FIFA World Cup facts for kids
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| Organising body | FIFA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1930 |
| Region | International |
| Number of teams | 32 (48 from 2026 onwards) |
| Related competitions | FIFA Women's World Cup FIFA U-20 World Cup FIFA U-17 World Cup |
| Current champions |  Argentina (3rd title) |
| Most successful team(s) |  Brazil (5 titles) |
The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is a huge international football (soccer) competition. It's for the best men's national teams from around the world. These teams are all part of FIFA, which is the global group that runs football.
The World Cup happens every four years. It first started in 1930. The only times it didn't happen were in 1942 and 1946 because of World War II. The current champions are Argentina. They won their third title in the 2022 tournament.
The competition begins with a qualification phase. This takes about three years. It decides which teams get to play in the main tournament. In the main tournament, 32 teams compete for the trophy. They play games in the host country or countries for about a month. The host nation(s) automatically get a spot in the tournament. Starting in 2026, the World Cup will have even more teams, expanding to 48!
Since 1930, there have been 22 World Cup tournaments. A total of 80 national teams have played in them. Eight different countries have won the famous trophy. Brazil has won five times, which is the most. They are also the only team to have played in every single World Cup! Other winners include Germany and Italy (four titles each), Argentina (three titles), France and Uruguay (two titles each), and England and Spain (one title each).
The World Cup is the biggest football event in the world. It's also the most watched and followed sporting event globally. For example, about 5 billion people watched or followed the 2022 World Cup. Around 1.5 billion people watched the final match!
Seventeen countries have hosted the World Cup so far. 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
The World Cup has a long and interesting history. It grew from smaller international football games.
Early International Games
The very first international football match was in 1872. It was played in Glasgow between Scotland and England. The first tournament for nations was the British Home Championship in 1884. It included England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
As football became popular worldwide, it was played at the Summer Olympics. At first, it was just a "demonstration sport" in 1900 and 1904. This meant no medals were given. But later, these were officially recognized.
In 1908, football became an official Olympic sport in London. Only amateur players could compete. Great Britain won the gold medal that year and again in 1912.
In 1914, FIFA (the football governing body) decided to manage the Olympic football tournament. They called it a "world football championship for amateurs." This led to the first intercontinental football competition for nations at the 1920 Summer Olympics. Belgium won it. Uruguay then won the next two Olympic tournaments in 1924 and 1928. These were the first open world championships, meaning professional players could compete. This is why Uruguay is allowed to wear four stars on their football badge, representing these two Olympic wins and their two World Cup titles.
First World Cups (Before World War II)
Because the Olympic football tournaments were so popular, FIFA wanted to create its own international tournament. Jules Rimet, the FIFA President, was a big supporter of this idea. On May 28, 1928, FIFA decided to hold a world championship.
Uruguay had won the last two Olympic football titles. Also, 1930 was 100 years since Uruguay became independent. So, FIFA chose Uruguay to host the very first World Cup tournament in 1930.
It was hard to get European teams to travel to Uruguay. The trip across the Atlantic Ocean was long and expensive. This was especially true during the Great Depression. Only four European teams agreed to go: Belgium, France, Romania, and Yugoslavia. In total, 13 nations took part: 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 first goal in World Cup history. In the final, Uruguay beat Argentina 4–2 in front of 93,000 fans. Uruguay became the first country to win the World Cup.
After the World Cup started, football was removed from the 1932 Summer Olympics. This was because FIFA and the Olympic Committee disagreed about amateur players. Football returned to the Olympics in 1936, but the World Cup was now the more important tournament.
Travel and war caused problems for early World Cups. Few South American teams went to the 1934 World Cup in Europe. Most North and South American teams (except Brazil and Cuba) boycotted the 1938 tournament. The 1942 and 1946 World Cups were cancelled because of World War II.
World Cups After World War II
The 1950 World Cup was held in Brazil. This was the first time British football teams took part. 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 1930 champions Uruguay. They had boycotted the two previous World Cups. Uruguay won again, beating 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.
Expanding 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 join. Since then, teams from these regions have done better. Some have even reached the quarter-finals. For example, South Korea finished fourth in 2002. Morocco also finished fourth in 2022. However, European and South American teams still mostly win the top spots.
A record 204 countries tried to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
Future Expansion to 48 Teams
In 2013, FIFA President Sepp Blatter suggested giving more spots to teams from Africa and Asia. He felt these regions deserved more chances in the World Cup. Then, in 2016, FIFA President Gianni Infantino supported a 48-team World Cup for 2026. On January 10, 2017, FIFA confirmed that the 2026 World Cup will have 48 teams.
