FIFA World Cup facts for kids
The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is a huge international football (soccer) competition. It features the best men's national teams from around the world. These teams are all part of FIFA, which is the global group that runs the sport.
The World Cup happens every four years. It started way back in 1930. The only times it didn't happen were in 1942 and 1946 because of World War II. Right now, Argentina are the champions. They won their third title at the 2022 tournament.
The competition begins with a "qualification phase." This takes about three years. Teams play matches to see who gets to join the main tournament. In the main tournament, 32 teams compete for the championship. They play games in the host country (or countries) over about a month. The host nation automatically gets a spot in the tournament. Soon, the World Cup will get even bigger. Starting in 2026, 48 teams will compete!
Since 1930, there have been 22 World Cup tournaments. A total of 80 national teams have played in them. Only eight different countries have won the famous trophy. Brazil has won the most titles, with five wins. They are also the only team to have played in every single World Cup!
Other winners include Germany and Italy, each with four titles. Argentina has three titles. France and Uruguay (who won the very first one) each have two titles. Finally, England and Spain have each won one title.
The World Cup is the biggest and most important football competition in the world. It's also the most watched sports event globally. For example, about 3.57 billion people watched the 2018 World Cup. That's almost half the people on Earth! The 2022 World Cup was watched by an estimated 5 billion people. About 1.5 billion people tuned in for the final match!
Seventeen countries have hosted the World Cup. Qatar hosted the most recent one in 2022. The 2026 tournament will be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. This will make Mexico the first country to host World Cup games three times!
Contents
History of the World Cup
Early International Football
The very first international football match was played in 1872. It was between Scotland and England in Glasgow. The first tournament for national teams was the British Home Championship in 1884. It included England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
As football became popular worldwide, it was shown at the 1900 and 1904 Summer Olympics. However, no medals were given out then. Later, the International Olympic Committee decided these were official events.
FIFA was started in 1904. They tried to set up an international tournament in Switzerland in 1906. But it wasn't very successful.
Football became an official Olympic sport at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. This event was only for amateur players. Great Britain won the gold medal. They won again at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.
Since the Olympics only featured amateur teams, Sir Thomas Lipton created his own tournament in 1909. It was called the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy. This competition was for professional clubs from different countries. Some people even called it "The First World Cup."
In 1914, FIFA decided to manage the Olympic football tournament. They called it the "world football championship for amateurs." This led to the first intercontinental football competition for nations at the 1920 Summer Olympics. Belgium won that one. Uruguay then won the next two Olympic tournaments in 1924 and 1928. These were the first "open" world championships, meaning professional players could join. This is why Uruguay has four stars on their football badge.
World Cups Before World War II
Because the Olympic football tournaments were so popular, FIFA wanted to create its own big international event. President Jules Rimet was a key person in making this happen. On May 28, 1928, FIFA decided to hold a world championship.
Getting teams to travel to Uruguay was hard. It was a long and expensive trip across the Atlantic Ocean. This was especially true during the Great Depression. For a while, no European country wanted to send a team. But Jules Rimet convinced teams from Belgium, France, Romania, and Yugoslavia to go. In total, 13 nations played: seven from South America, four from Europe, and two from North America.
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The first two World Cup matches happened on July 13, 1930. France beat Mexico 4–1, and the United States beat Belgium 3–0. Lucien Laurent of France scored the very first World Cup goal. In the final, Uruguay beat Argentina 4–2. About 93,000 fans watched in Montevideo. Uruguay became the first country to win the World Cup.
After the World Cup started, FIFA and the Olympics had disagreements about amateur players. Football was even removed from the 1932 Summer Olympics. But they worked things out, and Olympic football returned in 1936. However, the World Cup was now the more important tournament.
Travel was still a big problem for early World Cups. Few South American teams went to Europe for the 1934 World Cup. Most North and South American teams didn't go to the 1938 tournament. Only Brazil went from South America. The 1942 and 1946 World Cups were canceled because of World War II.
World Cups After World War II
The 1950 FIFA World Cup was held in Brazil. This was the first time British football teams joined. Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland had left FIFA in 1920. They didn't want to play against countries they had fought in the war. They rejoined in 1946.
