History of the FIFA World Cup facts for kids
The FIFA World Cup is a huge international football tournament for men's national teams. It was first held in 1930. FIFA, the world's football governing body, decided to create this tournament. Jules Rimet, who was the president of FIFA from 1921 to 1954, had this great idea. People appreciated him so much that the trophy was named the Jules Rimet Cup in 1946.
The first World Cup in 1930 had only thirteen teams. These teams were invited by the organizers. Since then, the World Cup has grown a lot. Now, over 200 teams from all over the world try to qualify. The final tournament currently features 48 teams.
Contents
The Start of the FIFA World Cup
Football Before the World Cup
The very first official international football match happened in 1872. It was played in Glasgow between Scotland and England. Back then, football was mostly played in Great Britain.
Towards the end of the 1800s, some games were called "football world championships." These were matches between top English and Scottish clubs. For example, Sunderland A.F.C. beat Heart of Midlothian F.C. in 1895.
By the 1900s, football became popular worldwide. Many national football associations were formed. The first official international match outside the British Isles was in July 1902. Uruguay played Argentina in Montevideo.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in Paris on May 21, 1904. It included associations from France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Germany also promised to join soon.
Football grew so popular that it became an Olympic sport. It was played at the 1900 and 1904 Summer Olympics. It also appeared at the 1906 Intercalated Games. Then, it became an official FIFA-supervised Olympic competition in 1908.
England's Football Association organized the Olympic event. Only amateur players could participate. The England national amateur football team won in both 1908 and 1912.
FIFA tried to organize its own international tournament in 1906 in Switzerland. This was very early for international football. FIFA's official history says this competition was not successful.
Since the Olympic event was only for amateur teams, professional team competitions started too. The Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva in Turin in 1908 was one of the first. The next year, Sir Thomas Lipton organized the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy, also in Turin. These tournaments were between clubs, not national teams. Each club represented a nation. So, they weren't direct forerunners of the World Cup. However, the Thomas Lipton Trophy is sometimes called The First World Cup.
In 1914, FIFA agreed to call the Olympic tournament a "world football championship for amateurs." FIFA took charge of organizing it. But the start of First World War caused the 1916 Summer Olympics to be cancelled. Instead, the 1916 South American Championship was played that year. This competition is now known as the Copa América. Also, CONMEBOL, the South American football group, was founded that year.
Olympic football returned at the 1920 Summer Olympics. Belgium won that tournament. Uruguay then won in 1924 and 1928.
The First World Cup Tournament
Finally, FIFA decided to create its own international tournament. FIFA president Jules Rimet began organizing the first World Cup. Uruguay was chosen as the host country. They were two-time Olympic champions and celebrating 100 years of independence in 1930.
National teams were invited to send a squad. However, traveling to Uruguay was a long and expensive trip for European teams. This was especially true during difficult economic times. No European country agreed to send a team until two months before the event. Rimet eventually convinced teams from Belgium, France, Romania, Hungary, and Yugoslavia to go. In total, 13 nations participated. Seven were from South America, four from Europe, and two from North America.
The first two World Cup matches happened at the same time. France beat Mexico 4–1. The United States beat Belgium 3–0. Lucien Laurent of France scored the first goal in World Cup history. Four days later, Bert Patenaude of the U.S. scored the first World Cup hat-trick. This happened in their 3–0 win against Paraguay. In the final, Uruguay defeated Argentina 4–2. A crowd of 93,000 people watched in Montevideo. Uruguay became the first nation to win the World Cup.
The 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles did not include football. FIFA and the IOC disagreed about amateur players. So, football was removed from those Games.
The 1934 World Cup was held in Italy. This was the first World Cup to have a qualification stage. Sixteen teams qualified for the tournament. This number stayed the same until 1982. Uruguay, the 1930 champions, did not participate. They were still unhappy about the low European attendance at their World Cup. This is the only time the defending champions did not play in the next tournament. Bolivia and Paraguay were also absent. This allowed Argentina and Brazil to reach the finals without playing qualifiers. Egypt was the first African team to compete. They lost to Hungary in the first round. Italy won the tournament. They beat Czechoslovakia 2–1 in extra time in the final. Italy became the first European team to win.
