World Cup, formally the FIFA World Cup History & Winners, in football (soccer), is a four-year tournament that determines the world champion of this sport. It is probably the most popular sporting event in the world, attracting billions of viewers at each tournament.
Fifa World Cup History
The first competition for the cup was organized in 1930 by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and was won by Uruguay.
In 1954, West Germany had to play against Hungary but lost. Since then, there have been lots of controversial decisions about who will win the next games. The cup has been won by different countries over the years, with Brazil taking home the cup most times (5 wins). In 2002, Japan and South Korea co-hosted the tournament, and Germany was the winning country.
The next World Cup will be hosted by Russia in 2018. 32 teams will compete for the title – including, for the first time, a team from Africa (Nigeria). The group stages will take place in 11 Russian cities, with the semi-finals and final being played at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
FIFA World Cup 2018: Russia to Host 32-Team Tournament
The 21st FIFA World Cup will be held in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018. The tournament will feature 32 national teams, including Russia as the host nation.
The competition will be played in 11 Russian cities: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.
The World Cup will also be making history by being the first to incorporate video assistant referees (VAR).
Organization: FIFA
Date: 14 June – 15 July 2018
Host Nation: Russia
Number of Teams: 32 countries in 6 groups containing 4 teams in each group, with top 2 teams in each group advancing to Round of 16
Matches: 65
Brazil has won the most FIFA World Cups. They have won five times – 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002. Germany is second with four wins – 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014. Italy has won three titles – 1934, 1938, and 1982. England has won it once, in 1966. Uruguay has two titles – 1930 and 1950. Argentina has one title – 1978. Spain is the current cup holder from 2010.
– There have been some shocking referee decisions over the years which changed the outcome of a game – for example Geoff Hurst’s goal that wasn’t given in the England vs Germany World Cup in 1966.
– Some teams that were not expected to win, such as Greece in 2004 and Portugal in 2016, have gone on to become champions.
– The first World Cup was won by Uruguay who beat Argentina 4-2 in the final.
Teams that have never won the world cup: Turkey, China, Israel, Mexico, Republic of Ireland, South Africa.
– The first FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay who beat Argentina 4-2 in the final.
– Brazil has won most times – 5 wins. Germany is second with 4 wins.
– Geoff Hurst’s goal was not given in the 1966 world cup final between England and Germany, which would have made England the winner. It is unknown to this day whether that ball did or did not cross the line.
– Brazil will be hosting the competition.
For a list of Fifa World Cup Winners, see table.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 1930 | Uruguay |
| 1934 | Italy |
| 1938 | Italy |
| 1950 | Uruguay |
| 1954 | Germany |
| 1958 | Brazil |
| 1962 | Brazil |
| 1966 | England |
| 1970 | Brazil |
| 1974 | Germany |
| 1978 | Argentina |
| 1982 | Italy |
| 1986 | Argentina |
| 1990 | Germany |
| 1994 | Brazil |
| 1998 | France |
| 2002 | Brazil |
| 2006 | Italy |
| 2010 | Spain |
| 2014 | Germany |
| 2018 | France |
| 2022 | Argentina |
Note: This table provides the winners of the FIFA World Cup from 1930 to 2022.
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