NationMaster - Encyclopedia: FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, sometimes called the Football World Cup or the Soccer 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. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to World War II. In the qualification process for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the six FIFA confederations were allocated a share of the 31 spots available on the basis of the strength of their teams. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1399x2420, 598 KB) Headline text File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... â€œSoccerâ€ redirects here. ... // The St. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the international association football organization. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... â€œSoccerâ€ redirects here. ... This article is about the international association football organization. ... The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first football World Cup tournament ever staged. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

The tournament consists of two parts, the qualification phase and the final phase (officially called the World Cup Finals). 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.^[1] 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 known as the FIFA World Cup. ... 2006 World Cup redirects here. ...

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 current World Champions, Italy, follows with four titles, while Germany holds three. 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. First international Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in...

The most recent World Cup Finals were held in Germany, where Italy was crowned champion after beating France in the final. 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. 2006 World Cup redirects here. ... 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 11 July 2010 in South Africa. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2010 (MMX) will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 192nd day of the year (193rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2010 (MMX) will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be held in Brazil[1] and will be the 20th FIFA World Cup. ...

History

The FIFA World Cup started in 1928, when FIFA president Jules Rimet decided to stage an international football tournament. ...

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.^[3] At this stage the sport was rarely played outside Great Britain and Ireland. 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. Planned by The Football Association (FA), the event was for amateur players only and was regarded suspiciously as a show rather than a competition. Great Britain (represented by the England national amateur football team) won the event in both 1908 and 1912. First international Scotland 0â€“0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win Scotland 11â€“0 Ireland (Glasgow, Scotland; 23 February 1901) Biggest defeat Uruguay 7â€“0 Scotland (Basel, Switzerland; 19 June 1954) World Cup Appearances 8 (First in 1954) Best result Round 1, all European Championship Appearances 2 (First... First international Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in... The British Home Championship (also known as the Home International Championship) was an annual football competition contested between the UKs four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and originally Ireland and, later, its successor Northern Ireland, from the 1883-1884 season until the 1983-1984 season. ... 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 demonstration football event was contested. ... At the 1906 Summer Olympics in Athens, an unofficial football event was contested. ... At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, England, an official football tournament was contested for the first time. ... The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Amateur. ... The England national amateur football team was the amateur representative team for England at football. ... The football tournament at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, attracted a record 11 entries, all of them from Europe. ...

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. These were very early days for international football, and the official history of FIFA describes the competition as having been a failure.^[4] This article is about the international association football organization. ...

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. 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. Lipton invited West Auckland, an amateur side from County Durham, to represent England instead. 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. Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton (born May 10, 1850 in Glasgow; died October 2, 1931 in London), Scottish self-made man, merchant and yachtsman who created the famous Lipton tea brand and was the most persistent challenger in the history of the Americas Cup. ... The Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy (also called Sir Thomas the Orange Trophy) was a football (soccer) competition that took place in Turin, Italy in 1909. ... Torino redirects here. ... The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... West Auckland Town F.C. are a football club from West Auckland, County Durham, England, competing in the Northern League. ... County Durham is a county in north-east England. ...

In 1914, FIFA agreed to recognise the Olympic tournament as a "world football championship for amateurs", and took responsibility for managing the event.^[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 gold medals were won by Belgium.^[7] Uruguay won the Olympic football tournaments in 1924 and 1928. 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. Football (soccer) has been included in every Summer Olympic Games except 1896 and 1932 as a mens competition sport. ... The football at the 1920 Summer Olympics, was one of the 154 events at the 1920 Summer Olympics, held in Antwerp. ... Gold Medal is an album by American band The Donnas, released in 2004. ... At the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris, France, Uruguay dominated the Football tournament winning the Gold. ... The 1928 Olympic football tournament, won with difficulty by Uruguay from their bitter rivals Argentina, would be the precursor to the first FIFA World Cup held in 1930 in Uruguay. ... A centenary is an event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of an event. ...

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. 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 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. In total 13 nations took part — seven from South America, four from Europe and two from North America. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 381 KB) Summary Estadio Centario Montevideo, Uruguay Taken by Salomon Salvador Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 381 KB) Summary Estadio Centario Montevideo, Uruguay Taken by Salomon Salvador Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Estadio Centenario For the Colombian stadium of the same name, see Estadio Centenario (Armenia, Colombia). ... For other uses, see Montevideo (disambiguation). ... The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, were held in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... Youth soccer in small-town Indiana in 2005. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... Stamp The International Olympic Committee (French: ComitÃ© International Olympique) is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas on June 23, 1894. ... Presidents of the FIFA: Sepp Blatter, Switzerland, elected June 8, 1998 João Havelange, Brazil, 1974-1998, Honorary President of FIFA nominated June 8, 1998 Stanley Rous, England, 1961-1974, Honorary President of FIFA nominated June 11, 1974 Arthur Drewry, England, 1955-1961 Rodolphe Seeldrayers, Belgium, 1954-1955 Jules Rimet... Jules Rimet (b. ... The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first football World Cup tournament ever staged. ... First international Czechoslovakia 7 - 0 Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Antwerp, Belgium; 28 August 1920) Last International as SFR Yugoslavia[2] Netherlands 2 - 0 Yugoslavia (Amsterdam, Netherlands; 25 March 1992) Biggest win Yugoslavia 10 - 1 India (Helsinki, Finland; 15 July 1952) Yugoslavia 9 - 0 Zaire (Gelsenkirchen, Germany; 18 June... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... North American redirects here. ...