The 1938 World Cup was also held in Europe, in France. Many South American teams were upset by this. Uruguay and Argentina boycotted the event. For the first time, the defending champions and the host country automatically qualified. Austria qualified after a play-off against Latvia. However, Austria withdrew from the tournament due to political changes in their country. Some Austrian players joined the German team. Germany was eliminated by Switzerland in the first round. England was offered Austria's spot but declined. This left 15 nations competing. France hosted, but did not win. Italy kept their title, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final. Polish striker Ernest Willimowski scored four goals in one game. This was during Poland's 6–5 loss against Brazil. This record was later equaled but not broken until 1994.
World Cup Challenges and Triumphs
Pauses and Returns: The War Years
| Country | Result |
|---|---|
 Germany |
Cancelled |
 Brazil (resume) |
The FIFA World Cup was planned for 1942. Germany applied to host it in 1936. In 1939, Brazil also applied.
However, a major global conflict, World War II, began on September 1, 1939. This led to the cancellation of the 1942 World Cup. A host country was never chosen. During the war, FIFA faced many difficulties. They had no money or staff to plan a tournament.
When the war ended in 1945, it was clear a 1946 World Cup could not be organized. FIFA's first meeting after the war was in July 1946. They planned the next World Cup for 1949, but no country would host it. The only big international tournament in 1946 was the 1946 South American Championship. Argentina beat Brazil 2–0 in that event. The World Cup finally returned in 1950. Brazil hosted the tournament.
Exciting Eras: From the 1950s to 1970s
The 1950s: New Champions Emerge
The competition restarted with the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. This was the first time England participated. British teams had left FIFA in 1920. They rejoined in 1946 after FIFA's invitation. England did not do well. They failed to reach the final group round. This included a surprising 1–0 loss to the United States.
The 1930 champions, Uruguay, also returned. They had boycotted the previous two World Cups. For political reasons, some Eastern European countries did not enter. These included Hungary, the Soviet Union, and Czechoslovakia. Defending champions Italy did take part. This was despite a tragic plane crash in 1949. The crash killed many players from the Grande Torino team, including national team members.
The 1950 World Cup was unique. It was the only tournament without a final knockout match. Instead, it had two group stages. The last match of the second group phase decided the winner. Uruguay surprisingly beat hosts Brazil 2–1. This game is known as Maracanazo. Uruguay became champions for the second time. This game also set a record for the highest attendance at any sporting match, with about 200,000 people.
The 1954 World Cup was held in Switzerland. It celebrated FIFA's 50th anniversary. This was the first World Cup to be shown on television. The Soviet Union did not play due to their poor performance at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Scotland made their first appearance. They did not win any games and left after the group stage. This tournament set many goal-scoring records. Hungary was the highest-scoring team. Austria beat Switzerland 7–5 in a quarter-final match. Despite losing 8–3 to Hungary in the group stage, West Germany won the tournament. They defeated Hungary 3–2 in the final. They came back from being 2–0 down. This match is famous in Germany as the Miracle of Bern.
The 1958 World Cup was held in Sweden. The Soviet Union played for the first time. All four British teams qualified: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Wales qualified after a special play-off against Israel. FIFA made a rule that no team could qualify without playing a match. This was the first and only time a country played in a World Cup after being eliminated in regular qualifiers. The tournament also saw the rise of Pelé, who scored two goals in the final. French striker Just Fontaine scored 13 goals, a record that still stands. Brazil won the tournament for the first time. They beat hosts Sweden 5–2 in the final. Brazil became the first team to win a World Cup outside their home continent.
The 1960s: Memorable Moments and Tough Games
Chile hosted the 1962 World Cup. Two years before, a massive earthquake caused much damage. Officials had to rebuild many things. During the competition, some top players were not at their best. Pelé was injured in Brazil's second match. The Soviet Union's goalkeeper Lev Yashin also had a difficult tournament.
The competition was known for very defensive and sometimes rough play. A famous match was the "Battle of Santiago" between Italy and Chile. Chile won 2–0. Players from both sides tried to hurt opponents. The Italian team needed police protection to leave the field safely.
