| Intro | Former Bulgarian weightlifter |
| A.K.A. | Zdravko Stoitchkov, Здравко Стоичков |
| Is |
Athlete Weightlifter |
| From | Bulgaria |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 2 July 1964 |
| Age: | 56 years |
The FIFA World Cup, sometimes called the Football World Cup or the Soccer World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the men’s national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport’s global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to World War II.
The tournament consists of two parts, the qualification phase and the final phase (officially called the World Cup Finals). The qualification phase, which currently take place over the three years preceding the Finals, is used to determine which teams qualify for the Finals. The current format of the Finals involves 32 teams competing for the title, at venues within the host nation (or nations) over a period of about a month. The World Cup Finals is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the 2006 tournament final.
Bulgaria have appeared in the finals of the FIFA World Cup on seven occasions, the first being at the 1962 FIFA World Cup.
They did not qualify for the finals in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil as they became fourth in their UEFA qualification group.
FIFA World Cup record
Bulgaria’s first appearance at the World Cup was at the seventh edition of the tournament in 1962. Between 1962 and 1974, they participated at four consecutive World Cup tournaments but did not survive the first round. Their best result followed in 1994, where they reached the semi-finals.
1962 FIFA World Cup
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 2.66 | 5 |
| England | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1.33 | 3 |
| Argentina | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.67 | 3 |
| Bulgaria | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0.14 | 1 |
- England finished ahead of Argentina on goal average.
Argentina v Bulgaria
|
30 May 1962 (First Round)
15:00 CLT (UTC-04) |
| Argentina | 1–0 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Facundo 4′ | Report |
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Estadio El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 7,134 Referee: Juan Gardeazábal Garay (Spain) |
Hungary v Bulgaria
|
3 June 1962 (First Round)
15:00 CLT (UTC-04) |
| Hungary | 6–1 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Albert 1′, 6′, 53′ Tichy 8′, 70′ Solymosi 12′ |
Report | Sokolov 64′ |
|
Estadio El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 7,442 Referee: Juan Gardeazábal Garay (Spain) |
England v Bulgaria
|
7 June 1962 (First Round)
15:00 CLT (UTC-04) |
| England | 0–0 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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Estadio El Teniente, Rancagua
Attendance: 5,700 Referee: Antoine Blavier (Belgium) |
1966 FIFA World Cup
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 4.50 | 6 |
| Hungary | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 1.40 | 4 |
| Brazil | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.67 | 2 |
| Bulgaria | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0.13 | 0 |
Brazil v Bulgaria
|
12 July 1966 (First Round)
19:30 BST |
| Brazil | 2–0 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Pelé 15′ Garrincha 63′ |
Report |
|
Goodison Park, Liverpool
Attendance: 48,000 Referee: Kurt Tschenscher (West Germany) |
Portugal v Bulgaria
|
16 July 1966 (First Round)
15:00 BST |
| Portugal | 3–0 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Vutsov 17′ (o.g.) Eusébio 38′ Torres 81′ |
Report |
|
Old Trafford, Manchester
Attendance: 26,000 Referee: José María Codesal (Uruguay) |
Hungary v Bulgaria
|
20 July 1966 (First Round)
19:30 BST |
