FIFA World Cup Facts
The FIFA World Cup is the most prestigious tournament in the world of soccer, bringing together the best teams from around the globe to compete for the coveted title of world champion.
This tournament is a celebration of soccer culture, featuring not only the athletes themselves but also the fans, who come together to support their favorite teams and create a unique and unforgettable atmosphere. From the nail-biting matches to the passionate support of the fans, the Fifa World Cup is a truly unforgettable experience.
In this article, we’ll dive into the history, the current events, and everything else related to the FIFA World Cup. So buckle up and let’s get ready for some soccer madness!
FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 HOST CITY ANNOUNCEMENT
FIFA World Cup Facts
FACT 1.➤ The World Cup is a soccer tournament that takes place every four years and is organized by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). The headquartered of FIFA is in Zurich, Switzerland.
FACT 2.➤ The first FIFA World Cup final took place on July 30, 1930, in Montevideo, Uruguay. A total of 13 teams participated in the tournament, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and the United States.
FACT 3.➤ The World Cup is held every four years, with the exception of 1942 and 1946, when the tournament was not held due to World War II.
FACT 4.➤ The World Cup is contested by national teams from all over the world. A total of 32 teams qualify for the tournament.
FACT 5.➤ The World Cup trophy is made of 18-carat gold and is called the “FIFA World Cup Trophy.” The trophy is made in the shape of two human figures holding up the Earth.
FACT 6.➤ The World Cup is held in a different country each time. The 2022 World Cup was held in Qatar, making it the first time the tournament has been held in the Middle East.
FACT 7.➤ The World Cup trophy is awarded to the winning team and is kept by the team until the next World Cup.
FACT 8.➤ The World Cup is contested by national teams, not club teams.
FACT 9.➤ The World Cup features a group stage, followed by a knockout stage.The top two teams from each group in the group stage advance to the knockout stage. The knockout stage consists of a round of 16, a quarter-final, a semi-final, and a final.
FACT 10.➤ The World Cup has been hosted by countries on every continent except Antarctica.
FACT 11.➤ The World Cup has been held in countries in South America, Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia.
FACT 12.➤ The World Cup has been won by eight different countries: Brazil (5 wins), Germany (4 wins), Italy (4 wins), Uruguay (2 wins), Argentina (2 wins), England (1 win), France (1 win), and Spain (1 win).
FACT 13.➤ The most successful team in World Cup history is Brazil, with a total of five wins.
FACT 14.➤ The first goal in the FIFA World Cup was scored by Lucien Laurent of France in the 1930 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Uruguay. Laurent scored the goal in the 20th minute of the match against Mexico, which France won 4-1. The 1930 World Cup was the inaugural edition of the tournament, which has since become the most prestigious and widely followed international soccer competition in the world. (source)
FACT 15.➤ The official match ball for the World Cup is made by a different company each time. The official match ball for the 2022 World Cup is called the “Bezema,” and it was designed by Adidas.
FACT 16.➤ In 2022 FIFA world cup, 172 goals were scored at the 2022 World Cup. This is a new all-time competition record, surpassing the 171 scored in both 1998 and 2014.
FACT 17.➤ After the World Cup 2022, Argentina’s Lionel Messi became the all-time record holder for most games played ( 26th appearance ) at the tournament, overtaking Lothar Matthäus (25).
FACT 18.➤ The Golden Shoe, also known as the Golden Boot, is an award presented to the top goalscorer in a major international football (soccer) tournament. It is most famously awarded to the top scorer at the FIFA World Cup.
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up |
| 1930 | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 1934 | Italy | Czechoslovakia |
| 1938 | Italy | Hungary |
| 1950 | Uruguay | Brazil |
| 1954 | West Germany | Hungary |
| 1958 | Brazil | Sweden |
| 1962 | Brazil | Czechoslovakia |
| 1966 | England | West Germany |
| 1970 | Brazil | Italy |
| 1974 | West Germany | Netherlands |
| 1978 | Argentina | Netherlands |
| 1982 | Italy | West Germany |
| 1986 | Argentina | West Germany |
| 1990 | West Germany | Argentina |
| 1994 | Brazil | Italy |
| 1998 | France | Brazil |
| 2002 | Brazil | Germany |
| 2006 | Italy | France |
| 2010 | Spain | Netherlands |
| 2014 | Germany | Argentina |
| 2018 | France | Croatia |
| 2022 | Argentina | France |
FACT 19.➤ The Golden Boot award was not presented at the 1930 first FIFA World Cup, which was held in Uruguay. The award was first presented at the 1934 World Cup in Italy, and it has been presented at every World Cup since then. At the 1930 World Cup, the top scorer was Guillermo Stábile of Argentina, who scored a total of eight goals in the tournament.
