Published: June 25, 2018, 9:30 AM
Updated: November 21, 2021, 3:00 PM
Soccer and autos are closely tied
Perhaps not coincidentally, nations that are industrial also have the soccer talent to reach the final tournament for the World Cup (held every four years). It therefore comes as no surprise that Germany, France, Japan and South Korea are well represented in both auto production and international soccer. But international soccer and the auto industry are closely tied, with Hyundai a title sponsor of FIFA competitions since the turn of the century, through both Hyundai and Kia brands. As the field is World Cup tournament field is cut in half, heading into the knock-out rounds, let's look at other nations with auto production facilities.
▲
Host nation Russia – Lada 4x4
Russia is ranked 70 in the latest FIFA rankings and isn’t given much of chance to compete successfully in its home World Cup by either the soccer world or the country’s own citizens. The Russian auto industry, on the other hand, is well established, having been set up in the 1960s with input from Fiat and producing vehicles for the Eastern Bloc nations and select foreign markets such as Canada. AvtoVaz was at one time the USSR’s largest auto producer, making vehicles under the Lada marque, and is today under the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance. Remember the Lada Niva, and how well it was suited for Canada’s winters? Well, it’s still alive and kicking, though it is now marketed as the Lada 4x4.
▲
#1 Germany - Mercedes-AMG GT-S Roadster
It’s fitting that the country recognized globally as the birthplace of the automobile is also the top ranked soccer power in the world (according to the latest FIFA rankings) and the defending World champions. And its widely acknowledged as making some of the best performing, prestige cars on the planet. It’s probably not fair to choose between BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen but when Mercedes has such as breadth of vehicles in so many sizes and used in so many industries, it’s the logical choice to represent the country as its auto all-star selection.
▲
#2 Brazil - Honda WR-V
Even non-soccer fans can probably name Brazil as a nation that excels at soccer, but not many would probably consider Brazil as a global auto producer (even though it ranks 10th, globally). Manufacturers from all over the world have facilities in Brazil, mostly building smaller cars powered by small diesel engines. Honda builds the Honda Fit-derived WR-V crossover at Sumaré for the domestic and Indian markets. Receiving power from gasoline or diesel 4-cylinders, the WR-V (reportedly standing for Winsome Runabout Vehicle) looks like an elevated, chromier Fit.
▲
#3 Belgium – Audi A1
Belgium is one of those nations that is always at the top of lists. It’s one of the favourites to win the World Cup this year (having come through the two years of qualifying without a loss, and keeping that streak going through the group stage at the final). It’s also one of those countries that has been building vehicles for a long time (since the 1950s), working with Studebaker, Porsche and, primarily, Volkswagen for more than a half century. The switch to Audi manufacture happened about a decade ago and the plant in Brussels currently builds the Audi A1, but will be switching over to build e-tron models in coming years, as the European demand for electric vehicles ramps up.
▲
#4 Portugal – Volkswagen T-Roc
Portugal is like the estranged cousin of the family, who is recognized for being talented, but nobody pays much attention to because they are pretty much self-sufficient and choose to help others even at the peril of diminishing their own talents. It is also one of the pioneers of cost-effective auto-production in the new millennium, establishing a Ford/Volkswagen joint-venture plant in Palmela in the mid-’90s and surrounding it with an industrial complex that houses all key suppliers to the plant. Over the years, it has supplied Europe with Ford Galaxys, Seat Alhambras and VW Eos convertibles, and currently builds the new VW T-Roc, as well as the Alhambra and its VW Sharan minivan twin.
▲
#5 Argentina – Chevrolet Cruze
Argentina is another of those talented soccer powerhouses that has a long history of success and is usually only a goal or two away from recapturing past glory, though it is often also prone to bickering and bouts of 1-upmanship to the peril of the team as a whole. Its auto-history is also extensive, dating back to the early days of the automobile — the Anasagasti roadster was built in 1912, Fords have been built there since the mid-’20s, just about every GM nameplate between then and now, Chryslers and Dodges in the 1930s, and vehicles from just about every European and Japanese manufacturer over the past 100 years. It currently builds 28 models (mostly for domestic consumption), including the new Chevrolet Cruze.
