FIFA World Cup
Current season or competition: 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
Sport	Association football
Founded	1930
No. In the qualification process for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the six FIFA confederations were allocated a share of the 31 remaining spots on the basis of the strength Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Baseball (Negro League The St Louis Stars win the Negro National League pennant of teams	204 (Qualifiers for 2010) 32 (Finals)
Continent	International (FIFA)
Most recent champion(s)	Italy

The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. International or internationally most often describes interaction between Nations or encompassing two or more nations constituting a group or association having The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered This is a list of the men's national Association football teams in the world The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to World War II. The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for international football teams World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

The tournament consists of two parts, the qualification phase and the final phase (officially called the World Cup Finals). FIFA World Cup qualification is the process a national Football (soccer team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals, or more commonly The qualification phase, which currently take place over the three years preceding the Finals, is used to determine which teams qualify for the Finals. The current format of the Finals involves 32 teams competing for the title, at venues within the host nation (or nations) over a period of about a month. The World Cup Finals is the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 715. 1 million people watching the 2006 tournament final. The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament ^[1]

In the eighteen tournaments held, only seven nations have won the title. Brazil is the most successful World Cup team, having won the tournament five times. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The current World Champions, Italy, follows with four titles, while Germany holds three. The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The other former champions are Uruguay (who won the inaugural tournament) and Argentina with two titles each, and England and France with one title each. The Uruguay national football team is controlled by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football.

The most recent World Cup Finals were held in Germany, where Italy was crowned champion after beating France in the final. The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. The next World Cup Finals will be held in South Africa, from June 11, 2010 to July 11, 2010, and the 2014 Finals will be held in Brazil. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th FIFA World Cup, an international tournament for football, that is scheduled to take place between 11 June and The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. For the film see 2010 The Year We Make Contact. For the book see 2010 Odyssey Two. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. For the film see 2010 The Year We Make Contact. For the book see 2010 Odyssey Two. The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld

Contents 1 History 1.1 Previous international competitions 1.2 First World Cup 1.3 Growth 1.4 Other FIFA tournaments 2 Trophy 3 Format 3.1 Qualification 3.2 Final tournament 4 Selection of hosts 5 Media coverage 6 Results 6.1 World Cup summaries 6.2 Winners and finalists 6.3 Performances by host nations 6.4 Best performances by continental zones 7 Awards 8 Records and statistics 9 See also 10 Notes and references 11 External links

History

Main article: History of the FIFA World Cup

Previous international competitions

The world's first international football match was a challenge match played in Glasgow in 1872 between Scotland and England,^[2] with the first international tournament, the inaugural edition of the British Home Championship, taking place in 1884. The FIFA World Cup started in 1928 when FIFA president Jules Rimet decided to stage an international football tournament The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football The British Home Championship (also known as the Home International Championship) was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom ^[3] At this stage the sport was rarely played outside Great Britain and Ireland. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world As football began to increase in popularity in other parts of the world at the turn of the century, it was held as a demonstration sport (with no medals awarded) at the 1900 and 1904 Summer Olympics, and at the 1906 Intercalated Games; football became an official competition at the 1908 Summer Olympics. A demonstration sport is a sport which is played in order to promote itself most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a football tournament was contested for the first time At the 1904 Summer Olympics, a football event was contested Only three club teams competed At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, England, an official football tournament was contested for the first time Planned by The Football Association (FA), the event was for amateur players only and was regarded suspiciously as a show rather than a competition. The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey Amateurism (from Fr amateur "lover of" from OFr from L Great Britain (represented by the England national amateur football team) won the event in both 1908 and 1912. The England national amateur football team was the Amateur representative team for England at football. Football at the 1912 Summer Olympics was one of the 102 events at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden.

After FIFA was founded in 1904, there was an attempt made by FIFA to arrange an international football tournament between nations outside of the Olympic framework in Switzerland in 1906. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) These were very early days for international football, and the official history of FIFA describes the competition as having been a failure. ^[4]

With the Olympic event continuing to be contested only between amateur teams, Sir Thomas Lipton organized the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy tournament in Turin in 1909. Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton Bt KCVO (born 10 May 1848 in Glasgow; died 2 October 1931 in London The Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy was a Football (soccer competition that took place twice in Turin, Italy, in 1909 and 1911 The Lipton tournament was a championship between individual clubs (not national teams) from different nations, each one of which represented an entire nation. The competition is sometimes described as The First World Cup,^[5] and featured the most prestigious professional club sides from Italy, Germany and Switzerland, but The Football Association of England refused to be associated with the competition and declined the offer to send a professional team. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Lipton invited West Auckland, an amateur side from County Durham, to represent England instead. West Auckland Town FC are a football club from West Auckland, County Durham, England, competing in the Northern League. West Auckland won the tournament and returned in 1911 to successfully defend their title, and were given the trophy to keep forever, as per the rules of the competition.