The 1950 tournament also saw the return of Uruguay. They had won in 1930 but boycotted the next two World Cups. Uruguay won again in 1950. They beat host nation Brazil in a famous match called "Maracanazo."
From 1934 to 1978, 16 teams played in each tournament. Most teams were from Europe and South America. Teams from other parts of the world usually struggled against them. Before 1982, only a few teams from outside Europe and South America made it past the first round. These included the United States (1930), Cuba (1938), North Korea (1966), and Mexico (1970).
More Teams Join the Tournament
The World Cup grew to 24 teams in 1982. Then, it expanded to 32 teams in 1998. This allowed more teams from Africa, Asia, and North America to take part. Since then, teams from these regions have done better. Some have even reached the quarter-finals. These include Mexico (1986), Cameroon (1990), South Korea (fourth place in 2002), Senegal (2002), USA (2002), Ghana (2010), Costa Rica (2014), and Morocco (fourth place in 2022).
However, European and South American teams still mostly dominate the tournament. All the finalists so far have been from these two continents.
A record 204 countries tried to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The World Cup Grows to 48 Teams
In 2013, FIFA President Sepp Blatter suggested giving more spots to teams from Africa and Asia. He felt they deserved more chances at the World Cup. Michel Platini, another football leader, also wanted to expand the World Cup to 40 teams. He believed it would help football grow worldwide.
In 2016, FIFA President Gianni Infantino supported a 48-team World Cup. On January 10, 2017, FIFA confirmed that the 2026 World Cup would have 48 teams.
There was also a proposal to hold the World Cup every two years instead of four. This idea was supported by many national football groups. However, some big football groups in Europe and South America were not in favor of it.
Other FIFA Tournaments
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There's also a World Cup for women's football, called the FIFA Women's World Cup. It started in 1991. The women's tournament is getting bigger and more popular.
Men's football has been part of almost every Summer Olympic Games. But it's not a top-level tournament like the World Cup. Since 1992, it's been a tournament for players under 23 years old. Women's football joined the Olympics in 1996.
The FIFA Confederations Cup used to be held a year before the World Cup. It was a test event for the host nation. The winners of different regional championships played in it. This tournament stopped after 2017.
FIFA also organizes other international tournaments. These include youth World Cups (FIFA U-20 World Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup), club football (FIFA Club World Cup), and other types of football like futsal (FIFA Futsal World Cup) and beach soccer (FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup).
The World Cup Trophy
From 1930 to 1970, the winning team received the Jules Rimet Trophy. It was first called the World Cup. In 1946, it was renamed after Jules Rimet, the FIFA president who started the tournament. In 1970, Brazil won the World Cup for the third time. This meant they got to keep the trophy forever. But sadly, the trophy was stolen in 1983 and has never been found. It seems the thieves melted it down.
After 1970, a new trophy was created. It's called the FIFA World Cup Trophy#FIFA World Cup Trophy. Experts from seven countries looked at 53 designs. They chose the one made by Italian designer Silvio Gazzaniga. The new trophy is 36 centimeters (14 inches) tall. It's made of solid 18-carat (75%) gold and weighs 6.175 kilograms (13.61 pounds).
The bottom of the trophy has two layers of green stone called malachite. The year and name of each World Cup winner since 1974 are engraved on the bottom. Gazzaniga described his design: "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."
The winning nation does not keep this new trophy permanently. They only hold it during the celebration after the final match. Afterward, they receive a gold-plated copy, not the original solid gold one.
Players, coaches, and managers from the top three teams get medals. Winners get gold, runners-up get silver, and third-place teams get bronze. In 2002, fourth-place medals were given to South Korea. Before 1978, only the 11 players on the field at the end of the final match got medals. In 2007, FIFA decided that all players who won the World Cup between 1930 and 1974 should also get winners' medals.
Since 2006, World Cup winners also get to wear the FIFA Champions Badge. They wear it until the next World Cup winner is decided.
How the Tournament Works
Qualification Rounds
Since the second World Cup in 1934, teams have to play in qualifying tournaments. These tournaments narrow down the number of teams for the main event. They are held in six different regions around the world. These regions are Africa, Asia, North and Central America and Caribbean, South America, Oceania, and Europe. Each region has its own football group that manages the qualifiers.