▲
#6 Switzerland – Rinspeed
Switzerland finally broke into the FIFA top 10 after years of showing promise and giving some of the powerhouses fits when they were playing them. Like its history of neutrality, Switzerland has been consistent over the past decades in putting on good games regardless of who they are playing. Similarly, over the past couple decades, the nation has been consistent in putting out a new model every year from its domestic designer/maker Rinspeed. Founded in 1979, the company made its name restoring historical cars and modifying Porsches and Subarus, before turning its focus to outlandish 1-off designs and, in latter years, sustainable future mobility like the autonomous Oasis EV people-mover that features, among other offbeat features, floor-to-ceiling windows and a garden atop the instrument panel.
▲
#7 France – Peugeot
One of the countries that’s always favoured to capture any international soccer title, France was also present at the birth of the auto-industry and has been a contributor since the early days. It is currently the third largest producer in Europe (behind Germany and Spain) and ranks 11th in the world. Countless marques have been manufactured in France over the past 125+ years, many of them 1-model marques from the early industry days when anybody with a wad of cash and a bit of imagination would put together an internal combustion engined vehicle. Lately, its domestic nameplates have forged partnerships in order to ensure their survival. France’s oldest carmaker (since 1890), Peugeot, is now part of a consortium of European makers with Citroën/DS and Opel/Vauxhall.
▲
#8 Poland – Arrinera Hussarya
Like France, Poland has been a mainstay on the international soccer scene for decades, though it has yet to realize the same level of success. Also like France, Poland has been producing vehicles since the late 1890s, mostly for agricultural and military applications (especially after the second World War, when it was part of the Eastern Bloc). In latter years, its auto industry has grown to be the third largest in Central and Eastern Europe (behind Russia and the Czech Republic), counting Fiat, Opel, Scania , Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo among its residents. Noteworthy, though, is Warsaw-based Arrinera, which started off as a motorsports venture before switching its focus to supercars, with the mid-engine, rear-wheel drive Hussarya (which uses GM’s supercharged 789-hp 6.2-litre V-8) its latest offering. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Matthew Lamb)
▲
#10 Spain – SEAT
Once the heavy favourites to win any tournament, Spain has slipped to almost outside the top-10 in the FIFA rankings. In the auto industry, it ranks only behind Germany as Europe’s top producer and sits 8th in the global ranks. Its top maker is SEAT, which started as a state-backed consortium of Spanish builders in 1950. It partnered with several foreign manufacturers, including GM and Fiat before being taken over by Volkswagen in the mid-’80s, around the time it introduced the Giugiaro-designed and Karmann-prepared sub-compact Ibiza (perhaps SEAT’s best-known nameplate), which has since grown into the compact segment.
▲
#12 (tie) Denmark – Zenvo TS1 GT
Due to its proximity to Sweden, Denmark is often the gateway to Europe from the Scandinavian countries, and though it’s hosted some auto production in the past, today its auto industry is limited to the low-volume manufacturer Zenvo. Established in 2004, Zenvo unveiled its first concept, the mid-engined rear-drive ST1, in 2008 and took it to production in 2009. A total of 15 cars were produced until its replacement, the TS1, came along last year. More like an update to the original, the TS1 uses a twin-supercharged 5.9-litre V-8 and a 7-speed paddle-shift automatic. Another 15 cars are slated for production in coming years on the island of Zealand.
▲
England - Jaguar Land-Rover SVR
#12 (tie) England – Jaguar Land Rover
England is regarded by many as giving birth to Association Football — a set of regulations from the mid-1800s, from which the modern game evolved, though the first recorded instances of the game date back to early 3rd Century China. The British auto industry developed about the time the automobile was invented, though most of the vehicles in the country were imported from Germany and France. The Isles became best known in the industry’s formative years for their sports cars. Two of England’s main auto manufacturers, Jaguar (first appearing in the mid-1930s) and Land Rover (created following World War 2), were joined under Ford ownership in 2006 and have been inseparable since. Now wholly-owned by Indian manufacturer Tata, Jaguar Land Rover operates as its own company out of England.
▲
#15 Mexico – Ford Fiesta
Mexico is THE soccer power in our region and has not missed a World Cup since 1994. It played in the very first World Cup match back in 1930 and has participated in 16 tournaments. Mexican auto production began back in 1910, with Daimler and Renault assembling cars for the Mexican government before everything was turned on its head by the Mexican Revolution. Once that inconvenience was done, Buick was the first to establish facilities in Mexico in 1921, followed by Ford in 1925 and starting the ball rolling for 44 manufacturers over the years. The industry fell off between 1960 and 1990 but was resurrected when manufacturers discovered the benefits of cheap labour and easy access to the largest market in the world at the time – the US.