In 1914, FIFA agreed to recognise the Olympic tournament as a "world football championship for amateurs", and took responsibility for managing the event. Association football, usually known simply as football or soccer has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport ^[6] This paved the way for the world's first intercontinental football competition, at the 1920 Summer Olympics, contested by Egypt and thirteen European teams. The football at the 1920 Summer Olympics, was one of the 154 events at the 1920 Summer Olympics, held in Antwerp. The Egypt national football team (منتخب مصر لكرة القدم nicknamed The Pharaohs, is the national team of Egypt and is administered by the The gold medals were won by Belgium. Gold Medal is an Album by American band The Donnas, released in 2004 (see 2004 in music) The Belgium national football team is the national football team of Belgium and is controlled by the Belgian Football Association. ^[7] Uruguay won the Olympic football tournaments in 1924 and 1928. The Uruguay national football team is controlled by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. At the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris, Uruguay dominated the Football (soccer tournament winning the Gold Football at the 1928 Summer Olympics tournament won with difficulty by Uruguay from their bitter rivals Argentina would be the precursor to the first FIFA World In 1928 FIFA made the decision to stage their own international tournament outside of the Olympics. With Uruguay now two-time official football world champions (as 1924 was the start of FIFA's professional era) and to celebrate their centenary of independence in 1930, FIFA named Uruguay as the host country. A century (from the Latin centum, meaning one hundred is One hundred consecutive Years Centuries are numbered ordinally (e

First World Cup

The 1932 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles, did not plan to include football as part of the schedule due to the low popularity of football in the United States, as American football had been growing in popularity. Estadio Centenario is a Stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay, used primarily for football. Montevideo (monteβi'ðeo is the largest city the capital and chief port of Uruguay. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Soccer ( Association football) known simply as football in many countries has long been a popular Sport in the United States American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with FIFA and the IOC also disagreed over the status of amateur players, and so football was dropped from the Games. ^[8] FIFA president Jules Rimet thus planned the inaugural World Cup tournament to be held in Uruguay in 1930. The following is a list of Presidents of FIFA, the world Football (soccer governing body. Jules Rimet (14 October 1873 – 16 October 1956 was president of the French Football Federation from 1919 to 1945 and of FIFA from 1921 to 1954 The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for international football teams Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America The national associations of selected nations were invited to send a team, but the choice of Uruguay as a venue for the competition meant a long and costly trip across the Atlantic Ocean for European sides. Indeed, no European country pledged to send a team until two months before the start of the competition. ^[9] Rimet eventually persuaded teams from Belgium, France, Romania, and Yugoslavia to make the trip. The Belgium national football team is the national football team of Belgium and is controlled by the Belgian Football Association. The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation. The Yugoslavia national football team refers to the national football team that represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1920-1941 and the Socialist Federal Republic In total 13 nations took part — seven from South America, four from Europe and two from North America. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a

The first two World Cup matches took place simultaneously, and were won by France and USA, who beat Mexico 4–1 and Belgium 3–0 respectively. The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. The United States men's national soccer team is the national Soccer team of the United States for men and is controlled by the United States Soccer The Mexican national football team is controlled by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol and represents Mexico in international football competition The Belgium national football team is the national football team of Belgium and is controlled by the Belgian Football Association. The first goal in World Cup history was scored by Lucien Laurent of France. Lucien Laurent ( December 10, 1907 &ndash April 11, 2005) was a French footballer famous for scoring the first ever World Cup ^[10] In the final, Uruguay defeated Argentina 4–2 in front of a crowd of 93,000 people in Montevideo, and became the first nation to win a World Cup. The Uruguay national football team is controlled by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA Montevideo (monteβi'ðeo is the largest city the capital and chief port of Uruguay. ^[11]

Growth

The issues facing the early World Cup tournaments were the difficulties of intercontinental travel, and war. Few South American teams were willing to travel to Europe for the 1934 and 1938 tournaments, with Brazil the only South American team to compete in both. The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second World Cup staged and was hosted in Italy from 27 May to 10 June The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup and was held in France from June 4 to June 19. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The 1942 and 1946 competitions were cancelled due to World War II and its aftermath. The 1942 FIFA World Cup was originally planned to take place in 1942 World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

The 1950 World Cup was the first to include British participants. The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from June 24 to July 16, was the fourth staging of the World Cup and the first staged in 12 years due to World British teams withdrew from FIFA in 1920, partly out of unwillingness to play against the countries they had been at war with, and partly as a protest against a foreign influence on football,^[12] but rejoined in 1946 following FIFA's invitation. "Home nation" (common noun redirects here home nation is also used to refer to the host country of Multi-sport events (eg ^[13] The tournament also saw the return of 1930 champions Uruguay, who had boycotted the previous two World Cups. The Uruguay national football team is controlled by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. Uruguay won the tournament again in one of the most famous matches in World Cup history, which was later called the "Maracanazo". Uruguay vs Brazil was a football match which decided the winners of the 1950 FIFA World Cup tournament

In the tournaments between 1934 and 1978, 16 teams competed for each finals tournament, except in 1938, when Austria were absorbed into Germany after qualifying, leaving the tournament with 15 teams, and in 1950, when India, Scotland and Turkey withdrew, leaving the tournament with 13 teams. The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the World Cup was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25. The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the Country of Austria in international competition and is controlled Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The India national football team is the national football team of India and is controlled by the All India Football Federation. The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. The Turkish national football team is the national football team of the Republic of Turkey and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation. ^[14] Most of the participating nations were from Europe and South America, with a small minority from North America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a These teams were usually defeated easily by the European and South American teams. Until 1982, the only teams from outside Europe and South America to advance out of the first round were: USA, semi-finalists in 1930; Cuba, quarter-finalists in 1938; Korea DPR, quarter-finalists in 1966; and Mexico, quarter-finalists in 1970. The United States men's national soccer team is the national Soccer team of the United States for men and is controlled by the United States Soccer The Cuba national football team is the national team of Cuba and is controlled by the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba. The national football team of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (recognized as Korea DPR by FIFA) is the national team of North Korea and is controlled The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup was held in England from 11 July to 30 July The Mexican national football team is controlled by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol and represents Mexico in international football competition The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21.

