As a result, the 2022 tournament is the first World Cup in which none of the teams that earned a spot through qualification were making their debut. The Netherlands, Ecuador, Ghana, Cameroon and the United States returned to the tournament after missing the 2018 tournament Canada returned after 36 years, their only prior appearance being in 1986.[36] Four-time champions and winners of UEFA Euro 2020, Italy, failed to qualify for a second successive World Cup for the first time in their history, losing in the qualification play-off semi-finals against North Macedonia.[37] The Italians were the only former champions that failed to qualify. The previous World Cup hosts, Russia, were disqualified from competing due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[38] Nigeria went out to Ghana on away goals in CAF's final playoff round, having qualified for the previous three World Cups and six out of the last seven.