Montenegro, an independent nation only since 2006 (separating from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro), is among Europe's newer football associations — competing internationally for less than 20 years. Despite a relatively small population (620,000), Montenegro has produced talented players and competed competitively in European qualifying, though World Cup qualification remains out of reach.
| Appearances | 0 |
| Best Finish | Never qualified for World Cup |
| Last Appearance | Never qualified |
| 2022 Result | Did not qualify |
Montenegro's squad features players from major European leagues — Stefan Savić (Atlético Madrid) has been a long-serving stalwart, with younger players from Italian, Turkish and other leagues providing depth.
Montenegro's non-qualification for FIFA 2026 comes despite competitive qualifying performances and genuine individual talent — Stefan Savić's Champions League-level career at Atlético Madrid shows the quality Montenegro can produce. As a nation barely 18 years old with 620,000 people, competing consistently in European qualifying and occasionally forcing larger nations into difficult matches represents genuine achievement, even without reaching the World Cup.
Montenegrin fans can follow Stefan Savić's Atlético Madrid career through the tournament (facing Group H's Spain's domestic opposition in La Liga) and follow Group L's Croatia — a neighbouring former-Yugoslav nation with shared football heritage and similar Balkan football culture.
Follow FIFA 2026 on T Sports and Sony Sports in Bangladesh. Group L's Croatia (a neighbouring former-Yugoslav nation) provides the closest Balkan football connection for Montenegrin fans at FIFA 2026.