The finals were expanded to 24 teams in 1982,^[15] then to 32 in 1998,^[16] allowing more teams from Africa, Asia and North America to take part. The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th staging of the World Cup was held in Spain from June 13 to July 11. The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th staging of the World Cup was held in France from June 10 to July 12 after 60 years to celebrate the third edition scheduled The one exception is Oceania, who have never had a guaranteed spot in the finals. In recent years, teams from these regions have enjoyed more success, and those who have reached the quarter-finals include: Mexico, quarterfinalists in 1986; Cameroon, quarter-finalists in 1990; Korea Republic, finishing in fourth place in 2002; and Senegal and USA, both quarter-finalists in 2002. The Mexican national football team is controlled by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol and represents Mexico in international football competition The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Lions Indomptables (Indomitable Lions, is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's The Korea Republic national football team represents the Republic of Korea in international football competitions The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de The United States men's national soccer team is the national Soccer team of the United States for men and is controlled by the United States Soccer However, European and South American teams have remained the stronger forces. For example, the quarter-finalists in 2006 were all from Europe or South America.

198 nations attempted to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and a record 204 will attempt to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th FIFA World Cup, an international tournament for football, that is scheduled to take place between 11 June and ^[17]

Other FIFA tournaments

An equivalent tournament for women's football, the FIFA Women's World Cup, was first held in 1991 in the People's Republic of China. The FIFA Women's World Cup is recognized as the most important International competition in women's football and is played amongst women's national football teams The 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup was the first ever edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES ^[18] The women's tournament is smaller in scale and profile than the men's, but is growing; the number of entrants for the 2007 tournament was 120, more than double that of 1991.

Unlike many other sports (and even women's football), the men's football tournament at the Olympics is not a top-level tournament, but an under-23 tournament with each team allowed three overage players since 1992. Association football, usually known simply as football or soccer has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport ^[19]

The FIFA Confederations Cup is a tournament held one year before the World Cup Finals at the World Cup host nation(s) as a dress-rehearsal for the upcoming World Cup. The FIFA Confederations Cup is an Association football tournament for national teams currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships, along with the FIFA World Cup champion and the host country. ^[20]

FIFA also organizes international tournaments for youth football (FIFA U-20 World Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup, FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup), club football (FIFA Club World Cup), and football variants such as futsal (FIFA Futsal World Cup) and beach soccer (FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup). The FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of Association football for male players under the age of The FIFA U-17 World Cup, originally founded as the FIFA U-16 World Championship, later changed to the FIFA U-17 World Championship and known by its current name The FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup is a world championship football tournament organized by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association for national The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, scheduled for the first time in 2008, will be the world championship of football for female players under the age of 17 The FIFA Club World Cup, formerly known as the FIFA Club World Championship, is a football competition contested between the champion clubs from all six continental Futsal is an indoor version of Association football. Its name is derived from the Portuguese fut ebol de sal ão and the Spanish The FIFA Futsal World Championship (popularly if incorrectly referred to as the Futsal World Cup) is the international championship for Futsal, the indoor The Federation International Football Association (FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup is a association football (soccer Competition in beach football organised

Trophy

Main article: FIFA World Cup Trophy

From 1930 to 1970, the Jules Rimet Trophy was awarded to the World Cup winner. The World Cup is a Gold Trophy that is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup. The World Cup is a Gold Trophy that is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup. A postage stamp is an adhesive paper evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services The World Cup is a Gold Trophy that is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup. It was originally simply known as the World Cup or Coupe du Monde, but in 1946 it was renamed after the FIFA president Jules Rimet who set up the first tournament. Jules Rimet (14 October 1873 – 16 October 1956 was president of the French Football Federation from 1919 to 1945 and of FIFA from 1921 to 1954 In 1970, Brazil's third victory in the tournament entitled them to keep the trophy permanently. The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21. However, the trophy was stolen in 1983, and has never been recovered, apparently melted down by the thieves. ^[21]

After 1970, a new trophy, known as the FIFA World Cup Trophy, was designed. The World Cup is a Gold Trophy that is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup. The experts of FIFA, coming from seven different countries, evaluated the 53 presented models, finally opting for the work of the Italian designer Silvio Gazzaniga. Silvio Gazzaniga, born in 23 January 1921, is a sculptor from Milan, Italy. The new trophy is 36 cm (14. 2 in) high, made of solid 18 carat (75%) gold and weighs 6. The KARAT (abbreviation "K" or 'Kt' or "KP" for Karat Plumb is a measure of the Purity of Gold Alloys. 175 kg (13. 6 lb). The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass The base contains two layers of semi-precious malachite while the bottom side of the trophy bears the engraved year and name of each FIFA World Cup winner since 1974. Malachite is a carbonate mineral normally known as "copper carbonate" with the formula Cu 2 CO3[[hydroxide The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup was held in West Germany from June 13 to July 7. The description of the trophy by Gazzaniga was: "The lines spring out from the base, rising in spirals, stretching out to receive the world. From the remarkable dynamic tensions of the compact body of the sculpture rise the figures of two athletes at the stirring moment of victory. "^[22]

This new trophy is not awarded to the winning nation permanently, irrespective of how many World Cups they win. World Cup winners retain the trophy until the next tournament and are awarded a gold-plated replica rather than the solid gold original. ^[23] Argentina, Germany (as West Germany), Italy and Brazil have all won the second trophy twice, while France has won it once. It will not be retired until the name plaque has been entirely filled with the names of winning nations in 2038.