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 first goal in World Cup history was scored by Lucien Laurent of France.^[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.^[11] Lucien Laurent (born December 10, 1907 in Saint-Maur-des-FossÃ©s, Val-de-Marne, Ile-de-France near Paris; died April 11, 2005 in BesanÃ§on) was a French footballer, famous for scoring the first ever World Cup goal. ... For other uses, see Montevideo (disambiguation). ...

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 1942 and 1946 competitions were cancelled due to World War II and its aftermath. Qualifying countries The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second World Cup staged, and was hosted in Italy from May 27 to June 10. ... Qualifying countries 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 4th FIFA World Cup was originally planned to take place in 1942. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

The 1950 World Cup was the first to include British participants. 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.^[13] The tournament also saw the return of 1930 champions Uruguay, who had boycotted the previous two World Cups. Uruguay won the tournament again in one of the most famous matches in World Cup history, which was later called the "Maracanazo". Qualifying countries The 1950 FIFA World Cup was the only one not decided by a knockout final. ... Home Nations (often written as the common noun home nations) is a term used to refer to the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom â€” England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland â€” collectively but as separate entities, distinct from the United Kingdom as a state. ... Maracanazo (Portuguese: ) is a term which is used to refer to the famous final group match of the 1950 FIFA World Cup, that took place in Brazil, when the Uruguayan team beat, against all odds, their Brazilian counterpart at the MaracanÃ£ stadium (therefore the term Maracanazo). ...

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.^[14] Most of the participating nations were from Europe and South America, with a small minority from North America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. 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. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1357x628, 59 KB) Summary FIFA World Cup showing countries best results (colors as shown) and host countries (purple dots), as listed on w:National team appearances in the FIFA World Cup. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1357x628, 59 KB) Summary FIFA World Cup showing countries best results (colors as shown) and host countries (purple dots), as listed on w:National team appearances in the FIFA World Cup. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 370 pixelsFull resolution (1357 Ã— 628 pixel, file size: 33 KB, MIME type: image/png) Image from German wikipedia The map shows the number of final round participation of the respective countries with the FIFA world championship (colors indicated as down... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 370 pixelsFull resolution (1357 Ã— 628 pixel, file size: 33 KB, MIME type: image/png) Image from German wikipedia The map shows the number of final round participation of the respective countries with the FIFA world championship (colors indicated as down... The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the World Cup, was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25. ... First international Scotland 0â€“0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win Scotland 11â€“0 Ireland (Glasgow, Scotland; 23 February 1901) Biggest defeat Uruguay 7â€“0 Scotland (Basel, Switzerland; 19 June 1954) World Cup Appearances 8 (First in 1954) Best result Round 1, all European Championship Appearances 2 (First... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... North American redirects here. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Oceania (disambiguation). ... First international Burma 0 - 0 North Korea (Rangoon, Burma; March 22, 1964) Biggest win North Korea 21 - 0 Guam (Taipei, Taiwan; March 11, 2005) Biggest defeat Bulgaria 6 - 1 North Korea (Sofia, Bulgaria; May 25, 1974) Poland 5 - 0 North Korea (Montreal, Canada; July 25, 1976) World Cup Appearances 1... Qualifying countries The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from July 11 to July 30. ... 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 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. 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. The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th staging of the World Cup, was held in Spain from June 13 to July 11. ... 1998 World Cup redirects here. ... The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. ... The 1990 FIFA World Cup, the 14th staging of the World Cup, was held in Italy from June 8 to July 8. ... 2002 World Cup redirects here. ...

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.^[17] 2006 World Cup redirects here. ... 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 11 July 2010 in South Africa. ...

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.^[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. UEFA Womens Cup Final 2005 at Potsdam Womens association football is the most prominent team sport for women in many countries, and one of the few womens team sports with professional leagues. ... The FIFA Womens World Cup is recognized as the most important International competition in womens football and is played amongst womens national football teams of the member states of FIFA, the sports global governing body. ... The FIFA Womens World Cup 1991 was held in the China and won by the United States womens national football team. ...

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.^[19] Football (soccer) has been included in every Summer Olympic Games except 1896 and 1932 as a mens competition sport. ...

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. 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] The FIFA Confederations Cup is a football tournament for national teams, held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships (CAF, CONMEBOL, UEFA, AFC, OFC, CONCACAF), along with the FIFA World Cup champion and the host country, to bring...