▲
#16 Colombia – Renault Duster
One of the perennial wildcards in world soccer, Colombia’s biggest hurdle to world prominence is that it competes in one of the toughest regions in the world, alongside Europe. Colombia’s auto industry is also rivalled by Brazil and Argentina (both also powerhouses in world soccer). The Colombian auto industry started in the 1970s when Sociedad de Fabricación de Automotores (SOFASA) was established to assemble Renaults for the domestic market. The facility currently assembles the Renault-rebadged Dacia Duster sub-compact tall wagon (which shares underpinnings with the Nissan Juke, among others) for the domestic market and for export to neighbouring South and Central American countries, as well as to Mexico.
▲
#20 Croatia – Rimac Concept One
Presently known primarily for its automotive software and parts production, supplying most large European manufacturers, Croatia has been producing buses and other heavy vehicles since the 1930s. Today, its mass-producers make military vehicles and buses (for export to China, Egypt and Great Britain, among others). Of interest, though, is the Rimac Concept One electric hypercar whose main claim to fame is as the Formula E race director’s car during the series’ first season. Producing 913 kW (1,224 hp) and 1,180 lb-ft of instant torque through four motors (one at each wheel), the Concept One does 0-100 km/h in under 3 seconds. Electricity is stored in an underfloor 90-kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide battery. Only eight were ever produced before giving way to development of the semi-autonomous C Two due for production in 2020 (with a planned production run of 150 cars).
▲
#21 Tunisia – WallysCar Iris
A power in African soccer, Tunisia is making its fourth appearance at the World Cup finals, none of which have wielded great success. Located in North Africa, directly east of Sicily, the country is considered a gateway to Africa and has a small domestic auto industry, with its main maker WallysCar established in 2006. It launched with a compact Jeep Wrangler-lookalike sport utility called Izis that was produced for nearly a decade before being updated as the Iris (which added doors, rear seats and a roof). Motivation is provided by a 82-hp 1.2-litre 4-cylinder, powering the vehicle to a 0-100 km/h time of 11.2 seconds.
▲
#22 Iceland – Isar
Rookies at the 2018 World Cup and on the international soccer scene, Iceland is endearing itself to fans for its Viking-like attack-and-conquer style of play from ordinary guys that play soccer outside of their day jobs (the head coach is a dentist!). It’s also a rookie on the auto industry scene, now producing the Hummer-dwarfing Isar. A clean sheet design from the big-tire trucks modified to carry passengers across icy wastelands, the Isar is a modular vehicle (available in 4-, 6- and 8-door bodystyles) riding on 46- to 54-inch tires, and able to carry from 7 to 18 occupants. Power is supplied by either a 240-hp 3.0-litre EcoDiesel V-6 or a 420-hp 6.2-litre GM V-8, both operated via an 8-speed automatic.
▲
#24 Sweden - Volvo
Even without superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden is a disciplined side that can make it difficult for the top teams to play their games (just ask Italy, which is missing just its third World Cup, and the first in 56 years, thanks to the Swedes). The same can be said for its auto industry, which has gone through some rocky roads in recent decades but continues to put out consistently-solid products. Pretty much the only passenger car manufacturer left is Volvo, which is now owned by China’s Geely but still operating out of the Nordic country, and recently released plans to electrify all its products, including the new XC60 sport utility and the recently introduced Polestar premium performance division.
▲
#34 Serbia – Fiat 500L
Serbia began producing vehicles back in the 1950s, though it used to assemble Chevrolet and Ford trucks for military applications prior to World War 2. In the early-1950s, the government-owned Zastava struck a deal to produce Fiats mostly for the Balkan states and Mediterranean countries. The company began producing its own vehicles (which was distributed in North America as the Yugo) in the late ’80s but the Balkan Crisis toward the end of millennium resulted in UN sanctions that disrupted parts imports and vehicle exports, and Zastava went bankrupt. In the late 2000s, a deal was struck to again produce Fiat models, and the current Fiat Automobili Srbija (67% Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and 33% Serbian government) took over the Zastava facilities to produce the Fiat 500L for the European market and various Mediterranean nations.