Format

Qualification

Main article: FIFA World Cup qualification

Since the second World Cup in 1934, qualifying tournaments have been held to thin the field for the final tournament. FIFA World Cup qualification is the process a national Football (soccer team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals, or more commonly The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second World Cup staged and was hosted in Italy from 27 May to 10 June ^[24] They are held within the six FIFA continental zones (Africa, Asia, North and Central America and Caribbean, South America, Oceania, Europe), overseen by their respective confederations. For each tournament, FIFA decides the number of places awarded to each of the continental zones beforehand, generally based on the relative strength of the confederations' teams, but also subject to lobbying from the confederations.

The qualification process can start as early as almost three years before the final tournament and last over a two-year period. The formats of the qualification tournaments differ between confederations. Usually, one or two places are awarded to winners of intercontinental play-offs. A playoff or final in Sports is a game or series of games played after the regular season is over with the goal of determining a league champion or a similar accolade For example, the winner of the Oceanian zone and the fifth-placed team from the Asian zone will enter a play-off for a spot in the 2010 World Cup. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th FIFA World Cup, an international tournament for football, that is scheduled to take place between 11 June and ^[25] From the 1938 World Cup onwards,^[26] host nations have received an automatic berth in the finals. The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup and was held in France from June 4 to June 19. This right was also granted to the defending champions between 1938 and 2002, but was withdrawn from the 2006 FIFA World Cup onward, requiring the champions to qualify. The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament Brazil, winners in 2002, thus became the first defending champions to play in a qualifying match. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30.

Final tournament

The current finals tournament features 32 national teams competing over a month in the host nation(s). There are two stages: a group stage followed by a knockout stage.

In the group stage, teams compete within eight groups of four teams each. Eight teams are seeded (including the hosts, with the other teams selected using a formula based on both the FIFA World Rankings and performances in recent World Cups) and drawn to separate groups. A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of Tournament where the loser of each History FIFA World Ranking Leaders In December 1992 FIFA first published The other teams are assigned to different "pots", usually based on geographical criteria, and teams in each pot are drawn at random to the eight groups. Since 1998, constraints have been applied to the draw to ensure that no group contains more than two European teams or more than one team from any other confederation. The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th staging of the World Cup was held in France from June 10 to July 12 after 60 years to celebrate the third edition scheduled ^[27]

Each group plays a round-robin tournament, guaranteeing that every team will play at least three matches. A round-robin tournament or all-play-all tournament is a type of group tournament in which each participant plays every other participant an equal number of times The last round of matches of each group is scheduled at the same time to preserve fairness among the teams. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage. Points are used to rank the teams within a group. Since 1994, three points have been awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss (prior to this, winners received two points rather than three). The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from June 17 to July 17 1994 Three points for a win is a standard used in many Sports leagues and group tournaments, especially in Association football, in which three (rather than two If two or more teams end up with the same number of points, tiebreakers are used: first is goal difference, then total goals scored, then head-to-head results, and finally drawing of lots (i. In Games and Sports a tiebreaker or tiebreak is used to determine a winner from among players or teams that are tied at the end of a contest or a set of In Sports such as Ice hockey and football (soccer, goal difference (that is goals scored minus goals conceded is often the first Tiebreaker e. determining team positions at random). ^[28]

The knockout stage is a single-elimination tournament in which teams play each other in one-off matches, with extra time and penalty shootouts used to decide the winner if necessary. A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of Tournament where the loser of each Aggregated Extra Time (AET, commonly known as extra time is an additional period played in some sports codes if the score is tied at the end of normal time Penalty shootouts, properly named kicks from the penalty mark, are a method sometimes used to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament (or wins the tournament It begins with the "round of 16" (or the second round) in which the winner of each group plays against the runner-up of another group. This is followed by the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, the third-place match (contested by the losing semi-finalists), and the final. The third place playoff (sometimes called the bronze medal game or consolation game) is a single match that is included in many Sporting Knockout tournaments ^[29]

Selection of hosts

Main article: FIFA World Cup hosts

Early World Cups were given to countries at meetings of FIFA's congress. See also FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup) in the "Selection of hosts" section The choice of location gave rise to controversies, a consequence of the three-week boat journey between South America and Europe, the two centres of strength in football. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The decision to hold the first World Cup in Uruguay, for example, led to only four European nations competing. The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for international football teams Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America ^[30] The next two World Cups were both held in Europe. The decision to hold the second of these, the 1938 FIFA World Cup, in France was controversial, as the American countries had been led to understand that the World Cup would rotate between the two continents. The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup and was held in France from June 4 to June 19. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Both Argentina and Uruguay thus boycotted the tournament. ^[31]

Since the 1958 FIFA World Cup, to avoid future boycotts or controversy, FIFA began a pattern of alternating the hosts between the Americas and Europe, which continued until the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 29. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th staging of the World Cup was held in France from June 10 to July 12 after 60 years to celebrate the third edition scheduled The 2002 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by South Korea and Japan, was the first one held in Asia, and the only tournament with multiple hosts. The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^[32] In 2010, South Africa will become the first African nation to host the World Cup. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th FIFA World Cup, an international tournament for football, that is scheduled to take place between 11 June and The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Brazil, the first held in South America since 1978,^[33] and will be the first occasion where consecutive World Cups are held outside Europe. The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the World Cup was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25.

