The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men’s national teams of the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport’s global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held because of the Second World War. The current champions are France, who won their second title at the 2018 tournament in Russia.
The current format of the competition involves a qualification phase, which currently takes place over the preceding three years, to determine which teams qualify for the tournament phase, which is often called the World Cup Finals. 32 teams, including the automatically qualifying host nation(s), compete in the tournament phase for the title of World Cup Champion.
A total of 20 countries have won the World Cup, with Brazil holding the record for most victories, having won the tournament five times. Italy and Germany have both won the title four times, while Argentina, France, and Uruguay have each won twice. England and Spain have each won once. The current champion is France.
The World Cup is the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the 2010 Final.
Some of the most iconic moments in World Cup history include Brazil’s Ronaldo scoring a record-breaking 15 goals in the 2002 tournament, Germany’s “Miracle of Bern” comeback against Hungary in the 1954 Final, and Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God”.
At a Glance
- Founded : 21 May 1904
- Motto : For the Game. For the World.
- Headquarters : Zurich, Switzerland
- Members : 211 national associations
- Official Languages : English, French, German, Spanish
Some Facts
- There have been 21 editions since its inaugural appearance in 1930. The 21 editions have been hosted in 17 nations, these nations are; Uruguay, Switzerland, Italy, South Africa, West Germany, Brazil, Sweden, Chile, England, Mexico, Argentina, France, United States of America, South Korea, Japan, Germany, and Russia. The next edition of 2022 is to be hosted in Qatar, while 2026 will be hosted by three nations namely, The United States of America, Canada, and Mexico.
- Hakan Sukur, a Turkish player holds the record for the fastest goal at just 11 seconds. The goal helped Turkey beat South Korea 3-2 and finish the tournament as second runners-up.
- Jose Batista, a Uruguay based defender, holds the record for the quickest red card issued. The defender found himself being booked by the referee after just 56 seconds of play. Albeit, Uruguay was able to hold down the fort and end the game with a goalless draw.
- Brazil’s Ronaldo and Germany’s Miroslav Klose are such kind of players. They have defied the norms by having the most goals scored. They both have a tied overall score of 15 goals.
- The 2018 Russian event was one where multiple record were shuttered. One of the records broken is that of the oldest player. Previously, the oldest player was Cameroon’s Roger Milla at 42 years, but in the 2018 event, the record was broken by Colombian goalkeeper, Faryd Mondragon who set the new record at 43 years and three days old.
- In 1966, the trophy was stolen. Just before the tournament started, the Jules Rimet trophy was stolen. Although it was finally recovered after a week, its whereabouts for the week remains unknown.
- In 1950, it was rumored that India had withdrawn from the contest because they were denied the right to play barefooted. The claim has since been refuted, but the exact reason for their withdrawal remains unknown.
THE CHRONICLES UNKNOWN 