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, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by FÃ©dÃ©ration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). ... The FIFA U-17 World Cup, formerly the FIFA U-17 World Championship and before the FIFA U-16 World Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 17 and is organized by FÃ©dÃ©ration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). ... The FIFA U-20 Womens World Championship is a world championship football tournament, organized by FIFA (FÃ©dÃ©ration Internationale de Football Association), for national teams of women under age 20. ... The FIFA U-17 Womens 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 6 continental confederations, although since 2007 the champions of Oceania must play a qualifying play-off against the champion club of the host country. ... Futsal in Germany Futsal is an indoor version of football (soccer). ... The FIFA Futsal World Cup is the international world cup for futsal. ... Beach Soccer game Beach Soccer (Beasal) or Beach football is a variant of the sport of association football. ... The trophy The Beach Soccer World Cup is a association football competition in beach soccer organised by the world football governing body FIFA for national teams. ...

Trophy

From 1930 to 1970, the Jules Rimet Trophy was awarded to the World Cup winner. 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. In 1970, Brazil's third victory in the tournament entitled them to keep the trophy permanently. However, the trophy was stolen in 1983, and has never been recovered, apparently melted down by the thieves.^[21] Replica of the Jules Rimet Trophy (1930â€“1970) The FIFA World Cup (1974â€“Present) The World Cup is a gold trophy that is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (860x605, 37 KB) Beschreibung Wohlfahrtsbriefmarke der Deutschen Post AG FÃ¼r den Sport - 100 Jahre FIFA 21. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (860x605, 37 KB) Beschreibung Wohlfahrtsbriefmarke der Deutschen Post AG FÃ¼r den Sport - 100 Jahre FIFA 21. ... Replica of the Jules Rimet Trophy (1930â€“1970) The FIFA World Cup (1974â€“Present) The World Cup is a gold trophy that is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup. ... A selection of Hong Kong postage stamps A postage stamp is evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services. ... Replica of the Jules Rimet Trophy (1930â€“1970) The FIFA World Cup (1974â€“Present) The World Cup is a gold trophy that is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup. ... Jules Rimet (b. ... The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21. ...

After 1970, a new trophy, known as the FIFA World Cup Trophy, was designed. 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. The new trophy is 36 cm (14.2 in) high, made of solid 18 carat (75%) gold and weighs 6.175 kg (13.6 lb). 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. 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] Replica of the Jules Rimet Trophy (1930â€“1970) The FIFA World Cup (1974â€“Present) The World Cup is a gold trophy that is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup. ... Silvio Gazzaniga, born in 23 January 1921, is an sculptor from Milan, Italy. ... Carat is a measure of the purity of gold and platinum alloys. ... Kg redirects here. ... Look up pound in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Malachite (disambiguation). ... Qualifying countries The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from June 13 to July 7. ...

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

Since the second World Cup in 1934, qualifying tournaments have been held to thin the field for the final tournament.^[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. 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 known as the FIFA World Cup. ... Qualifying countries The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second World Cup staged, and was hosted in Italy from May 27 to June 10. ...

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. 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.^[25] From the 1938 World Cup onwards,^[26] host nations have received an automatic berth in the finals. 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. Brazil, winners in 2002, thus became the first defending champions to play in a qualifying match. A playoff in sports (North American professional sports in particular) is a game or series of games played after the regular season is over with the goal of determining a league champion. ... 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 11 July 2010 in South Africa. ... Qualifying countries The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from June 4 to June 19. ... 2006 World Cup redirects here. ... 2002 World Cup redirects here. ...

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. The FIFA World Cup started in 1928, when FIFA president Jules Rimet decided to stage an international football tournament. ...

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. 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.^[27] A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout or sudden death tournament, is a type of tournament where the loser of each match is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event. ... 1998 World Cup redirects here. ...

Each group plays a round-robin tournament, guaranteeing that every team will play at least three matches. 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). 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.e. determining team positions at random).^[28] 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. ... Qualifying countries 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 football (soccer), in which three (rather than two) points are awarded to the team winning a match, with no points to the losing team. ... Tiebreaker A question used in the event of a tie at the end of a pub quiz, where the answer is oten a figure not likely to be known, the winner is the closest to the answer, thus it breaks the deadlock. ... In sports such as ice hockey and soccer, goal difference (that is, goals scored less goals conceded) is often the first tie-breaker used to rank teams which finish a competition with an equal number of points. ...

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. 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.^[29] A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout or sudden death tournament, is a type of tournament where the loser of each match is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event. ... Extra time is an additional period played at the end of some games of football (soccer) if the score is tied after the two standard periods (halves) of play. ... Penalty shootouts, officially 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) following a draw in a game of football. ... The third place playoff (sometimes called the bronze medal game or consolation game) is a single bout that is included in many sporting knockout tournaments to decide which competitor or team will be credited with finishing third and fourth. ...