The host country is now chosen in a vote by FIFA's Executive Committee. This is done under a single transferable vote system. Single transferable vote (STV is a preferential Voting system designed to minimize Wasted votes and provide Proportional representation The national football association of a country desiring to host the event receives a "Hosting Agreement" from FIFA, which explains the steps and requirements that are expected from a strong bid. The bidding association also receives a form, the submission of which represents the official confirmation of the candidacy. After this, a FIFA designated group of inspectors visit the country to identify that the country meets the requirements needed to host the event and a report on the country is produced. The decision on who will host the Cup is currently made six or seven years in advance of the tournament.

For the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, the final tournament is rotated between confederations, allowing only countries from the chosen confederation (Africa in 2010, South America in 2014) to bid to host the tournament. The rotation policy was introduced after the controversy surrounding Germany's victory over South Africa in the vote to host the 2006 tournament. See also FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup) in the "Selection of hosts" section Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament However, the policy of continental rotation will not continue beyond 2014, so any country, except those belonging to confederations that hosted the two preceding tournaments, can apply as hosts for World Cups starting from 2018. This article concerns the process for determining the site of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which will be the 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup. ^[34] This is partly to avoid a similar scenario to the bidding process for the 2014 tournament, where Brazil was the only official bidder.

Media coverage

See also: FIFA World Cup mascots

The World Cup was first televised in 1954 and is now the most widely-viewed and followed sporting event in the world, exceeding even the Olympic Games. Each FIFA World Cup since 1966 has its own Mascot. World Cup Willie, the mascot for the 1966 competition was the first World Cup The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games The cumulative audience of the 2006 World Cup — including all of the matches — is estimated to be 26. 29 billion. ^[1] 715. 1 million individuals watched the final match of this tournament (a ninth of the entire population of the planet). The 2006 World Cup draw, which decided the distribution of teams into groups, was watched by 300 million viewers. ^[35]

Each FIFA World Cup since 1966 has its own mascot. The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup was held in England from 11 July to 30 July The term mascot – defined as a term for any person animal or object thought to bring Luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common World Cup Willie, the mascot for the 1966 competition, was the first World Cup mascot. Mascots for the 2006 World Cup were Goleo, a lion, and Pille, a football. The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament Goleo VI, commonly known as Goleo, and Pille were the official mascots for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. Goleo VI, commonly known as Goleo, and Pille were the official mascots for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. A football is a Ball used to play one of the various sports known as Football. ^[36]

Results

World Cup summaries

Year	Host Nation(s)		Final				Third Place Match
			Winner	Score	Runner-up		3rd Place	Score	4th Place
1930 Details	Uruguay		Uruguay	4–2	Argentina		USA	[37]	Yugoslavia
1934 Details	Italy		Italy	2–1 aet	Czechoslovakia		Germany	3–2	Austria
1938 Details	France		Italy	4–2	Hungary		Brazil	4–2	Sweden
1950 Details	Brazil		Uruguay	[38]	Brazil		Sweden	[38]	Spain
1954 Details	Switzerland		West Germany	3–2	Hungary		Austria	3–1	Uruguay
1958 Details	Sweden		Brazil	5–2	Sweden		France	6–3	West Germany
1962 Details	Chile		Brazil	3–1	Czechoslovakia		Chile	1–0	Yugoslavia
1966 Details	England		England	4–2 aet	West Germany		Portugal	2–1	USSR
1970 Details	Mexico		Brazil	4–1	Italy		West Germany	1–0	Uruguay
1974 Details	West Germany		West Germany	2–1	Netherlands		Poland	1–0	Brazil
1978 Details	Argentina		Argentina	3–1 aet	Netherlands		Brazil	2–1	Italy
1982 Details	Spain		Italy	3–1	West Germany		Poland	3–2	France
1986 Details	Mexico		Argentina	3–2	West Germany		France	4–2 aet	Belgium
1990 Details	Italy		West Germany	1–0	Argentina		Italy	2–1	England
1994 Details	United States		Brazil	0–0 aet (3–2) ps	Italy		Sweden	4–0	Bulgaria
1998 Details	France		France	3–0	Brazil		Croatia	2–1	Netherlands
2002 Details	South Korea &  Japan		Brazil	2–0	Germany		Turkey	3–2	Korea Republic
2006 Details	Germany		Italy	1–1 aet (5–3) ps	France		Germany	3–1	Portugal
2010 Details	South Africa
2014 Details	Brazil
2018 Details	To Be Announced

