1958 FIFA World Cup facts for kids
The 1958 FIFA World Cup was a big international football tournament. It took place in Sweden, where teams from all over the world competed to see who was the best!
Teams That Played
Many countries sent their best football players to Sweden for the World Cup. Teams came from Europe, North and Central America, and South America. It was exciting to see so many different nations play against each other!
- From Europe:
* 
Austria * 
Czechoslovakia * 
England * 
France * 
West Germany * 
Hungary * 
Northern Ireland * 
Scotland * 
Soviet Union * 
Sweden (the host country!) * 
Wales * 
Yugoslavia
- From North and Central America:
* 
Mexico
- From South America:
* 
Argentina * 
Brazil * 
Paraguay
How the Tournament Worked
The World Cup started with a "group stage." The teams were divided into four groups. Each team played against the other teams in their group. Teams earned points for winning or drawing games. The top teams from each group then moved on to the "knockout stage."
Group Stage Results
Here's how the teams did in their groups. The teams highlighted in green moved on to the next round!
Group 1 Standings
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Germany |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| Northern Ireland |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| Czechoslovakia |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
 Argentina |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 2 |
Group 2 Standings
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 4 |
| Yugoslavia |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
.svg){kind=small} Paraguay |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 3 |
.svg){kind=small} Scotland |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
Group 3 Standings
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
.svg){kind=small} Wales |
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Hungary |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
.svg){kind=small} Mexico |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
Group 4 Standings
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} Brazil |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
.svg){kind=small} Soviet Union |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| England |
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Austria |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
Knockout Stage: The Road to the Final
After the group stage, the tournament became a "knockout" competition. If a team lost a game, they were out! This made every match super exciting.
Quarterfinals
- France beat Northern Ireland 4-0
- Brazil beat Wales 1-0
- West Germany beat Yugoslavia 1-0
- Sweden beat Soviet Union 2-0
Semifinals
- Sweden beat West Germany 3-1
- Brazil beat France 5-2
Third Place Play-off
- France beat West Germany 6-3 to take third place.
The Grand Final
Brazil won the championship! It was their first World Cup title, and a young player named Pelé became a superstar.
Top Goal Scorers
These players scored the most goals in the tournament:
13 goals
- Just Fontaine (He scored a lot!)
6 goals
- Helmut Rahn
Pelé (A future legend!)
5 goals
4 goals
- Zdenĕk Zikán
- Lajos Tichy
- Kurt Hamrin
- Agne Simonsson
Images for kids
-
Qualifying countries and their results
-
Official 1958 FIFA World Cup poster.
See also
In Spanish: Copa Mundial de Fútbol de 1958 para niños