Selection of hosts

Early World Cups were given to countries at meetings of FIFA's congress. 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. The decision to hold the first World Cup in Uruguay, for example, led to only four European nations competing.^[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. Both Argentina and Uruguay thus boycotted the tournament.^[31] Map of FIFA World Cup hosts Early World Cups were given to countries at meetings of FIFAs congress. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first football World Cup tournament ever staged. ... Qualifying countries The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from June 4 to June 19. ...

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 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.^[32] In 2010, South Africa will become the first African nation to host the World Cup. 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. Qualifying countries The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 28. ... World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas in an equal-area projection The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... 1998 World Cup redirects here. ... 2002 World Cup redirects here. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... 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 11 July 2010 in South Africa. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be held in Brazil[1] and will be the 20th FIFA World Cup. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... 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. 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. This STV ballot for the Australian Senate illustrates group voting tickets. ...

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. 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.^[34] This is partly to avoid a similar scenario to the bidding process for the 2014 tournament, where Brazil was the only official bidder. Map of FIFA World Cup hosts Early World Cups were given to countries at meetings of FIFAs congress. ... 2006 World Cup redirects here. ... This article or section contains speculation and may try to argue its points. ...

Media coverage

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. 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] Tip and Tap figurine Each Football World Cup usually has its own mascot. ... The five Olympic rings were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1920. ...

Each FIFA World Cup since 1966 has its own mascot. 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.^[36] Qualifying countries The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from July 11 to July 30. ... Millie, once mascot of the City of Brampton, is now the Brampton Arts Councils representative. ... 2006 World Cup redirects here. ... It has been suggested that Pille be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Lion (disambiguation). ... Pille is one of the official mascots, along with Goleo VI, for the 2006 World Cup to be held in Germany External links FIFAs profile Categories: | ... A football is used to play one of the different sports known as football or Rugby. ...

Results

World Cup summaries

The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first football World Cup tournament ever staged. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Uruguay. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Uruguay. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina_(alternative). ... Image File history File links US_flag_48_stars. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... First international Czechoslovakia 7 - 0 Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Antwerp, Belgium; 28 August 1920) Last International as SFR Yugoslavia[2] Netherlands 2 - 0 Yugoslavia (Amsterdam, Netherlands; 25 March 1992) Biggest win Yugoslavia 10 - 1 India (Helsinki, Finland; 15 July 1952) Yugoslavia 9 - 0 Zaire (Gelsenkirchen, Germany; 18 June... Qualifying countries The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second World Cup staged, and was hosted in Italy from May 27 to June 10. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946). ... Extra time is an additional period played at the end of some games of football (soccer) if the score is tied after the two standard periods (halves) of play. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Czechoslovakia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_German_Empire. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Austria. ... Qualifying countries The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from June 4 to June 19. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hungary_(state). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Qualifying countries The 1950 FIFA World Cup was the only one not decided by a knockout final. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Uruguay. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Qualifying countries The 1954 Football World Cup was held in Switzerland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Switzerland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Austria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Uruguay. ... Qualifying countries The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 28. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Qualifying countries The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from May 30 to June 17. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Chile. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Czechoslovakia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Chile. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_SFR_Yugoslavia. ... First international Czechoslovakia 7 - 0 Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Antwerp, Belgium; 28 August 1920) Last International as SFR Yugoslavia[2] Netherlands 2 - 0 Yugoslavia (Amsterdam, Netherlands; 25 March 1992) Biggest win Yugoslavia 10 - 1 India (Helsinki, Finland; 15 July 1952) Yugoslavia 9 - 0 Zaire (Gelsenkirchen, Germany; 18 June... Qualifying countries The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from July 11 to July 30. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... First international Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in... Extra time is an additional period played at the end of some games of football (soccer) if the score is tied after the two standard periods (halves) of play. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mexico. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Uruguay. ... Qualifying countries The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from June 13 to July 7. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Poland. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the World Cup, was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina_(alternative). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina_(alternative). ... Extra time is an additional period played at the end of some games of football (soccer) if the score is tied after the two standard periods (halves) of play. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th staging of the World Cup, was held in Spain from June 13 to July 11. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Poland. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mexico. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Extra time is an additional period played at the end of some games of football (soccer) if the score is tied after the two standard periods (halves) of play. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... The 1990 FIFA World Cup, the 14th staging of the World Cup, was held in Italy from June 8 to July 8. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... First international Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in... Qualifying countries 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. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... Extra time is an additional period played at the end of some games of football (soccer) if the score is tied after the two standard periods (halves) of play. ... Penalty shootouts, officially 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) following a draw in a game of football. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Bulgaria. ... 1998 World Cup redirects here. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Croatia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... 2002 World Cup redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Turkey. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea. ... 2006 World Cup redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Extra time is an additional period played at the end of some games of football (soccer) if the score is tied after the two standard periods (halves) of play. ... Penalty shootouts, officially 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) following a draw in a game of football. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... 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 11 July 2010 in South Africa. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be held in Brazil[1] and will be the 20th FIFA World Cup. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... This article or section contains speculation and may try to argue its points. ... Extra time is an additional period played at the end of some games of football (soccer) if the score is tied after the two standard periods (halves) of play. ... Penalty shootouts, officially 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) following a draw in a game of football. ...