FIFA decides how many spots each region gets in the World Cup. This is usually based on how strong the teams in that region are. The qualification process can start almost three years before the World Cup. It can last for two years.
The way qualifying tournaments are played is different in each region. Sometimes, teams from different regions play each other in "play-off" matches for a final spot. For example, the winner from Oceania might play against a team from Asia. Since the 1938 World Cup, the host country automatically gets a spot in the tournament. The defending champions also used to get an automatic spot until 2002. But starting in 2006, even the champions have to qualify. Brazil, who won in 2002, was the first defending champion to play in qualifying matches.
The Main Tournament
Since 1998, the main World Cup tournament has 32 national teams. They compete over about a month in the host country. The tournament has two main parts: the group stage and the knockout stage.
In the group stage, teams are divided into eight groups of four teams each. Eight teams are "seeded," meaning they are considered stronger. These include the host country and other top teams based on their FIFA rankings. These seeded teams are placed in separate groups. The other teams are put into different "pots," often based on where they are from. Teams from each pot are then randomly drawn into the eight groups. To keep things fair, no group can have more than two European teams. Also, no group can have more than one team from any other region.
Each team in a group plays every other team in that group once. So, each team plays three matches. A total of six matches are played in each group. The last matches of each group are played at the same time. This makes sure no team has an unfair advantage. The top two teams from each group move on to the knockout stage.
Teams get points for their matches: three points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss. If teams have the same number of points, there are rules to decide who ranks higher. These rules look at goal difference, goals scored, and head-to-head results. There are also "fair play points" based on yellow and red cards. If teams are still tied, a drawing of lots might happen.
The knockout stage is like a single-elimination bracket. Teams play one-off matches. If a match is a draw after regular time, they play extra time. If it's still a draw, they have a penalty shootout to decide the winner. This stage starts with the "round of 16." Here, the winner of one group plays against the second-place team from another group. After that come the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the third-place match (for the teams that lost in the semi-finals). Finally, there's the big final match!
In 2017, FIFA approved a new format for the 2026 World Cup. It will have 48 teams. It will start with 12 groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group will move on. Also, the best eight third-placed teams will join them. This will create a new "round of 32" knockout stage.
Host Countries
How Hosts Are Chosen
In the early days, World Cup hosts were chosen at FIFA meetings. This often caused arguments. Travel between South America and Europe was very long and expensive. For example, when Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in 1930, only four European countries came. The next two World Cups were in Europe. This made South American countries upset, so Argentina and Uruguay boycotted the 1938 FIFA World Cup.
To avoid these problems, FIFA started to switch hosts between the Americas and Europe. This continued until the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the first to be held in Asia. It was also the first time two countries, South Korea and Japan, hosted together. South Africa became the first African country to host in 2010. Brazil hosted in 2014, which was the first time two World Cups in a row were held outside Europe.
Now, the host country is chosen by a vote from FIFA's Council. A country that wants to host gets a "Hosting Agreement" from FIFA. This explains all the steps and requirements. FIFA inspectors visit the country to make sure it can host the event. The decision is usually made six or seven years before the tournament. Sometimes, hosts for multiple future tournaments are announced at once. This happened for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Russia and Qatar were chosen. Qatar became the first country in the Middle East to host.
For the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, FIFA used a "rotation policy." Only countries from a specific region could bid. For example, only African countries could bid for 2010, and only South American countries for 2014. This policy was stopped after 2014. Now, any country can apply to host, except those from regions that hosted the two previous tournaments. This avoids situations where only one country bids, like Brazil for 2014.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This is the first time three countries will share hosting duties. It will be the biggest World Cup ever, with 48 teams playing 104 matches. The US will host 60 matches, including all games from the quarter-finals onwards. Canada and Mexico will each host 10 games.
Host Nation Success
Six of the eight World Cup champions have won a title while playing in their home country. The exceptions are Brazil and Spain. Brazil lost the final at home in 1950 and the semi-final in 2014. Spain only reached the second round when they hosted in 1982.
England won their only title as a host nation in 1966. Uruguay (1930), Italy (1934), Argentina (1978), and France (1998) all won their first titles as hosts. Germany won their second title at home in 1974.
Other host nations have also done very well. Switzerland (1954), Sweden (1958), Chile (1962), South Korea (2002), Russia (2018), and Mexico (1970 and 1986) all had their best World Cup results when hosting. So far, only South Africa (2010) and Qatar (2022) failed to get past the first round as hosts.