| Hungary | 3–1 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Davidov 43′ (o.g.) Mészöly 45′ Bene 54′ |
Report | Asparuhov 15′ |
|
Old Trafford, Manchester
Attendance: 22,000 Referee: Roberto Goicoechea (Argentina) |
1970 FIFA World Cup
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Germany | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 6 |
| Peru | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 4 |
| Bulgaria | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 1 |
| Morocco | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 1 |
All times local (UTC−6)
Peru v Bulgaria
|
2 June 1970 (First Round)
16:00 |
| Peru | 3–2 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Gallardo 50′ Chumpitaz 55′ Cubillas 73′ |
Report | Dermendzhiev 13′ Bonev 49′ |
|
Estadio Nou Camp, León
Attendance: 13,765 Referee: Antonio Sbardella (Italy) |
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Assistant referees: |
Bulgaria v West Germany
|
7 June 1970 (First Round)
12:00 |
| Bulgaria | 2–5 | West Germany |
|---|---|---|
| Nikodimov 12′ Kolev 89′ |
Report | Libuda 20′ Müller 27′, 52′ (pen.), 88′ Seeler 67′ |
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Estadio Nou Camp, León
Attendance: 12,710 Referee: José María Ortiz de Mendibil (Spain) |
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Assistant referees: |
Bulgaria v Morocco
|
11 June 1970 (First Round)
16:00 |
| Bulgaria | 1–1 | Morocco |
|---|---|---|
| Zhechev 40′ | Report | Ghazouani 61′ |
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Estadio Nou Camp, León
Attendance: 12,299 Referee: Antonio Ribeiro Saldanha (Portugal) |
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Assistant referees: |
1974 FIFA World Cup
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 5 |
| Sweden | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 4 |
| Bulgaria | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 2 |
| Uruguay | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 1 |
Sweden v Bulgaria
|
15 June 1974 (First Round)
16:00 CET |
| Sweden | 0–0 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf
Attendance: 22,500 Referee: Edison Perez Nunez (Peru) |
Bulgaria v Uruguay
|
19 June 1974 (First Round)
19:30 CET |
| Bulgaria | 1–1 | Uruguay |
|---|---|---|
| Bonev 75′ | Report | Pavoni 87′ |
|
Niedersachsenstadion, Hanover
Attendance: 12,000 Referee: Jack Taylor (England) |
Netherlands v Bulgaria
|
23 June 1974 (First Round)
16:00 CET |
| Netherlands | 4-1 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Neeskens 5′ (pen.), 44′ (pen.) Rep 71′ de Jong 88′ |
Report | Krol 78′ (o.g.) |
|
Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
Attendance: 52,100 Referee: Tony Boskovic (Australia) |
1986 FIFA World Cup
Bulgaria qualified for the World Cup in Mexico by finishing second in Group Four, behind France with 11 points, but worse goal difference, ahead of the teams of Yugoslavia, East Germany, and Luxembourg. This was their fifth World Cup appearance. They were drawn in Group A with Italy, Argentina, and South Korea. In the opening match of the World Cup, the Bulgarians held the defending champions Italy to a 1–1 draw. Alessandro Altobelli gave the Italians the lead, but an 85th minute equalizer by Nasko Sirakov gave the Bulgarians the point. The next match was another 1–1 draw against South Korea with the goal for Bulgaria coming from Plamen Getov in the 11th minute. They lost the final match of the group 2–0 against Argentina, who ended up winning the tournament. Despite not recording a win, the Bulgarians advanced to the knockout stage by being the third-best third placed team. That way, Bulgaria and also Uruguay became the first nations to qualify for the knockout stage without winning a game in the first round. In the Round of 16, they faced World Cup hosts Mexico and lost the match 2–0. Ivan Vutsov was the manager of the team.