Winners and finalists

In all, 78 nations have appeared at least once in the 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. Official logo for the 2010 FIFA World Cup which will be hosted in South Africa, which means the World Cup will have been played in every continent except Antarctica. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1350x625, 46 KB) Summary A map showing the winners of all World Cups and the number of cups won. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1350x625, 46 KB) Summary A map showing the winners of all World Cups and the number of cups won. ... Map of appearances Best performance of countries This article lists the performances of each of the 78 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals. ... In association football, some national and club sides include one or more stars as part of (or beside) the crest appearing on their shirt, to represent important trophies the team has previously won. ...

With five titles, Brazil is the most successful World Cup team and also the only nation to have participated in every World Cup Finals to date.^[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. Map of appearances Best performance of countries This article lists the performances of each of the 78 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals. ...

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.

Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... Qualifying countries The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 28. ... Qualifying countries 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. ... Qualifying countries 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. ... 2002 World Cup redirects here. ... Qualifying countries The 1950 FIFA World Cup was the only one not decided by a knockout final. ... 1998 World Cup redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Qualifying countries The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second World Cup staged, and was hosted in Italy from May 27 to June 10. ... Qualifying countries 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. ... 2006 World Cup redirects here. ... The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21. ... Qualifying countries 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. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Qualifying countries The 1954 Football World Cup was held in Switzerland. ... Qualifying countries The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from June 13 to July 7. ... The 1990 FIFA World Cup, the 14th staging of the World Cup, was held in Italy from June 8 to July 8. ... Qualifying countries The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from July 11 to July 30. ... 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. ... 2002 World Cup redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina. ... 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 football World Cup tournament ever staged. ... The 1990 FIFA World Cup, the 14th staging of the World Cup, was held in Italy from June 8 to July 8. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Uruguay. ... The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first football World Cup tournament ever staged. ... Qualifying countries The 1950 FIFA World Cup was the only one not decided by a knockout final. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... 1998 World Cup redirects here. ... 2006 World Cup redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... First international Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in... Qualifying countries The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from July 11 to July 30. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Qualifying countries 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. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Czechoslovakia. ... Qualifying countries The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second World Cup staged, and was hosted in Italy from May 27 to June 10. ... Qualifying countries The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from May 30 to June 17. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hungary. ... Qualifying countries The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from June 4 to June 19. ... Qualifying countries The 1954 Football World Cup was held in Switzerland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Qualifying countries The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 28. ... Map of appearances Best performance of countries This article lists the performances of each of the 78 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals. ...

Performances by 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. Map of appearances Best performance of countries This article lists the performances of each of the 78 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals. ... Maracanazo (Portuguese: ) is a term which is used to refer to the famous final group match of the 1950 FIFA World Cup, that took place in Brazil, when the Uruguayan team beat, against all odds, their Brazilian counterpart at the MaracanÃ£ stadium (therefore the term Maracanazo). ... Qualifying countries The 1950 FIFA World Cup was the only one not decided by a knockout final. ...

England (1966) and France (1998) won their only titles while playing as host nations. 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. First international Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in... Qualifying countries The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from July 11 to July 30. ... 1998 World Cup redirects here. ... The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first football World Cup tournament ever staged. ... Qualifying countries The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second World Cup staged, and was hosted in Italy from May 27 to June 10. ... The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the World Cup, was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25. ... Qualifying countries 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. All host nations have progressed beyond the first round. Qualifying countries The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 28. ... Qualifying countries The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from May 30 to June 17. ... 2002 World Cup redirects here. ... 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. ... 2002 World Cup redirects here. ...

Best performances by continental zones

To date, the final of the World Cup has only been contested by European and South American teams. 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 best result of an African team is reaching the quarter-finals: Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002. 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. Map of appearances Best performance of countries This article lists the performances of each of the 78 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals. ... The Union EuropÃ©enne de Football Association or Union of European Football Associations in English, almost always referred to by the acronym UEFA (pronounced (you-AY-fuh) or (oo-Ay-fuh) or ), is the administrative and controlling body for European football. ... CONMEBOL or CSF (ConfederaciÃ³n Sudamericana de FÃºtbol, South American Football Confederation) is the governing body of football in most of South America. ... CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) is the continent-wide governing body for football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. ... The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first football World Cup tournament ever staged. ... The 46 member Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of football in Asia, excluding Cyprus and Israel but including Australia. ... 2002 World Cup redirects here. ... The 53 member CAF (Confederation of African Football) , (French : ConfÃ©dÃ©ration Africaine de Football) , (Arabic : Ø§Ù„Ø¥ØªØØ§Ø¯ Ø§Ù„Ø£ÙØ±ÙŠÙ‚Ù‰ Ù„ÙƒØ±Ø© Ø§Ù„Ù‚Ø¯Ù…) represents international football in Africa, and organises the African Cup of Nations, CAF Confederation Cup and the African Champions League. ... The 1990 FIFA World Cup, the 14th staging of the World Cup, was held in Italy from June 8 to July 8. ... Oceania Football Confederation logo since 1998 The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is one of the six continental confederations of international football. ... 2006 World Cup redirects here. ...