• Key:
  • aet — after extra time
  • ps — penalty shootout

Winners and finalists

See also: FIFA World Cup Finals

In all, 78 nations have appeared at least once in the World Cup finals tournament. The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for international football teams Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America The Uruguay national football team is controlled by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA The United States men's national soccer team is the national Soccer team of the United States for men and is controlled by the United States Soccer The Yugoslavia national football team refers to the national football team that represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1920-1941 and the Socialist Federal Republic The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second World Cup staged and was hosted in Italy from 27 May to 10 June Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition Aggregated Extra Time (AET, commonly known as extra time is an additional period played in some sports codes if the score is tied at the end of normal time The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national football team of Czechoslovakia, before the country was split into the Czech Republic The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the Country of Austria in international competition and is controlled The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup and was held in France from June 4 to June 19. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The Swedish national football team is the national football team of Sweden and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association. The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from June 24 to July 16, was the fourth staging of the World Cup and the first staged in 12 years due to World |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Uruguay national football team is controlled by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The Swedish national football team is the national football team of Sweden and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association. The Spanish National Football Team, commonly referred to as La Selección, is the national football team of Spain and is controlled by the es [[Spanish The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the World Cup was held in Switzerland from June 16 to July 4. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation. The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the Country of Austria in international competition and is controlled The Uruguay national football team is controlled by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 29. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The Swedish national football team is the national football team of Sweden and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association. The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup was held in Chile from May 30 to June 17. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national football team of Czechoslovakia, before the country was split into the Czech Republic The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions The Yugoslavia national football team refers to the national football team that represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1920-1941 and the Socialist Federal Republic The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup was held in England from 11 July to 30 July England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football Aggregated Extra Time (AET, commonly known as extra time is an additional period played in some sports codes if the score is tied at the end of normal time The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The Portugal national football team is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF finishing 4th at the last World Cup. The USSR national football team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The Uruguay national football team is controlled by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup was held in West Germany from June 13 to July 7. West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The Netherlands national football team is the national football team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Netherlands Football Association The Poland national football team (Reprezentacja Polski w piłce nożnej is the national football team of Poland, under the auspices of the Polish The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the World Cup was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA Aggregated Extra Time (AET, commonly known as extra time is an additional period played in some sports codes if the score is tied at the end of normal time The Netherlands national football team is the national football team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Netherlands Football Association The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th staging of the World Cup was held in Spain from June 13 to July 11. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The Poland national football team (Reprezentacja Polski w piłce nożnej is the national football team of Poland, under the auspices of the Polish The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. Aggregated Extra Time (AET, commonly known as extra time is an additional period played in some sports codes if the score is tied at the end of normal time The Belgium national football team is the national football team of Belgium and is controlled by the Belgian Football Association. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from June 17 to July 17 1994 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international Aggregated Extra Time (AET, commonly known as extra time is an additional period played in some sports codes if the score is tied at the end of normal time Penalty shootouts, properly named kicks from the penalty mark, are a method sometimes used to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament (or wins the tournament The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition The Swedish national football team is the national football team of Sweden and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association. The Bulgaria national football team is the national football team of Bulgaria and is controlled by the Bulgarian Football Union. The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th staging of the World Cup was held in France from June 10 to July 12 after 60 years to celebrate the third edition scheduled This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The Croatian national football team ( Croatian pronunciation: Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija) is the national side representing Croatia The Netherlands national football team is the national football team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Netherlands Football Association The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The Turkish national football team is the national football team of the Republic of Turkey and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation. The Korea Republic national football team represents the Republic of Korea in international football competitions The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition Aggregated Extra Time (AET, commonly known as extra time is an additional period played in some sports codes if the score is tied at the end of normal time Penalty shootouts, properly named kicks from the penalty mark, are a method sometimes used to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament (or wins the tournament The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The Portugal national football team is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF finishing 4th at the last World Cup. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th FIFA World Cup, an international tournament for football, that is scheduled to take place between 11 June and The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld This article concerns the process for determining the site of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which will be the 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup. Aggregated Extra Time (AET, commonly known as extra time is an additional period played in some sports codes if the score is tied at the end of normal time Penalty shootouts, properly named kicks from the penalty mark, are a method sometimes used to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament (or wins the tournament This article lists the performances of each of the 75 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals ^[39] Of these, only 11 have made it to the final match, and only seven have won. The seven national teams that have won the World Cup have added stars to the crest, located on their shirt, with each star representing a World Cup victory. In association football, some national and club sides include one or more stars as part of (or beside the crest appearing on their

With five titles, Brazil is the most successful World Cup team and also the only nation to have participated in every World Cup finals tournament to date. This article lists the performances of each of the 75 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals ^[40] Italy follows with four titles, including the most recent one in 2006. Brazil and Italy are also the only nations to have won consecutive titles.

Below is a list of the 11 teams that have played in a World Cup final. Brazil and Germany each finished as either winners or runners-up seven times.

Team	Titles	Runners-up
Brazil	5 (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)	2 (1950*, 1998)
Italy	4 (1934*, 1938, 1982, 2006)	2 (1970, 1994)
Germany^	3 (1954, 1974*, 1990)	4 (1966, 1982, 1986, 2002)
Argentina	2 (1978*, 1986)	2 (1930, 1990)
Uruguay	2 (1930*, 1950)	-
France	1 (1998*)	1 (2006)
England	1 (1966*)	-
Netherlands	-	2 (1974, 1978)
Czechoslovakia#	-	2 (1934, 1962)
Hungary	-	2 (1938, 1954)
Sweden	-	1 (1958*)

* = hosts

^ = includes results representing West Germany between 1954 and 1990

^# = states that have since split into several independent nations

Further information: National team appearances in the FIFA World Cup#Teams that have finished in the top four