Other FIFA Football Tournaments
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There's also a World Cup for women's football, called the FIFA Women's World Cup. It first took place 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 mostly for players under 23 years old. Women's football joined the Olympics in 1996.
FIFA also organizes other international tournaments. These include competitions for youth football (like the FIFA U-20 World Cup and FIFA U-17 World Cup), club football (FIFA Club World Cup), and different 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 tournament for the third time. This meant they got to keep the trophy forever. 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 designed. It's called the FIFA World Cup Trophy. Experts from seven countries looked at 53 different designs. They chose the one 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 (13.613 pounds).
The bottom of the trophy has two layers of green stone called malachite. The names of the World Cup winners since 1974 are engraved on the bottom. The designer, Gazzaniga, said the trophy shows two athletes reaching up in victory.
The new trophy is not given to the winning nation permanently. World Cup winners only keep the trophy for a short time after the final match. Then, they are given a gold-plated copy to keep instead of the real solid gold one.
Players, coaches, and managers of the top three teams get medals. Winners get gold, runners-up get silver, and third-place teams get bronze. Since 2006, the winning team also gets to wear the FIFA Champions Badge on their jerseys until the next World Cup winner is decided.
How the Tournament Works
Qualification Process
Since the second World Cup in 1934, teams have to play in qualifying tournaments. These tournaments happen in different parts of the world. FIFA decides how many spots each region gets in the main tournament. This is usually based on how strong the teams from that region are.
The qualification process can start almost three years before the main tournament. It can last for two years. The host nation automatically gets a spot in the final tournament. From 1938 to 2002, the defending champions also got an automatic spot. But this rule changed in 2006. So, Brazil, who won in 2002, was the first defending champion to play in qualifying matches.
The Final Tournament
The final tournament format since 1998 has 32 national teams. They compete for about a month in the host country. There are 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," including the hosts. This means they are placed in separate groups to make sure strong teams don't all end up in the same group. 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 or more than one team from any other region.
Each team in a group plays every other team in that group once. This means six matches are played in total within each group. The last games 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 games: three points for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss. If teams have the same number of points, other rules are used to decide who moves on. These rules look at things like goal difference (how many goals a team scored minus how many they let in) and goals scored.
The knockout stage is like a single-elimination bracket. Teams play one-off matches. If the game is a draw after normal 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." The winner of each group plays against the second-place team from another group. After that come the quarter-finals, semi-finals, a third-place match, and finally, the World Cup final!
On January 10, 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, along with the 8 best third-placed teams. This will create a new "round of 32" knockout stage.
World Cup Hosts
How Hosts Are Chosen
In the early days, World Cup hosts were chosen at FIFA meetings. This was sometimes tricky because travel between South America and Europe was long and difficult. For example, when Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in 1930, only four European nations came. The next two World Cups were in Europe. This led to some South American countries boycotting the 1938 tournament.
To avoid problems, FIFA started to switch hosts between the Americas and Europe. This continued until the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The 2002 FIFA World Cup, hosted by South Korea and Japan, was the first in Asia. It was also the first time two countries shared hosting duties. South Africa became the first African nation to host in 2010. The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil was the first time two World Cups in a row were held outside Europe.
Today, the host country is chosen by a vote from FIFA's Council. Countries that want to host send in a detailed plan. FIFA inspectors visit the country to make sure it can meet all the requirements. The decision is usually made six or seven years before the tournament. Sometimes, hosts for more than one future tournament are announced at the same time. This happened for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Russia hosted in 2018, and Qatar hosted in 2022. Qatar was 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 to host. This policy was stopped after 2014. Now, any country can apply to host, except those whose region hosted the two previous tournaments.
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 Performance
Six of the eight World Cup winners have won a title while playing in their home country. The exceptions are Brazil and Spain. England won its only title as a host nation in 1966. Other countries like Uruguay (1930), Italy (1934), Argentina (1978), and France (1998) won their first titles as hosts.
Some host nations have had their best World Cup results at home. For example, South Korea reached fourth place in 2002. Only South Africa (2010) and Qatar (2022) have failed to get past the first round as hosts.
Attendance at World Cups
| 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 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 sports event in the world. About 715.1 million people watched the final match of the 2006 World Cup. That's almost one-ninth of everyone on Earth!
The World Cup attracts big companies as sponsors, like Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and Adidas. Being a sponsor helps these companies become known all over the world. Host countries also make a lot of money from the event. FIFA, the governing body, earned billions of dollars from the tournaments.
Every FIFA World Cup since 1966 has its own mascot or logo. World Cup Willie was the first mascot in 1966. World Cups also have special official match balls designed for each tournament. Adidas has been the official ball supplier since 1970. Each World Cup also has an official song. Famous artists like Shakira and Will Smith have performed these songs.