Bulgaria v Italy
|
31 May 1986 (First Round)
12:00 CST |
| Bulgaria | 1–1 | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Sirakov 85′ | Report | Altobelli 43′ |
|
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Attendance: 96,000 Referee: Erik Fredriksson (Sweden) |
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South Korea v Bulgaria
|
5 June 1986 (First Round)
16:00 CST |
| South Korea | 1–1 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Kim Jong-Boo 70′ | Report | Getov 11′ |
|
Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City
Attendance: 45,000 Referee: Fallaj Al Shanar (Saudi Arabia) |
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Argentina v Bulgaria
|
10 June 1986 (First Round)
12:00 CST |
| Argentina | 2–0 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Valdano 3′ Burruchaga 76′ |
Report |
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Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City
Attendance: 65,000 Referee: Berny Ulloa Morera (Costa Rica) |
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Mexico v Bulgaria
|
15 June 1986 (Round of 16)
12:00 CST |
| Mexico | 2 – 0 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Negrete 34′ Servín 61′ |
Report |
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Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Attendance: 114,580 Referee: Romualdo Arppi Filho (Brazil) |
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1994 FIFA World Cup
Certainly one of the most important dates in Bulgarian football history is 17 November 1993, when Emil Kostadinov scored two goals to beat France in Paris, allowing Bulgaria to qualify for the World Cup in the United States in 1994. Under the management of Dimitar Penev, the Bulgarians, led by players such as Hristo Stoichkov, Yordan Lechkov, and Krasimir Balakov — along with a multitude of other talented players remembered in Bulgaria as the “Golden Generation” — made a strong impression by reaching the semi-finals. They entered Group D with Argentina, Nigeria, and Greece. Before that, the Bulgarians hadn’t won a single match in five World Cup finals appearances. The first match ended with a 3–0 defeat by Nigeria. Despite the bad start, the team won 4–0 against World Cup-debuting featherweights Greece and 2–0 against Argentina. Argentina had actually been winning the group going into injury-time. A 91st-minute strike from Nasko Sirakov, however, meant that they dropped two places and finished third. Bulgaria continued to the next round, where they faced Mexico. The match ended 1–1 and after no goals were scored in extra time, penalties would decide which team would go through. Team captain Borislav Mihaylov made a good performance saving two of the penalty kicks. Bulgaria won 3–1 on penalties with Mihaylov becoming the hero for the Bulgarian team. In the quarter-finals, Bulgaria faced the then-defending World Cup champions Germany. Lothar Matthäus scored from a penalty. The Bulgarians, however, managed to turn the game over with two goals by Hristo Stoichkov and Yordan Lechkov, giving them a 2–1 win and recording one of the most memorable wins for the team. Millions of Bulgarians celebrated this win in the Bulgarian capital city of Sofia and other Bulgarian cities. Having reached the semi-finals, this was the best Bulgarian performance in the World Cup. In the semi-finals, they lost 2–1 to Italy. The third-place match was lost to Sweden, 4-0, and Bulgaria eventually finished in fourth place. Hristo Stoichkov was awarded the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the tournament with six goals (shared with Oleg Salenko). Krasimir Balakov was named in the all-star team along with Stoichkov. Starting 11: GK-Mihaylov(c); RB-Kiryakov/Kremenliev, CB/SW-Hubchev, CB-Ivanov, LB-Tsvetanov; DM-Yankov, CM-Lechkov, CM-Balakov, AM/CF-Sirakov/Borimirov; CF/RW-Kostadinov, CF/LW-Stoichkov.
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Team
|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 |
| Bulgaria | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
| Argentina | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
| Greece | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | −10 | 0 |
All times local (EDT/UTC–4, CDT/UTC–5, PDT/UTC–7)
Nigeria v Bulgaria
|
21 June 1994 (First Round)
18:30 CDT |
| Nigeria | 3–0 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Yekini 21′ Amokachi 43′ Amuneke 55′ |
Report |
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Cotton Bowl, Dallas
Attendance: 44,132 Referee: Rodrigo Badilla (Costa Rica) |
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Nigeria
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Bulgaria
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Assistant referees: |
Bulgaria v Greece
|
26 June 1994 (First Round)
11:30 CDT |
| Bulgaria | 4–0 | Greece |
|---|---|---|
| Stoichkov 5′ (pen.), 55′ (pen.) Letchkov 65′ Borimirov 90′ |
Report |
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Soldier Field, Chicago
Attendance: 63,160 Referee: Ali Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates) |
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Bulgaria
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Greece
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Assistant referees: |
Argentina v Bulgaria
|
30 June 1994 (First Round)
18:30 CDT |
| Argentina | 0–2 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Stoichkov 61′ Sirakov 90′ |
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Cotton Bowl, Dallas
Attendance: 63,998 Referee: Neji Jouini (Tunisia) |
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Argentina
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Bulgaria