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. 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. Qualifying countries The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 28. ... Qualifying countries The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from June 4 to June 19. ... Qualifying countries The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from May 30 to June 17. ...

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. There are currently six awards: 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. ...

An All-Star Team consisting of the best players of the tournament is also announced for each tournament since 1998. This article is about the company. ... 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 football World Cup tournament ever staged. ... This article is about the company. ... 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. ... Qualifying countries 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. ... Qualifying countries 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. ... 2006 World Cup redirects here. ... 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. ... 1998 World Cup redirects here. ...

Records and statistics

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.^[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.^[46] This article lists records of the FIFA World Cup and its qualification matches. ... Antonio Felix La Tota Carbajal RodrÃguez , also called El Cinco Copas (Five cups), (born June 7, 1929 in Mexico City) is a legendary Mexican football goalkeeper. ... Lothar Herbert MatthÃ¤us (born 21 March 1961) is a German former football player and now manager. ... Pele redirects here. ...

The overall leading goalscorer in World Cups is Brazil's Ronaldo, scorer of 15 goals in three tournaments. West Germany's Gerd Muller is second, with 14.^[47] The third placed goalscorer, France's Just Fontaine, holds the record for the most goals scored in a single World Cup. All his 13 goals were scored in the 1958 tournament.^[48] Ronaldo Luis NazÃ¡rio de Lima (born September 22, 1976), is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Brazil and the Italian Serie A club AC Milan. ... Gerhard Gerd MÃ¼ller (born November 3, 1945 in NÃ¶rdlingen) is a former German football player. ... Just Fontaine (born August 18, 1933 in Marrakech, Morocco) was a French football player. ...

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).^[49] Mário Zagallo, with Brazil, also won the World Cup as both player (1958 and 1962) and head coach (1970).^[50] Italy's Vittorio Pozzo is the only head coach to ever win two World Cups.^[51] All World Cup winning head coaches were natives of the country they coached to victory. Franz Anton Beckenbauer (born September 11, 1945) is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed der Kaiser (the emperor) because of his elegant style, his leadership qualities, his first name Franz (reminiscent of the Austrian emperors), and his dominance on the football pitch. ... MÃ¡rio Jorge Lobo Zagallo (born August 9, 1931 in MaceiÃ³) is a Brazilian football coach and former player, of Lebanese origin. ... Vittorio Pozzo (born March 2, 1886 in Turin, Piedmont, Italy â€“ Ponderano (Biella) December 21, 1968) was an Italian football (soccer) coach who was most famous for leading the Italian national team to victory in the 1934 and 1938 FIFA World Cup; managed the side that won the 1930 and 1935...

See also

This is a list of the mens national football (soccer) 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. ... The history of association football balls is the history of the football (ball) in the game of association football. ... This article lists every countrys goalscorers in FIFA World Cup finals matches. ... This article lists goals in FIFA World Cups where there has been some dispute in the scorer of the goal. ... Angelo Schiavio, the third player in history to score a hat-trick at the FIFA World Cup. ... 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. ... Officia logo The 1980 Mundialito (Spanish for little World Cup), or Copa de Oro de Campeones Mundiales (World Champions Gold Cup), was a friendly international football tournament held in Montevideo, Uruguay from December 30, 1980 to January 10, 1981, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first World Cup tournament... The Homeless World Cup is an international football (soccer) tournament created by the International Network of Street Papers (INSP), where teams made up entirely of homeless people compete. ... Conspiracy 58 is the name of a conspiracy theory that claims that the 1958 Football World Cup in Sweden didnt really take place as commonly believed, but was staged as a television and radio event by the Americans as part of a cold war strategy. ...