Since 1970, Panini has published sticker albums for the World Cup. Collecting and trading these stickers has become a fun part of the World Cup experience, especially for younger fans. FIFA has also licensed World Cup video games since 1986.
World Cup Results
The World Cup has been won by eight different national teams. They add stars to their team badges, with each star showing a World Cup victory. Uruguay, however, has four stars. This is because FIFA recognizes their two Olympic gold medals in 1924 and 1928 as World Championships, along with their two World Cup titles.
Brazil is the most successful team. They have five titles and have played in every World Cup (22 times). Brazil was also the first team to win the World Cup three, four, and five times. Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962) are the only countries to win two World Cups in a row. Germany has reached the most semi-finals (13) and finals (8).
Teams Reaching the Top Four
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* hosts
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1 includes results representing West Germany between 1954 and 1990
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2 includes results representing Czechoslovakia
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3 includes results representing Yugoslavia and FR Yugoslavia
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4 includes results representing the Soviet Union and CIS
Best Performances by Regions
Only teams from Europe (UEFA) and South America (CONMEBOL) have ever played in a 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 reached the semi-finals:
- United States (North America) in 1930
- South Korea (Asia) in 2002
- Morocco (Africa) in 2022
Only one team from Oceania, Australia, has reached 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. Germany was the first European team to win in the Americas in 2014.
| 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 |
World Cup Records and Statistics
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Six players share the record for playing in the most World Cups (five tournaments):
- Antonio Carbajal (Mexico, 1950–1966)
- Rafael Márquez (Mexico, 2002–2018)
- Andrés Guardado (Mexico, 2006–2022)
- Lothar Matthäus (Germany, 1982–1998)
- Lionel Messi (Argentina, 2006–2022)
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, 2006–2022)
Cristiano Ronaldo is the first and only player to score in five World Cups. Lionel 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 the record of 15 goals held by Ronaldo of Brazil. Gerd Müller of West Germany is third with 14 goals. Just Fontaine of France holds the record for most goals in a single World Cup, scoring all 13 of his goals in the 1958 tournament.
Brazil's Pelé is the only player to have won three World Cup winners' medals (1958, 1962, and 1970). Twenty other players have won two winners' medals. Seven players have won all three types of World Cup medals (gold, silver, and bronze).
Mário Zagallo of Brazil, Franz Beckenbauer of West Germany, and Didier Deschamps of France are the only people to win the World Cup as both a player and a head coach. Vittorio Pozzo of Italy is the only head coach to win two World Cups (1934 and 1938).
Among national teams, Brazil has played the most World Cup matches (114). Germany has appeared in the most finals (8) and semi-finals (13). Brazil has the most wins (76) and has scored the most goals (237).
Top Goalscorers
| 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 |
World Cup Awards
At the end of each World Cup, special awards are given to players and teams.
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Here are some of the main awards:
- Golden Ball: For the best player in the tournament.
- Golden Boot: For the player who scores the most goals.
- Golden Glove: For the best goalkeeper.
- FIFA Young Player Award: For the best player under 21 years old.
- FIFA Fair Play Trophy: For the team that shows the best sportsmanship.
- Player of the Match: Given to an outstanding player in each game.
- Goal of the Tournament: Voted by fans for the best goal scored.
- Most Entertaining Team: Voted by the public for the most exciting team.
Images for kids
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Team of Great Britain that won the Olympic tournament in 1908
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FIFA president Jules Rimet helped create the first international football tournament.
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Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay, where the first World Cup final was played in 1930.
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The opening game of the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, just before the 1950 FIFA World Cup.
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Inside Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, during a match at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
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BC Place in Vancouver hosted a 2015 Women's World Cup match.
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The Jules Rimet trophy, used from 1930 to 1970.
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The current trophy, first used in 1974.
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A map showing FIFA World Cup final hosts from 1930 to 2022. Green means hosted once, dark green twice, light green is planned.
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Russian delegates celebrating being chosen as the host of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
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A Coca-Cola bottle promoting the 2002 World Cup.
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Official match balls made by Adidas since the 1970 World Cup.
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Map showing countries' best World Cup results.
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South Koreans watching their nation on big screens in Seoul Plaza during the 2002 World Cup. They were the first Asian country to reach the semi-finals.
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Lionel Messi of Argentina has played a record 26 World Cup matches.
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Cristiano Ronaldo is the first and only player to score in five World Cup tournaments.
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Pelé is the only person to win the World Cup three times as a player.
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Miroslav Klose scored a record 16 goals across four World Cups.
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Diego Maradona (holding the World Cup) received the Golden Ball for best player at the 1986 World Cup.
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