In a rematch from the group stage, Brazil beat Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final. Garrincha and Amarildo led Brazil to victory without Pelé. Brazil kept their title, the second time a country had done so.
Colombia's Marcos Coll made World Cup history. He scored a goal directly from a corner kick. This is the only "Olympic goal" ever made in a World Cup.
The 1966 World Cup, hosted by England, was the first to use a mascot and official logo. The trophy was stolen before the tournament but found by a dog named "Pickles" a week later. South Africa was banned due to unfair separation laws in their country. This ban lasted until 1992. African nations withdrew from the qualifying rounds in protest. They were unhappy about having only one qualifying spot for Asia, Oceania, and Africa. North Korea became the first Asian team to reach the quarter-finals. They beat Italy in the group stage. They then lost to Portugal 5–3. Defending champions Brazil were eliminated early. England won the tournament. They beat West Germany 4–2 in extra time. Geoff Hurst scored the first hat-trick in a World Cup final. Eusébio from Portugal was the top scorer with nine goals.
The 1970s: New Trophies and Tactics
The 1970 World Cup was held in Mexico. This was the first time the tournament was in North America. It was also the first outside Europe or South America. The qualification stages had some conflicts, like a brief conflict between Honduras and El Salvador. Israel debuted in the tournament.
A group stage match between defending champions England and Brazil was legendary. It is remembered for England goalkeeper Gordon Banks' amazing save from a Pelé header. The tournament is also famous for the semi-final between Italy and West Germany. Five goals were scored in extra time. Italy won 4–3. However, they lost 4–1 in the final to Brazil. Brazil became the first nation to win three World Cups. They were awarded the Jules Rimet trophy permanently.
A new trophy was created for the 1974 edition, held in West Germany. The Soviet Union refused to play a qualifying match in Santiago due to the political situation in Chile. Chile was awarded a victory. East Germany, Haiti, Australia, and Zaire played in the finals for the first time. The tournament also had a new format. The top teams from the first four groups went into two new groups. The winners of these new groups played in the final.
Poland finished third. They beat defending champions Brazil 1–0. The Dutch team's exciting "Total Football" style captured everyone's attention. However, hosts West Germany won the competition. They beat the Netherlands 2–1 in the final.
The 1978 World Cup was held in Argentina. This caused some discussion because of political changes in the country two years earlier. No teams decided to stay away.
This was a very tough World Cup to qualify for. 95 countries competed for only 14 spots. Iran and Tunisia were first-time participants. Tunisia won their first match against Mexico 3–1. They became the first African team to win a World Cup game. There were rumors of unfair play in a match between Argentina and Peru. Argentina needed to win by four goals to reach the final. They won 6–0. Argentina went on to win the final 3–1 against the Netherlands in extra time. The Dutch were runners-up for the second time in a row.
Modern World Cups: The Late 20th Century
The 1980s: More Teams, More Drama
The 1982 World Cup was held in Spain. It was the first with 24 teams. The teams were divided into six groups. The top two teams from each group moved to a second round. Cameroon, Algeria, Honduras, New Zealand, and Kuwait debuted. A strange moment happened in the match between Kuwait and France. The Kuwaiti team stopped playing after hearing a whistle from the stands. A Kuwaiti official then came onto the pitch and argued with the referee. The referee disallowed a French goal. France still won 4–1.
Also in the group stages, Hungary beat El Salvador 10–1. This is the biggest victory in World Cup history. A match between West Germany and Austria led to a rule change. Both teams seemed to play to keep a specific score. This ensured both teams qualified at the expense of Algeria. The semi-final between West Germany and France was controversial. German keeper Harald Schumacher's challenge injured Patrick Battiston. Schumacher was not sent off. West Germany won in a penalty shoot-out. Italy won the final 3–1 against West Germany. Italian captain Dino Zoff became the oldest player to win the World Cup at 40. Italian striker Paolo Rossi was the top scorer with six goals.