▲
#36 Australia – Elfin MS8 Streamliner
Until recently, Australia had a burgeoning auto industry, fuelled by General Motors (which acquired Australian maker Holden in the 1930s). Events around the turn of the millennium (most notably the strength of the Australian dollar, reduced government subsidies and GM’s near-bankruptcy) resulted in decimation for Holden, and the company become simply an importer and sales channel. A handful of small local carmakers, such as Elfin, continue to produce products in small volumes. The Elfin MS8 Streamliner is a homologous version of car raced in the Australian Sports Car Championships. Only 100 have been produced over the past 10 years (due to a production cap). The lightweight roadster (1,100 kg) gets power from a 5.7-litre V-8.
▲
#37 Iran – IKCO Samand
Toward the end of the 1960s, Iran’s auto industry consisted of assembly with aid from foreign companies, until the country began its own auto production in the mid ’70s. Production was brought to a halt following the overthrow of the Shah and the establishment of an Islamic state in the late 1970s. However, since the turn of the millennium, production increased exponentially to the point that it is now ranked 18th globally. There are various private and public automakers in Iran, with Iran Khodro and Saipa accounting for almost all of it. The former also has joint-ventures with foreign companies on four continents, and builds the compact front-wheel drive Samand (off a Peugeot 405 platform) regarded as the national car. It’s powered by a choice of four 4-cylinder engines all making between 100 and 113 hp. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Meysam)
▲
#41 Morocco – Laraki Epitome
The Moroccan auto industry is most supported by French manufacturers and has been since its inception in 1959 when Fiat and Simca provided the technical expertise to create the Société Marocaine de Constructions Automobiles (SOMACA), Currently owned by Renault (80%) and the Peugeot group (20%), it manufactures Renault and Dacia models for domestic and neighbouring markets. However, Morocco also has its own local manufacturer in Laraki (established in 2003), which has produced three models since it began. The current one is the Epitome, using Corvette C6 underpinnings, including the 6.2-litre V-8 that is fitted with twin turbochargers to generate 1,200 hp. An auxiliary gas tank can use 110-Octane gasoline to up the output to 1,750.
▲
#45 Egypt – Mahindra Scorpio
The Egyptian auto industry was first referenced in the early 1960s, when the government wanted to move from an agricultural society to an industrial one, but it wasn’t until 1985, when General Motors set up shop in the country, that it started to come unto its own. Today it builds cars from companies such as China’s BYD and Korea’s Hyundai, among others, in over 25 facilities and stocks them with parts from 300+ local manufacturers. At one point early in the millennium, it was the only place outside of Germany where the BMW 7 Series was built. Among the manufacturers in the country is India’s Mahindra, which builds the midsized Scorpio SUV, now in its third generation, and powered by diesel and gasoline 4-cylinder engines.
▲
#57 South Korea – Kia
Hyundai has been a supporter of FIFA and title sponsor of the World Cup since the turn of the Millennium, initially as Hyundai, then switching over to Kia branding when that company was acquired by Hyundai, and now as the Hyundai Group (sharing branding between both brands). The South Korea auto industry ranks 6th in the world in production and 5th in exporting, which is a long way from the 1960s when the government enacted protectionist measures against foreign automakers to ensure growth in the domestic industry. The Hyundai Group is now regarded as one of the top makers in the world and the quality that was once ridiculed is now one of the most respected.
▲
#61 Japan – Toyota
The Japanese men’s team is not as highly regarded as the country’s women’s team, which is ranked 6th in the world and captured the World Cup in 2011 and finished second in 2015, as well as finishing second at the 2012 Olympics. Its auto industry, which is consistently in the top three worldwide, has been around since the birth of the automobile, with companies such as Mitsubishi making cars before the ’20s roared in. During most of the early decades, though, cars were based on those built by companies such as Chrysler, Fiat and Ford, to name just a few. The Japanese industry really took off in the mid-’70s, though as Japanese makers such as Toyota (for many years now, the world’s top producer), exported small fuel-efficient cars far and wide in the face of an oil crisis. Japan became the top worldwide producer at the turn of the millennium, before China took that mantle by producing nearly as many vehicles as the US and Japan (2nd and 3rd, respectively) combined.
▲