Notes and references

^ ^a ^b 2006 FIFA World Cup TV Coverage (PDF), FIFA.com. Retrieved on June 6, 2007.
^ England National Football Team Match No. 1, England Football Online. Retrieved on November 19, 2007.
^ British PM backs return of Home Nations championship. Agence France-Presse. Retrieved on December 16, 2007.
^ History of FIFA - FIFA takes shape, FIFA.com. Retrieved on November 19, 2007.
^ 'The First World Cup'. The Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy. Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council (10 October 2003). Retrieved on April 11, 2006.
^ History of FIFA — More associations follow, FIFA.com. Retrieved on November 19, 2007.
^ Reyes, Macario (18 October 1999). VII. Olympiad Antwerp 1920 Football Tournament rec.sport.soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved on June 10, 2006.
^ The Olympic Odyssey so far... (Part 1: 1908–1964), FIFA.com. Retrieved on January 8, 2008.
^ History of FIFA - The first FIFA World Cup, FIFA.com. Retrieved on November 19, 2007.
^ Molinaro, John F. Lucien Laurent: The World Cup's First Goal Scorer. CBC. Retrieved on May 6, 2007.
^ FIFA World Cup Origin (PDF), FIFA.com. Retrieved on November 19, 2007.
^ "Scotland and the 1950 World Cup", BBC. Retrieved on May 13.
^ Glanville, Brian (2005). The Story of the World Cup. Faber, 44. ISBN 0-571-22944-1.
^ Glanville, p45
^ Glanville, p238
^ Glanville, p359
^ Record number of 204 teams enter preliminary competition, FIFA.com. Retrieved on November 19, 2007.
^ FIFA Women's World Cup, FIFA.com. Retrieved on December 22, 2007.
^ Regulations Men's Olympic Football Tournament 2008 (PDF), FIFA.com. Retrieved on December 22, 2007.
^ FIFA Confederations Cup, FIFA.com. Retrieved on December 22, 2007.
^ Jules Rimet Trophy, FIFA.com. Retrieved on November 19, 2007.
^ FIFA World Cup Trophy, FIFA.com. Retrieved on November 19, 2007.
^ FIFA Assets – Trophy, FIFA.com. Retrieved on November 19, 2007.
^ FIFA World Cup qualifying: Treasure-trove of the weird and wonderful. FIFA. Retrieved on December 23, 2007.
^ 2010 World Cup Qualifying. ESPN (November 26, 2007). Retrieved on December 23, 2007.
^ 1938 FIFA World Cup France Preliminaries. FIFA. Retrieved on December 27, 2007.
^ "England seeded for 2006 World Cup", BBC, December 6, 2005. Retrieved on December 24.
^ Regulations of the 2010 FIFA World Cup (PDF), (page 40–41), FIFA.com. Retrieved on November 19, 2007.
^ Formats of the FIFA World Cup final competitions 1930–2010 (PDF). FIFA.com. Retrieved on January 1, 2008.
^ Uruguay 1930. BBC (April 11, 2002). Retrieved on May 13, 2006.
^ France 1938, BBC. (April 17, 2002). Retrieved on May 13, 2006.
^ Asia takes World Cup center stage. CNN (June 3, 2002). Retrieved on January 1, 2008.
^ Brazil will stage 2014 World Cup. BBC (October 10, 2007). Retrieved on January 1, 2008.
^ Rotation ends in 2018. FIFA.com. Retrieved on October 10, 2007.
^ Socceroos face major challenge: Hiddink, ABC Sport, December 10, 2005. Retrieved on May 13, 2006.
^ FIFA Assets – Mascots, FIFA.com. Retrieved on November 19, 2007.
^ There was no official World Cup Third Place match in 1930; The USA and Yugoslavia lost in the semi-finals. Currently, FIFA recognizes USA as the third-placed team and Yugoslavia as the fourth-placed team, using the overall records of the teams in the 1930 FIFA World Cup.
^ ^a ^b There was no official World Cup final match in 1950. The tournament winner was decided by a final round-robin group contested by four teams (Uruguay, Brazil, Sweden, and Spain). However, Uruguay's 2-1 victory over Brazil (a match known as Maracanazo) was the decisive match (and also coincidentally one of the last two matches of the tournament) which put them ahead on points and ensured that they finished top of the group as world champions. Therefore, this match is often considered the "final" of the 1950 World Cup. [1] (PDF) Likewise, Sweden's 3-1 victory over Spain (played at the same time as Uruguay vs Brazil) ensured that they finished third.
^ If the records of the national teams of Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic, Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro/Serbia, and USSR/Russia are combined together respectively, 75 national teams have appeared in at least one World Cup. Planet World Cup - All time table. Planet World Cup. Retrieved on January 26, 2008.
^ Brazil. CNN. Retrieved on December 29, 2007.
^ Golden Ball for Zinedine Zidane. Soccerway (July 10, 2006). Retrieved on December 31, 2007.
^ Kahn named top keeper. BBC (June 30, 2002). Retrieved on December 31, 2007.
^ ^a ^b FIFA Awards. RSSSF (May 18, 2007). Retrieved on January 8, 2008.
^ Yannis, Alex. "Matthaus Is the Latest MetroStars Savior", New York Times, November 10, 1999. Retrieved on December 23.
^ "World Cup Hall of Fame: Lothar Matthaeus", CNN. Retrieved on 2007-12-23.
^ Kirby, Gentry. "Pele, King of Futbol", ESPN, July 5, 2006. Retrieved on December 23.
^ Chowdhury, Saj. "Ronaldo's riposte", BBC, June 27, 2006. Retrieved on December 23.
^ "Goal machine was Just superb", BBC, April 4, 2002. Retrieved on December 23.
^ Brewin, John (December 21, 2007). World Cup Legends - Franz Beckenbauer. ESPN. Retrieved on December 31, 2007.
^ Hughes, Rob (March 11, 1998). No Alternative to Victory for National Coach : 150 Million Brazilians Keep Heat on Zagalo. International Herald Tribune. Retrieved on December 31, 2007.
^ 1938 France. CBC. Retrieved on December 31, 2007.