The 1986 World Cup was originally planned for Colombia. However, Colombia withdrew. Mexico became the first nation to host two World Cups. The format changed again. The second round was replaced by a round of 16 and quarter-finals. All final group matches kicked off at the same time for fairness. Canada, Denmark, and Iraq debuted. José Batista of Uruguay was sent off after only 56 seconds. This was a World Cup record. The quarter-final between England and Argentina is famous for two Diego Maradona goals. One was a controversial handball goal. The other was a brilliant solo effort, often called the Goal of the Century. Maradona was later named player of the tournament. In the final, Argentina beat West Germany 3–2, inspired by Diego Maradona.
The 1990s: Global Expansion and Unforgettable Games
The 1990 World Cup was held in Italy. Cameroon reached the quarter-finals. They beat Argentina in the opening game. No African country had reached the quarter-finals before. Mexico was banned from the competition due to rule breaking at a youth championship. The United States qualified for the first time since 1950. A controversial incident happened in the South American qualifiers. During a match between Brazil and Chile, a firework landed near the Chilean goalkeeper. This led to a player being suspended and Chile being banned from the 1994 World Cup.
Costa Rica, the United Arab Emirates, and the Republic of Ireland made their first appearances. The Republic of Ireland reached the quarter-finals without winning a single game. They drew all three group matches and won a penalty shootout. They were knocked out by hosts Italy. The final was a rematch of the previous one. West Germany beat Argentina 1–0 in the final to win their third title. This was the last tournament before Germany reunited.
The 1994 World Cup was held in the United States. Yugoslavia was excluded due to international sanctions. Colombia qualified after defeating Argentina 5–0. Japan almost qualified but drew with Iraq in their final match. This allowed South Korea to qualify. Russia played their first World Cup after the fall of the Soviet Union. Greece, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia debuted.
Oleg Salenko of Russia scored five goals in one game. This was a record in his country's 6–1 win over Cameroon. In the same match, 42-year-old Roger Milla scored for Cameroon. He became the oldest player to score in a World Cup match. Diego Maradona was removed from the tournament due to a rule violation. Without him, Argentina lost to Romania in the last 16. Hristo Stoichkov shared the Golden Boot award with Oleg Salenko. He led Bulgaria to a surprising 2–1 win over defending champions Germany in the quarter-finals. Brazil defeated Italy 3–2 on penalties after a 0–0 draw in the final. It was the first final decided by a penalty shoot-out.
The total attendance for the tournament was over 3.5 million people. This remains the biggest in World Cup history. The tournament was very successful financially. It broke records for average attendance per match.
The 1998 World Cup was held in France. It had an expanded format with 32 teams. Japan debuted after defeating Iran in a playoff. Iran also qualified after beating Australia. In a second-round match, France and Paraguay saw the first golden goal in World Cup history. Laurent Blanc scored to give the hosts a 1–0 victory. Hosts France won the tournament. They beat Brazil 3–0 in the final. Brazilian star player Ronaldo's health was a concern before the final. Debutants Croatia finished third.
The World Cup in the 21st Century
The 2000s: New Hosts and Surprises
The 2002 World Cup was hosted jointly by South Korea and Japan. It was the first to be held in Asia. It was also the first to have two hosts. Togolese Souleymane Mamam became the youngest player to play in a World Cup qualifier at 13 years old. Australia defeated American Samoa 31–0 in a preliminary match. This set a new record for the biggest win. However, Australia did not qualify for this edition.
The tournament was successful for teams not usually expected to go far. South Korea, Senegal, and the United States all reached the last eight. Turkish player Hakan Sukur scored the earliest World Cup goal ever. He scored at 11 seconds against South Korea in the third-place match. Turkey's third place was the best performance by a Muslim country. South Korea had the best performance by an Asian team. Brazil beat Germany 2–0 in the final for their fifth title.
The 2006 World Cup was held in Germany. It was the first World Cup where the previous winner had to qualify. The host nation still gets an automatic spot. Four African teams made their debut: Togo, Ivory Coast, Angola, and Ghana. Ghana reached the last 16. Defending champions Brazil were eliminated by France in the quarter-finals.
Germany had a strong performance. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Italy 2–0 in extra time. Germany won third place against Portugal 3–1. The final was between Italy and France. French captain Zinedine Zidane was sent off for an incident with Italian defender Marco Materazzi. Italy won 5–3 in a penalty shoot-out. The score was 1–1 after 90 minutes and extra time.
