🇧🇬 Bulgaria
Europe · FIFA BGR
Key Statistics
26
Matches
4-7-15
Record (W-D-L)
22
Goals Scored
-31
Goal Difference
19
Points
0
Titles 🏆
6.8M
Population
$138.4B
GDP
Editorial Analysis & Historical Context
Rigorous Analysis: Bulgaria’s entire football history is a single summer in 1994 when Hristo Stoichkov was angry enough to carry them to the semi-finals. He fueled the team on pure spite, chain-smoking, and a complete hatred of opponents.
Once Stoichkov retired, Bulgaria promptly returned to their natural state: qualifying despair and absolute obscurity. They are the definition of a one-hit wonder that keeps playing the same song at local pubs.
Tournament History
| Year | Host | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | France | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — |
| 1994 | United States | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 12 | — |
| 1986 | Mexico | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | — |
| 1974 | West Germany | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | — |
| 1970 | Mexico | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 1 | — |
| 1966 | England | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | — |
| 1962 | Chile | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — |
| Total | 7 editions | 26 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 53 | 19 | — |
World Cup Appearances
1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1994, 1998
Economic & Demographic Football Efficiency
Bulgaria has a population of 6.8M and an estimated GDP of $138.4B. Bilardo Water normalizes goals, points, and championships against demographic and economic scale to measure true football efficiency beyond raw financial advantage.
Per Capita Rankings
| Metric | Value | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals per million people | 3.24 | #17 / 84 |
| Points per million people | 2.80 | #17 / 84 |
| Wins per million people | 0.59 | #21 / 84 |
| Trophies per 10M people | — | #14 / 84 |
Per GDP Rankings
| Metric | Value | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals per $1B GDP | 0.16 | #11 / 84 |
| Points per $1B GDP | 0.14 | #14 / 84 |
| Wins per $1B GDP | 0.03 | #19 / 84 |
| Trophies per $10B GDP | — | #14 / 84 |
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