Attendance at Matches
| Year | Hosts | Venues/ Cities |
Total attendance † |
Matches | Average attendance |
Highest attendances ‡ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Venue | Game(s) | ||||||
| 1930 |  Uruguay |
3/1 | 590,549 | 18 | 32,808 | 79,867 | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo | Uruguay 6–1 Yugoslavia, semi-final |
| 1934 |  Italy |
8/8 | 363,000 | 17 | 21,353 | 55,000 | Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome | Italy 2–1 Czechoslovakia, final |
| 1938 |  France |
10/9 | 375,700 | 18 | 20,872 | 58,455 | Olympique de Colombes, Paris | France 1–3 Italy, quarter-final |
| 1950 |  Brazil |
6/6 | 1,045,246 | 22 | 47,511 | 173,850 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro | Brazil 1–2 Uruguay, deciding match |
| 1954 |  Switzerland |
6/6 | 768,607 | 26 | 29,562 | 62,500 | Wankdorf Stadium, Bern | West Germany 3–2 Hungary, final |
| 1958 |  Sweden |
12/12 | 819,810 | 35 | 23,423 | 50,928 | Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg | Brazil 2–0 Soviet Union, group stage |
| 1962 |  Chile |
4/4 | 893,172 | 32 | 27,912 | 76,594 | Estadio Nacional, Santiago | Brazil 4–2 Chile, semi-final |
| 1966 |  England |
8/7 | 1,563,135 | 32 | 48,848 | 98,270 | Wembley Stadium, London | England 2–0 France, group stage |
| 1970 |  Mexico |
5/5 | 1,603,975 | 32 | 50,124 | 108,192 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | Mexico 1–0 Belgium, group stage |
| 1974 |  West Germany |
9/9 | 1,865,753 | 38 | 49,099 | 83,168 | Olympiastadion, Munich | West Germany 1–0 Chile, group stage |
| 1978 |  Argentina |
6/5 | 1,545,791 | 38 | 40,679 | 71,712 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires | Italy 1–0 Argentina, group stage |
| 1982 |  Spain |
17/14 | 2,109,723 | 52 | 40,572 | 95,500 | Camp Nou, Barcelona | Argentina 0–1 Belgium, Opening match |
| 1986 | Mexico |
12/11 | 2,394,031 | 52 | 46,039 | 114,600 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | Two matches, including the final, all at Estadio Azteca |
| 1990 |  Italy |
12/12 | 2,516,215 | 52 | 48,389 | 74,765 | San Siro, Milan | West Germany 4–1 Yugoslavia, group stage |
| 1994 |  United States |
9/9 | 3,587,538 | 52 | 68,991 | 94,194 | Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California | Brazil 0–0 (3–2p) Italy, final |
| 1998 |  France |
10/10 | 2,785,100 | 64 | 43,517 | 80,000 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | Four matches, including the final, all at Stade de France |
| 2002 |  South Korea Japan |
20/20 | 2,705,197 | 64 | 42,269 | 69,029 | International Stadium, Yokohama, Japan | Brazil 2–0 Germany, final |
| 2006 | Germany |
12/12 | 3,359,439 | 64 | 52,491 | 72,000 | Olympiastadion, Berlin | Five matches, all at Olympiastadion |
| 2010 |  South Africa |
10/9 | 3,178,856 | 64 | 49,670 | 84,490 | Soccer City, Johannesburg | Two matches, including the final, all at Soccer City |
| 2014 |  Brazil |
12/12 | 3,429,873 | 64 | 53,592 | 74,738 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro | Germany 1–0 Argentina, final |
| 2018 |  Russia |
12/11 | 3,031,768 | 64 | 47,371 | 78,011 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow | Seven matches, including the final, all at Luzhniki Stadium |
| 2022 |  Qatar |
8/5 | 3,404,252 | 64 | 53,191 | 88,966 | Lusail Stadium, Lusail | Three matches, including the final, all at Lusail Stadium |
| 2026 |  Canada Mexico United States |
16/16 | 104 | |||||
| 2030 |  Morocco Portugal Spain |
20/20 | 104 | |||||
| 2034 |  Saudi Arabia |
15/5 | 104 | |||||
| Overall | 43,936,730 | 964 | 45,577 | 173,850 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro (1950) | |||
Source: FIFA
‡ The final match had the highest attendance in 12 of the 22 World Cups. Other matches had more fans than the final in 1930, 1938, 1958, 1962, 1970–1982, 1990, and 2006.
