The Nicaragua national football team only began attempting to qualify for the FIFA world cup in 1994. They have never made it to the finals of the tournament. The country has an estimated population of around six million people and is bordered by Honduras and Costa Rica.
It is no surprise that the national football team has not made an impression on world football as it is actually baseball that is the country’s national sport. Nicaragua has produced a few Major League Baseball stars. The second most popular sport is boxing with the country boasting world champions. Football is growing in popularity however.
As well as producing sports stars the country also produces other commodities such as rum, tobacco, coffee and cotton to name a few. Despite the amount of exports they have, Nicaragua relies very heavily on overseas financial aid and has a large amount of debt. The country also has one of the lowest minimum wages in the world.
Unsurprisingly the county has widespread poverty and unemployment. There are signs of improvement however, as the debt has been reduced along with a growth in their economy.