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Assistant referees: |
Mexico v Bulgaria
|
5 July 1994 (Round of 16)
16:35 |
| Mexico | 1 – 1 (a.e.t.) |
Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| García Aspe 18′ (pen.) | Report | Stoichkov 6′ |
| Penalties | ||
| García Aspe Bernal Rodríguez Suárez |
1 – 3 |
Balakov Guentchev Borimirov Letchkov |
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Giants Stadium, East Rutherford
Attendance: 71,030 Referee: Jamal Al Sharif (Syria) |
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Mexico
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Bulgaria
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Bulgaria v Germany
|
10 July 1994 (Quarter-Finals)
12:05 |
| Bulgaria | 2 – 1 | Germany |
|---|---|---|
| Stoichkov 75′ Letchkov 78′ |
Report | Matthäus 47′ (pen.) |
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Giants Stadium, East Rutherford
Attendance: 72,000 Referee: José Torres Cadena (Colombia) |
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Bulgaria
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Germany
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Bulgaria v Italy
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13 July 1994 (Semi-Finals)
16:05 |
| Bulgaria | 1 – 2 | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Stoichkov 44′ (pen.) | Report | R. Baggio 21′, 25′ |
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Giants Stadium, East Rutherford
Attendance: 74,110 Referee: Joël Quiniou (France) |
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Bulgaria
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Italy
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Sweden v Bulgaria
|
16 July 1994 (Third-Place Match)
12:35 |
| Sweden | 4 – 0 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Brolin 8′ Mild 30′ Larsson 37′ K. Andersson 40′ |
Report |
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Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Attendance: 91,500 Referee: Ali Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates) |
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Sweden
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Bulgaria
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1998 FIFA World Cup
Bulgaria qualified for the World Cup in France by finishing first in the Group 5, followed by Russia. They entered the competition with a new manager Hristo Bonev, since Dimitar Penev was sacked after Euro 1996. Bulgaria drew Spain, Nigeria, and Paraguay in Group D. The first match ended in a 0–0 goalless draw against Paraguay. In the second match, the Bulgarians lost 1–0 for a second-straight World Cup to Nigeria. The final match ended with a disappointing 6–1 defeat to Spain. Following the bad results, Bulgaria finished fourth in the group, with only one point, and didn’t go through the next round. This was the last major appearance at World Cup level for Bulgaria.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 5 |
| Spain | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 4 |
| Bulgaria | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 1 |
Paraguay v Bulgaria
|
12 June 1998 (First Round)
14:30 |
| Paraguay | 0–0 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier
Attendance: 27,650 Referee: Abdul Rahman Al-Zeid (Saudi Arabia) |
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Paraguay
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Bulgaria
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Assistant referees: |
Nigeria v Bulgaria
|
19 June 1998 (First Round)
17:30 |
| Nigeria | 1–0 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Ikpeba 26′ | Report |
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Parc des Princes, Paris
Attendance: 45,500 Referee: Mario Sánchez Yanten (Chile) |
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Nigeria
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Bulgaria
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Assistant referees: |
Spain v Bulgaria
|
24 June 1998 (First Round)
21:00 |
| Spain | 6–1 | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Hierro 5′ (pen.) Luis Enrique 18′ Morientes 53′, 80′ Kiko 88′, 90′ |
Report | Kostadinov 56′ |
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Stade Félix-Bollaert, Lens
Attendance: 38,100 Referee: Mario van der Ende (Netherlands) |
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Spain
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Bulgaria
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Assistant referees: |
Summary table
| Year | Result | Position | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Did not enter | |||||||
| 1934 to 1938 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1950 | Did not enter | |||||||
| 1954 to 1958 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1962 | Round 1 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 1966 | Round 1 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| 1970 | Round 1 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
| 1974 | Round 1 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 1978 to 1982 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1986 | Round of 16 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 1990 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1994 | Fourth Place | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 11 |
| 1998 | Round 1 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 2002 to 2014 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2018 | To Be Determined | |||||||
| 2022 | To Be Determined | |||||||
| Total | 7/20 | 26 | 3 | 8 | 15 | 19 | 53 | |