Broadcasting and Promotion
The World Cup was first shown on TV in 1954. Today, it's the most watched and followed sports event in the world. The 2006 World Cup was watched by an estimated 26.29 billion people in total. About 715.1 million people watched the final match alone. That's almost one-ninth of everyone on the planet! Even the draw, which decides which teams are in which groups, was watched by 300 million viewers.
The World Cup attracts big companies like Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and Adidas as sponsors. Being a sponsor helps these companies' brands worldwide. Host countries also make a lot of money from the event. FIFA earned $4.8 billion from the 2014 tournament and $6.1 billion from the 2018 tournament.
Every FIFA World Cup since 1966 has its own mascot or logo. World Cup Willie was the first World Cup mascot in 1966. World Cups also have special official match balls designed for each tournament. Adidas has been the official supplier since the 1970 World Cup. Each World Cup also has an official song. Famous artists like Shakira and Will Smith have performed them. Other songs, like “Nessun dorma” by The Three Tenors, have also become linked to the tournament.
Panini started publishing its first sticker album for the 1970 World Cup. Since then, collecting and trading stickers and cards has become a fun part of the World Cup experience, especially for kids. FIFA has also licensed World Cup video games since 1986, made by Electronic Arts.
World Cup Results
- Key
- aet: result/match won after extra time
- p: match won after penalty shoot-out
- TBD: to be determined
- Notes
In total, 80 nations have played in at least one World Cup. Eight national teams have won the World Cup. They add stars to their badges, with each star showing a World Cup win. Uruguay, however, has four stars on their badge. This is because FIFA recognizes their two gold medals from the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics as World Championships.
With five titles, Brazil is the most successful World Cup team. They are also the only nation to have played in every World Cup (22) so far. Brazil was also the first team to win the World Cup three (1970), four (1994), and five (2002) times. Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962) are the only nations to win two World Cups in a row. Germany has made it to the top four more times than any other team (13 times). They also have the most medals (12) and have played in the most finals (8).
Top Four Teams
-
* hosts
-
1 includes results representing West Germany between 1954 and 1990
-
2 includes results representing Czechoslovakia
-
3 includes results representing Yugoslavia and FR Yugoslavia
-
4 includes results representing the Soviet Union and CIS
Best Results by Regions
So far, only teams from Europe (UEFA) and South America (CONMEBOL) have played in the World Cup final. European nations have won twelve titles, and South American nations have won ten.
Only three teams from outside these two continents have ever reached the semi-finals. These are the United States (from North, Central America and Caribbean) in 1930. South Korea (from Asia) reached the semi-finals in 2002. And Morocco (from Africa) made it to the semi-finals in 2022. Only one team from Oceania, Australia, has made it to the second round (in 2006 and 2022).
Brazil, Argentina, Spain, and Germany are the only teams to win a World Cup hosted outside their own continent. Brazil won in Europe (1958), North America (1970 and 1994), and Asia (2002). Argentina won in North America (1986) and Asia (2022). Spain won in Africa (2010). In 2014, Germany became the first European team to win in the Americas.
| Confederation | AFC | CAF | CONCACAF | CONMEBOL | OFC | UEFA | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 43 | 49 | 46 | 89 | 4 | 258 | 489 |
| Top 16 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 37 | 1 | 99 | 172 |
| Top 8 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 0 | 105 | 152 |
| Top 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 62 | 88 |
| Top 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 29 | 44 |
| 4th | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 22 |
| 3rd | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 22 |
| 2nd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 22 |
| 1st | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 22 |
Records and Statistics
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Six players share the record for playing in the most World Cups (five tournaments). These are Antonio Carbajal (Mexico), Rafael Márquez (Mexico), Andrés Guardado (Mexico), Lothar Matthäus (Germany), Lionel Messi (Argentina), and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal). Ronaldo is also the first and only player to score in five different tournaments. Messi has played the most World Cup matches overall, with 26 appearances.