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Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The RSSSF logo The rec. ... is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (362nd in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 344th day of the year (345th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Maracanazo (Portuguese: ) is a term which is used to refer to the famous final group match of the 1950 FIFA World Cup, that took place in Brazil, when the Uruguayan team beat, against all odds, their Brazilian counterpart at the MaracanÃ£ stadium (therefore the term Maracanazo). ... is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 191st day of the year (192nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

External links

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. ... Womens Australian rules football is a team sport. ... American Football World Cup is an international competition held every four years since 1999 to decide on a world champion of American football. ... â€œSoccerâ€ redirects here. ... The FIFA Womens World Cup is recognized as the most important International competition in womens football and is played amongst womens national football teams of the member states of FIFA, the sports global governing body. ... This article is about the sport. ... Thomas Cup, so far only three countries are able to lift it up. ... The Uber Cup, sometimes called the World Team Championships for Women, is a major international badminton competition contested by womens national badminton teams. ... The Bandy World Championships are a competition between bandy-playing nations. ... The World Baseball Classic, sometimes abbreviated WBC, is an international baseball tournament, first held in March 2006. ... This article is about the sport. ... The FIBA World Championship (also called the Basketball World Championship) is a world basketball tournament for mens national teams held quadrennially by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). ... // Like the mens event, the Womenâ€™s World Championship was created by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). ... The trophy The Beach Soccer World Cup is a association football competition in beach soccer organised by the world football governing body FIFA for national teams. ... Boxing World Cup, also sometimes credited as AIBA World Cup, is the international team event in boxing, similar to Davis Cup in tennis. ... This article is about the sport. ... The Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of mens One Day International (ODI) cricket. ... The Womens Cricket World Cup is a Womens one-day international cricket competition. ... The Ford World Curling Championship is an annual curling event which showcases the worlds best curlers. ... The FIFA Futsal World Cup is the international world cup for futsal. ... Handball is the name of several different sports: Team handball, or Olympic/European Handball is a game somewhat similar to association football, but the ball is played with the hand, not the foot. ... The World Championship in team handball for men has been organized by the International Handball Federation since 1938. ... The World Championship in team handball for women has been organized by the International Handball Federation since 1957. ... A game of field hockey in progress Field hockey is a popular sport for men, women and children in many countries around the world. ... The Semi-Final of World Cup 2006 between Germany and Spain The Hockey World Cup, sometimes called the Hockey World Championships, is an international field hockey competition organised by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). ... For other hockey World Cups, see World Cup (hockey). ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... The Ice Hockey World Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. ... The womens World Hockey Championship tournament is also governed by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). ... For other uses, see Lacrosse (disambiguation). ... The International Lacrosse Federation (ILF) World Championship began as a four-team invitational tournament that coincided with Canadas centennial lacrosse celebration in 1967. ... The inaugural World Indoor Lacrosse Championship was held in Hamilton, Kitchener, Mississauga, and Oshawa, Ontario, Canada in May 2003. ... The World Polo Championship is held every three years by the Federation of International Polo (FIP). ... Rugby league football is a full-contact team sport played with a prolate spheroid-shaped ball by two teams of thirteen on a rectangular grass field. ... the Rugby League Council to support the concept. ... Australia vs. ... For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation). ... For the rugby league competition, see Rugby League World Cup. ... The Womens Rugby World Cup is the premier international competition in Rugby union for women. ... For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation). ... The great Australians Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall with the Cup in 1953 The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in mens tennis. ... The Fed Cup (until 1995 Federation Cup) is the most important tennis tournament for female national teams, very similar to the mens Davis Cup. ... 2006 Logo The Volleyball World Championship is a mens and womens volleyball competition. ... An individual sport refers to a sport which is practiced by two opposing individuals or one individual. ... The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are organized by the International Ski Federation (FIS). ... FINA World Championships or World Aquatics Championships are held every two years. ... The World Amateur Boxing Championships is the highest competition for boxing amateurs, organised by worlds governing body AIBA, which stands for the Association International de Boxe Amateur. ... The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations. ... Official logo until 2006 The BWF World Championships (formerly known as IBF World Championships, also known as the World Badminton Championships) is a tournament organized by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to crown the best badminton players in the world. ... The World Professional Darts Championship is the traditional highlight of the darts calendar. ... The World Championships in Fencing is an annual competition organized by the FÃ©dÃ©ration Internationale dEscrime or FIE, (International Fencing Federation in English). ... For the 2008 competition, see 2008 World Figure Skating Championships. ... The World Gymnastics Championships are held every year. ... World Judo Championships is the Judo World Championship organized by the International Judo Federation. ... The ISSF World Shooting Championships are governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation. ... For the results from the current Championship, see World Snooker Championship 2008. ... The World Table Tennis Championships are held since 1926, biennially since 1957. ...

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