Performances by host nations

See also: National team appearances in the FIFA World Cup#Results of host nations

Six of the seven champions have won one of their titles while playing in their own homeland, the exception being Brazil, who lost the deciding match (known as Maracanazo) when they hosted the 1950 tournament. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 29. The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup was held in Chile from May 30 to June 17. The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21. The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from June 17 to July 17 1994 The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from June 24 to July 16, was the fourth staging of the World Cup and the first staged in 12 years due to World The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th staging of the World Cup was held in France from June 10 to July 12 after 60 years to celebrate the third edition scheduled The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second World Cup staged and was hosted in Italy from 27 May to 10 June The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup and was held in France from June 4 to June 19. The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th staging of the World Cup was held in Spain from June 13 to July 11. The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21. The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from June 17 to July 17 1994 The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the World Cup was held in Switzerland from June 16 to July 4. The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup was held in West Germany from June 13 to July 7. The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup was held in England from 11 July to 30 July The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th staging of the World Cup was held in Spain from June 13 to July 11. The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the World Cup was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25. The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for international football teams The Uruguay national football team is controlled by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for international football teams The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from June 24 to July 16, was the fourth staging of the World Cup and the first staged in 12 years due to World The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th staging of the World Cup was held in France from June 10 to July 12 after 60 years to celebrate the third edition scheduled The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup was held in England from 11 July to 30 July The Netherlands national football team is the national football team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Netherlands Football Association The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup was held in West Germany from June 13 to July 7. The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the World Cup was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25. The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national football team of Czechoslovakia, before the country was split into the Czech Republic The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second World Cup staged and was hosted in Italy from 27 May to 10 June The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup was held in Chile from May 30 to June 17. The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation. The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup and was held in France from June 4 to June 19. The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the World Cup was held in Switzerland from June 16 to July 4. The Swedish national football team is the national football team of Sweden and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association. The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 29. This article lists the performances of each of the 75 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals This article lists the performances of each of the 75 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international Uruguay vs Brazil was a football match which decided the winners of the 1950 FIFA World Cup tournament The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from June 24 to July 16, was the fourth staging of the World Cup and the first staged in 12 years due to World

England (1966) and France (1998) won their only titles while playing as host nations. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup was held in England from 11 July to 30 July The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th staging of the World Cup was held in France from June 10 to July 12 after 60 years to celebrate the third edition scheduled Uruguay (1930), Italy (1934) and Argentina (1978) won their first titles as host nations but have gone on to win again, while Germany (1974) won their second cup title on home soil. The Uruguay national football team is controlled by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for international football teams The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second World Cup staged and was hosted in Italy from 27 May to 10 June The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the World Cup was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25. The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup was held in West Germany from June 13 to July 7.

Other nations have also been successful when hosting the tournament. Sweden (runners-up in 1958), Chile (third place in 1962), Korea Republic (fourth place in 2002), Mexico (quarterfinals in 1970 and 1986) and Japan (second round in 2002) all have their best results when serving as hosts. The Swedish national football team is the national football team of Sweden and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association. The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 29. The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup was held in Chile from May 30 to June 17. The Korea Republic national football team represents the Republic of Korea in international football competitions The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. The Mexican national football team is controlled by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol and represents Mexico in international football competition The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21. The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. The Japan national football team is the national football team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association. The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. All host nations have progressed beyond the first round.

Best performances by continental zones

See also: National team appearances in the FIFA World Cup#Results by confederation

To date, the final of the World Cup has only been contested by European and South American teams. This article lists the performances of each of the 75 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals The Union of European Football Associations (Union des associations européennes de football is the administrative and controlling body for European football. CONMEBOL or CSF ( Con federación Suda' me' ricana de Fút' bol', South American Football Confederation is the governing body of Football (soccer The two continents have won nine titles apiece. Only two teams from outside these two continents have ever reached the semi-finals of the competition: USA (North, Central America and Caribbean) in 1930 and Korea Republic (Asia) in 2002. The United States men's national soccer team is the national Soccer team of the United States for men and is controlled by the United States Soccer CONCACAF (the Confederation of North Central American and Caribbean Association Football) is the continent-wide governing body for football in North America, The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for international football teams The Korea Republic national football team represents the Republic of Korea in international football competitions The 46 member Asian Football Confederation ( AFC) is the governing body of football in Asia, excluding Cyprus and Israel, and including The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. The best result of an African team is reaching the quarter-finals: Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002. The 53 member CAF ( African Football Confederation), ( French: Confédération Africaine de Football), ( Arabic: الإتحاد الأفريقى لكرة The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Lions Indomptables (Indomitable Lions, is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Oceania has only been represented in the World Cup three times, and an Oceanian team has reached the second round on only one occasion, when Australia progressed beyond the group stage in 2006. The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC is one of the six "continental" confederations of international football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New The Australian national football team represents Australia in international association football competitions The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament

All World Cups won by European teams have taken place in Europe. The only non-European team to win in Europe is Brazil in 1958. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 29. Only twice had consecutive World Cups been won by teams from the same continent — when Italy and Brazil successfully defended their titles in 1938 and 1962 respectively. The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup and was held in France from June 4 to June 19. The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup was held in Chile from May 30 to June 17.