Miroslav Klose of Germany is the all-time top scorer in the World Cup with 16 goals. He broke Brazil's Ronaldo's record of 15 goals in 2014. Germany's Gerd Müller is third with 14 goals. France's Just Fontaine holds the record for most goals in a single World Cup, scoring all 13 of his goals in the 1958 tournament.
In 2007, FIFA announced that all players who won the World Cup between 1930 and 1974 would get winners' medals. This made Brazil's Pelé the only player to win three World Cup winners' medals (1958, 1962, and 1970). Twenty other players have won two winners' medals.
Brazil's Mário Zagallo, West Germany's Franz Beckenbauer, and France's Didier Deschamps are the only people to win the World Cup as both a player and a head coach. Zagallo won as a player in 1958 and 1962, and as a coach in 1970. Beckenbauer won as a player in 1974 and as a coach in 1990. Deschamps did the same in 2018, after winning as a player in 1998. Italy's Vittorio Pozzo is the only head coach to win two World Cups (1934 and 1938). All World Cup-winning head coaches have been from the country they coached to victory.
Among national teams, Brazil has played the most World Cup matches (114). Germany has appeared in the most finals (8), semi-finals (13), and quarter-finals (16). Brazil has also appeared in the most World Cups (22), has the most wins (76), and has scored the most goals (237).
Top Goalscorers (Individual)
Players in bold are still active.
| Rank | Player | Goals | Matches | Goals per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Miroslav Klose |
16 | 24 | 0.67 |
| 2 | Ronaldo |
15 | 19 | 0.84 |
| 3 | Gerd Müller |
14 | 13 | 1.08 |
| 4 |  Just Fontaine |
13 | 6 | 2.17 |
 Lionel Messi |
13 | 26 | 0.50 | |
| 6 | Kylian Mbappé |
12 | 14 | 0.86 |
| Pelé |
12 | 14 | 0.86 | |
| 8 |  Sándor Kocsis |
11 | 5 | 2.20 |
| Jürgen Klinsmann |
11 | 17 | 0.65 | |
| 10 | Helmut Rahn |
10 | 10 | 1.00 |
| Gabriel Batistuta |
10 | 12 | 0.83 | |
 Gary Lineker |
10 | 12 | 0.83 | |
 Teófilo Cubillas |
10 | 13 | 0.77 | |
| Thomas Müller |
10 | 19 | 0.53 | |
 Grzegorz Lato |
10 | 20 | 0.50 |
Top Goalscorers (Country)
| Rank | National team | Goals scored |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil |
237 |
| 2 | Germany |
232 |
| 3 | Argentina |
152 |
| 4 | France |
136 |
| 5 |  Italy |
128 |
| 6 |  Spain |
108 |
| 7 | England |
104 |
| 8 |  Netherlands |
96 |
| 9 |  Uruguay |
89 |
| 10 |  Hungary |
87 |
Awards
At the end of each World Cup, special awards are given to players and teams. These are for achievements beyond just winning the tournament.
- There are five main awards given after the tournament by FIFA's experts:
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- The Golden Ball is for the best player. It started in 1982.
- The Golden Boot is for the top goalscorer. It also started in 1982.
- The Golden Glove is for the best goalkeeper. This award began in 1994.
- The FIFA Young Player Award is for the best player under 21 years old. It started in 2006.
- The FIFA Fair Play Trophy is for the team that showed the best sportsmanship. It started in 1970.
- There is one award that fans vote on during the tournament:
- The Player of the Match award is for the best player in each game. It started in 2002.
- There are two awards that fans vote on after the tournament ends:
- The Goal of the Tournament is for the best goal scored. It started in 2006.
- The Most Entertaining Team is chosen by the public.
- One other award was given between 1994 and 2006:
- An All-Star Team was chosen, featuring the best players of the tournament. Since 2010, these "Dream Teams" are not official.
See also
In Spanish: Copa Mundial de Fútbol para niños
- List of FIFA World Cup finals
- FIFA World Cup records and statistics
- FIFA World Cup awards
- FIFA U-20 World Cup
- FIFA U-17 World Cup
- FIFA Club World Cup
- FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
- FIFA Futsal World Cup
- FIFA Confederations Cup
- List of association football competitions
