The history of the FIFA World Cup is a long and winding one, with many highs, lows, and surprises along the way. The earliest iterations of international football competitions date back to 1872 – but it wasn't until 1930 that the very first World Cup took place. Since then, there have been numerous changes to how teams qualify for this iconic tournament and how it's played out on-field. So whether you're a diehard fan or just interested in learning more about what makes this month-long event so special every four years (or every two years now!), we've got everything you need to know about its origins right here:
International football before 1930
International football started in 1872 when the first international match was played between Scotland and England. The first international tournament was the Olympic Games in 1908, with only 13 teams participating. In 1930, FIFA created the World Cup competition that lasts from June to July each year and is played every four years. The inaugural World Cup final was played between Uruguay and Argentina, with Uruguay winning 4-2 on July 30th, 1930.
The beginnings of the World Cup
The first international football tournament was the inaugural FIFA World Cup held in Uruguay in 1930.
The first ever goal scored in a World Cup match was by Argentina's Guillermo Stabile against France on July 13, 1930.
FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association or International Federation of Association Football and is the international governing body for association football, futsal, and beach soccer.
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1942 FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup was not held in 1942 because of the Second World War. This tournament was supposed to be held from 30 June to 2 July in Brazil, but due to the Second World War, it did not take place.
In 1942, FIFA decided that the best way for footballers would be to play for their country instead of playing for any club or organization. So all players were selected by each country's national football association (FA) and sent on a trip with their teammates around Europe where they played against different teams along their journey. During this time period, there were many countries that couldn't participate due to different reasons such as being occupied during wartime or not having enough resources needed like food supplies etcetera...
Post-war years
In the post-war years, the World Cup was held every four years. The first one happened in 1950, with Brazil beating Uruguay 2-1 in Rio de Janeiro to become world champions for the first time ever. In 1954, Germany hosted its first FIFA World Cup and gave home fans something to celebrate by winning their first title. Their opponent was Hungary who they beat 3-2 after extra time with two goals from Ferenc Puskás and one from Zoltan Czibor respectively.
The next two tournaments were held simultaneously in 1958: West Germany won their second title by beating host nation Sweden 5–2 (after extra time), while Brazil took third place by beating France 4–2 after extra time as well (though this match has often been criticized). In 1962, Chile became champions for the first time when they defeated Czechoslovakia 3–1 in Santiago; this was also their first appearance in a final since 1934. Argentina did not participate that year due to an internal dispute between players and officials over money issues which threatened to end football altogether if it wasn't resolved soon enough—but things worked out eventually as they managed to join back into FIFA after only three years' absence!
1966 saw England host its first ever FIFA World Cup Final where West Germany went up against hosts England at Wembley Stadium just outside London on Saturday, July 30th, 1966 at 4 pm GMT/UTC+1/BST (UK). In front of 127000 spectators including Queen Elizabeth II herself plus millions watching on television around Europe - West Germany won 1–0 thanks not least because to legendary goal machine Gerd Müller’s lone strike halfway through second-half stoppage time off a corner kick taken by Sepp Maier himself! This meant that both teams would go home winners but only one team could be crowned champions - and it came down exactly how we predicted here at our office.
Late 20th century
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, which was the first time that the tournament had been hosted outside of Europe and South America, led to a revolution in football's popularity. The 1974 FIFA World Cup marked the first time that more than 100 teams entered the competition. In 1978, this number rose to 127 with countries such as Iraq and Tunisia entering for their first time (and one of them making it all the way to the quarterfinals). 1982 saw another new record set at 133 teams but by 1986 it had dropped down again so that only 126 were invited for 1990 (a number which has stayed constant ever since).
In 1930, FIFA held the first World Cup in Uruguay as a six-team tournament with one team from each continent. The host nation won the championship by defeating Argentina 4-2 in its final match.
1934:
The second World Cup took place in Italy, which became the first European country to host the tournament. Brazil beat Czechoslovakia 3-1 in their home stadium in Rio de Janeiro after a goalless draw at Bologna's Stadio Renato Dall'Ara—the first time two matches had ever been played there.
1938:
This edition was played during World War II and only four teams participated: France, Italy, Hungary, and Cuba. It was won by Italy after beating Hungary 4-2 in a replay match for third place following a 2-2 draw after extra time.
Evolution of the format
FIFA World Cup has progressed in leaps and bounds over the years, with 1930 being its first edition, hosted by Uruguay. The tournament featured 13 teams and was won by Uruguay. At that time, the game had not yet evolved into its current format: a series of rounds in which teams are eliminated if they lose once.
In 1950, FIFA decided to change things up a bit and added a group stage before moving into the knockout mode for those who finished in second place or third place during their group stages (if they made it that far). This format has been used ever since 1958 when Sweden hosted their first World Cup and has been tweaked only once since then:
- 1982 saw Spain host what would be called “The Miracle of Córdoba” as West Germany beat France 3-2 in extra time after coming back from two goals down at halftime with 10 minutes left in regulation time! It also marked the introduction of penalty shootouts as a tiebreaker method instead of using extra time play like we do today if neither team could score after 90 minutes worth of soccer action!
World Cup–winning teams, captains, and managers
The FIFA World Cup is a tournament held every four years by FIFA. The first World Cup was held in 1930, and the 21st edition will be played in Russia in 2018. The FIFA World Cup Trophy is named after Jules Rimet, who was the first president of FIFA.
Brazil has been the most successful country in the history of the World Cup, winning five times–in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002–and losing three times in the final–1938, 1950, and 1998–since its inception in 1930. Italy is second with four titles–1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006–while Germany has won three times: 1954, 1974 and 1990. The Netherlands won twice (1974 and 1978), France once (1998) and Spain once (2010). Since 2000 there have been two further winners: South Korea (2002) and Germany again (2014).
Conclusion
The FIFA World Cup is the biggest event in international football and the top prize for any player or team. It has been a part of our lives since 1930, but it has taken many different forms over the years. We hope that this article has helped you understand how far it has come and what makes it such a special tournament today.
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