The 2010s: Technology and Triumphs
The 2010 World Cup was held in South Africa. It was the first cup hosted in Africa. Spain won the cup. The tournament was known for defensive matches and the loud vuvuzela horns. Spain won the cup despite scoring only eight goals in seven games. They also lost their opening match to Switzerland. David Villa led the team with five goals. In the final, Netherlands lost 1–0 to Spain in extra time. Andrés Iniesta scored the winning goal.
The 2014 World Cup was held in Brazil. This was the second time Brazil hosted the competition. Germany won the cup. They beat Argentina 1–0 in the final. The Netherlands defeated Brazil 3–0 in the match for third place. Brazil had lost to Germany 7–1 in the semi-finals.
Cooling breaks for players were introduced in this World Cup. This was due to the high temperatures in Brazil. Goal-line technology was also used for the first time. This helped determine if the ball crossed the goal line.
The 2018 World Cup was held in Russia. It was the first cup in Eastern Europe. France won the cup. They beat Croatia 4–2 in the final. Belgium defeated England 2–0 for third place. It was also the first cup to use the video assistant referee (VAR) system.
The 2020s and Beyond: Future of Football
The 2022 World Cup was hosted by Qatar. It was the first tournament not held in the northern hemisphere summer. It was also the first in the Middle East. Argentina won the cup. They beat defending champions France 4–2 in a penalty shoot-out. The final was drawn 3–3 after extra time. France's Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick, only the second player to do so in a World Cup Final. Previous runners-up Croatia won the match for third place. They beat Morocco 2–1. Morocco's fourth-place finish was the best for any African or Arab nation. This was the last World Cup to feature 32 teams.
The 2026 World Cup was hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. All three nations are in North America. It was the first tournament to be hosted by three nations. It was also the first tournament to feature 48 teams.
The hosts for the 2030 World Cup will be Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay in South America for the opening matches. This will honor the 100th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup. Morocco in Africa, and Spain and Portugal in Europe will also host matches.
The 2034 World Cup will be hosted by Saudi Arabia.
How the World Cup Format Changed
The number of teams and the format of each final tournament have changed over the years. Most tournaments have a group stage where teams play each other. This is followed by a knockout stage where teams are eliminated after losing.
| Year | Teams | Matches | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min. | Act. | |||
| 1930 | 13 | 18 | 4 groups of 3–4, semi-finals, final | |
| 1934 | 16 | 16 | 17 | round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, match for third place, final |
| 1938 | 15 | 15 | 18 | round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, match for third place, final |
| 1950 | 13 | 22 | 4 groups of 2–4, final round-robin group of 4 | |
| 1954 | 16 | 24 | 26 | 4 groups of 4, quarter-finals, semi-finals, match for third place, final |
| 1958 | 16 | 32 | 35 | 4 groups of 4, quarter-finals, semi-finals, match for third place, final |
| 1962 | 16 | 32 | ||
| 1966 | 16 | 32 | ||
| 1970 | 16 | 32 | ||
| 1974 | 16 | 38 | 4 groups of 4 (first round), 2 groups of 4 (second round), match for third place, final | |
| 1978 | 16 | 38 | ||
| 1982 | 24 | 52 | 6 groups of 4 (first round), 4 groups of 3 (second round), semi-finals, match for third place, final | |
| 1986 | 24 | 52 | 6 groups of 4, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, match for third place, final | |
| 1990 | 24 | 52 | ||
| 1994 | 24 | 52 | ||
| 1998 | 32 | 64 | 8 groups of 4, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, match for third place, final | |
| 2002 | 32 | 64 | ||
| 2006 | 32 | 64 | ||
| 2010 | 32 | 64 | ||
| 2014 | 32 | 64 | ||
| 2018 | 32 | 64 | ||
| 2022 | 32 | 64 | ||
| 2026 | 48 | 104 | 12 groups of 4, round of 32, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, match for third place, final | |
| 2030 | 48 | 104 | ? | |
| 2034 | 48 | 104 | ? | |
World Cup Champions Through the Years
See also
In Spanish: Historia de la Copa Mundial de Fútbol para niños
- History of FIFA
- FIFA World Cup hosts