Awards

Main article: FIFA World Cup awards

At the end of each World Cup finals tournament, awards are presented to the players and teams for accomplishments other than their final team positions in the tournament. At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest in different aspects of the game There are currently six awards:

• The adidas Golden Shoe for the top goalscorer (formerly called the Golden Shoe, or sometimes, the Golden Boot, first awarded in 1930); most recently, the Silver Shoe and the Bronze Shoe have been awarded to the second and third top goalscorers respectively;
• The adidas Golden Ball for the best player, determined by a vote of media members (formerly called the Golden Ball, first awarded in 1982); the Silver Ball and the Bronze Ball are awarded to the players finishing second and third in the voting respectively;^[41]
• The Yashin Award for the best goalkeeper (first awarded in 1994);^[42]
• The FIFA Fair Play Trophy for the team with the best record of fair play (first awarded in 1978);^[43]
• The Most Entertaining Team award for the team that has entertained the public the most during the World Cup, as determined by a poll of the general public (first awarded in 1994);
• The Gillette Best Young Player award for the best player aged 21 or younger at the start of the calendar year (first awarded in 2006). WikipediaManual of Style (trademarks, which says "Lowercased trademarks with no internal At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest in different aspects of the game The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for international football teams WikipediaManual of Style (trademarks, which says "Lowercased trademarks with no internal At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest in different aspects of the game The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th staging of the World Cup was held in Spain from June 13 to July 11. At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest in different aspects of the game The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from June 17 to July 17 1994 At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest in different aspects of the game The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the World Cup was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25. At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest in different aspects of the game The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from June 17 to July 17 1994 At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest in different aspects of the game The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament ^[43]

An All-Star Team consisting of the best players of the tournament is also announced for each tournament since 1998. At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest in different aspects of the game The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th staging of the World Cup was held in France from June 10 to July 12 after 60 years to celebrate the third edition scheduled

Records and statistics

Main article: FIFA World Cup records

Two players share the record for playing in the most World Cups; Mexico's Antonio Carbajal and Germany's Lothar Matthäus both played in five tournaments. This is a list of records of the FIFA World Cup and its qualification matches. The Mexican national football team is controlled by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol and represents Mexico in international football competition Antonio Felix "Tota" Carbajal Rodríguez (born June 7, 1929 in Mexico City) is a Mexican former football The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since Lothar Herbert Matthäus (born March 21, 1961) is a German former football player and now manager currently managing Israeli club ^[44] Matthäus has played the most World Cup matches overall, with 25 appearances. ^[45] Brazil's Pelé is the only player to hold three World Cup winners' medals. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international ^[46]

The overall leading goalscorer in World Cups is Brazil's Ronaldo, scorer of 15 goals in three tournaments. Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima (xo'nawdʊ lu'iz na'zaɾjʊ dʒɪ 'limɐ born September 18, 1976. West Germany's Gerd Muller is second, with 14. Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (German ˈgɛʀt ˈmʏlɐ born November 3, 1945 in Nördlingen) is a former (West German football ^[47] The third placed goalscorer, France's Just Fontaine, holds the record for the most goals scored in a single World Cup. The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. Just "JustO" Fontaine (born August 18, 1933 in Marrakech, French Morocco, with French and Spanish ancestors All his 13 goals were scored in the 1958 tournament. ^[48]

Franz Beckenbauer, with West Germany, is the only person to date who has won the World Cup as both captain (1974) and head coach (1990). Franz Anton Beckenbauer (born September 11, 1945) is a German football coach manager and former player nicknamed der Kaiser ^[49] Mário Zagallo, with Brazil, also won the World Cup as both player (1958 and 1962) and head coach (1970). Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo (born August 9, 1931 in Maceió) is a Brazilian football coach and former player of Lebanese origin from ^[50] Italy's Vittorio Pozzo is the only head coach to ever win two World Cups. The Italian national football team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC and represents Italy in international football competition Vittorio Pozzo ( March 2 1886 in Turin, Piedmont, Italy &ndash Ponderano ( Biella) December 21 ^[51] All World Cup winning head coaches were natives of the country they coached to victory.

See also

• List of men's national football teams
• List of other competitions named World Cup
• FIFA World Cup mascot
• FIFA World Cup balls
• FIFA World Cup goalscorers
• FIFA World Cup, goals with disputed scorers
• FIFA World Cup hat-tricks
• FIFA World Cup milestone goals
• List of players who have won multiple FIFA World Cups
• 1980 Mundialito, a tournament held in Uruguay to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the World Cup. This is a list of the men's national Association football teams in the world The following is a list of World cups and World championships, sporting events which use one of these two names or one with a similar meaning Each FIFA World Cup since 1966 has its own Mascot. World Cup Willie, the mascot for the 1966 competition was the first World Cup The history of association football balls is the history of the Football (ball in the game of association football. This article lists every country's goalscorers in FIFA World Cup finals matches. This article lists goals in FIFA World Cups where there has been some dispute as to the scorer of the goal This is a list of all hat-tricks scored during FIFA World Cups; that is the occasions when a footballer has scored three or more goals in a single football This is a list of the milestone goals scored in the FIFA World Cup. Below is a list of players who have won multiple FIFA World Cups. The 1980 Mundialito ( Spanish for "little World Cup " or Copa de Oro de Campeones Mundiales ("World Champions' Gold
• Homeless World Cup

Notes and references

External links

• FIFA Official Ranking of all Participants at Finals 1930–2002. FIFA Match Results for all Stages 1930–2002
• FIFA official site
• Official FIFA World Cup Charity Campaign

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