players like van Basten, Rijkaard and Koeman, they were hoping the right the wrongs of the past.
Unfortunately, the Netherlands only managed to finished second in their group, losing to both Hungary and Austria and finally losing to Belgium in the play-offs on away goals.
Incredibly, this poor showing was redeemed when they won the European Championships two years later in 1988.
3. France - 1990
France were one of the best teams in the world during the 1980s, having finished fourth in the 1982 World Cup and third in the 1986 World Cup, and having a promising squad featuring the likes of Didier Deschamps and Laurent Blanc.
However, with future star Eric Cantona banned from international football following comments about manager Henri Michel, Les Bleus struggled with qualification.
Poor performances against teams such as Yugoslavia and Scotland secured their fate, shocking the world and disappointing the French fans.
4. England - 1994
After a disappointing group exit in the 1992 European Championships, Graham Taylor's England squad had a lot to prove in the 1994 World Cup.
Unfortunately, they failed to even qualify, losing 2-0 to the Netherlands in a famous loss which saw a plethora of referee mistakes, including the failure to send off Ronald Koeman after a dangerous tackle on David Platt, and conceding one of the fastest goals in World Cup history - to San Marino after 8.3 seconds.
The failed campaign saw Graham Taylor lose his job and suffer a poor reputation in the media.
5. France - 1994
France experienced true heartbreak as they attempted to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, having failed to qualify for 1990.
With qualification almost secured with two games to go, France lost 3-2 to last placed Israel, making their next match a must win.
They lost 2-1, conceding in the 90th minute against Bulgaria, leading to the firing of manager Gérard Houllier and infuriating expectant French fans for the second World Cup in a row.
6. Portugal - 1998
After going all the way to the quarter finals in the European championships in 1996, players such as Rui Costa and Luis Figo were starting to make their mark on international football.
Having gone 1-0 up against the Germans in that game, Costa was sent off late on, allowing their opponents to equalise and end Portugal's hopes of qualifying.
They finished behind both Germany and Ukraine in their group, providing a major blow to Portugal's golden generation.
7. Netherlands - 2002
With players such as Patrick Kluivert and Ruud van Nistelrooy, the Netherlands were a safe bet to qualify for the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
The Dutchmen made it to the semi finals of the 2000 European Championships, only losing out to the Italians on penalties.
But qualification to the World Cup wasn't to be, with the star-studded squad losing out to Portugal and the Republic of Ireland, forcing manager Louis van Gaal to resign and providing another Netherlands disappointment.