FACT 20.➤ Below is the detail for the winner of Golder Shoes or Golden Boot in the history of FIFA Soccer World Cup.
Year | Winner | Goals Scored |
1934 | Giuseppe Meazza (Italy) | 3 |
1938 | Leonidas (Brazil) | 7 |
1950 | Ademir (Brazil) | 8 |
1954 | Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) | 11 |
1958 | Just Fontaine (France) | 13 |
1962 | Florian Albert (Hungary) | 5 |
1966 | Eusébio (Portugal) | 9 |
1970 | Gerd Muller (West Germany) | 10 |
1974 | Grzegorz Lato (Poland) | 7 |
1978 | Mario Kempes (Argentina) | 6 |
1982 | Paolo Rossi (Italy) | 6 |
1986 | Gary Lineker (England) | 6 |
1990 | Salvatore Schillaci (Italy) | 6 |
1994 | Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria) | 6 |
1998 | Ronaldo (Brazil) | 8 |
2002 | Ronaldo (Brazil) | 8 |
2006 | Miroslav Klose (Germany) | 5 |
2010 | Thomas Muller (Germany) | 5 |
2014 | James Rodriguez (Colombia) | 6 |
2018 | Harry Kane (England) | 6 |
2022 | Kylian Mbappé (France) | 8 |
FACT 21.➤ The FIFA World Cup is a soccer tournament that takes place every four years and is organized by the International Federation The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It will be the first time that the World Cup has been held in more than one country since the tournament began in 1930. The United States will host the majority of the matches, including all knockout stage matches, while Canada and Mexico will each host a group stage and knockout stage match. The tournament will feature a total of 48 teams, up from the current 32-team format, and will be played in a total of 17 cities across the three countries.
FACT 22.➤ The 2026 FIFA World Cup, will feature a total of 48 teams, up from the current 32-team format. This will be the first time that the World Cup has featured more than 32 teams.
FACT 23.➤ The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will feature a total of 80 matches. This includes a total of 48 group stage matches, 16 rounds of 16 matches, 8 quarter-final matches, 4 semi-final matches, and 2 final matches (the third-place match and the championship match).
FACT 24.➤ In order to qualify for the World Cup, national teams from around the world must go through a series of qualifying rounds.
FACT 25.➤ Qualifying for the World Cup is based on a continent-by-continent basis, with the exception of the host nation(s), which automatically qualify for the tournament. Each of the six confederations recognized by FIFA (Africa, Asia, Europe, North and Central America, and the Caribbean, Oceania, and South America) holds its own qualifying tournament to determine the teams that will represent the confederation in the World Cup.
FACT 26.➤ The number of teams that each confederation is allowed to send to the World Cup varies, with the larger confederations (such as Europe and South America) typically sending more teams than the smaller ones (such as Oceania). The qualifying process for the World Cup can take several years and involves a large number of matches played by national teams from around the world.
FACT 27.➤ Details of FIFA confederations
Africa: The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is the governing body of soccer in Africa and is responsible for organizing the qualifying tournament for the FIFA World Cup as well as other international competitions. There are currently 54 member associations within CAF.
Asia: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of soccer in Asia and is responsible for organizing the qualifying tournament for the FIFA World Cup as well as other international competitions. There are currently 47 member associations within AFC.
Europe: The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is the governing body of soccer in Europe and is responsible for organizing the qualifying tournament for the FIFA World Cup as well as other international competitions. There are currently 55 member associations within UEFA.
North and Central America and the Caribbean: The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) is the governing body of soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean and is responsible for organizing the qualifying tournament for the FIFA World Cup as well as other international competitions. There are currently 41 member associations within CONCACAF.
Oceania: The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is the governing body of soccer in Oceania and is responsible for organizing the qualifying tournament for the FIFA World Cup as well as other international competitions. There are currently 11 member associations within OFC.
South America: The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) is the governing body of soccer in South America and is responsible for organizing the qualifying tournament for the FIFA World Cup as well as other international competitions. There are currently 10 member associations within CONMEBOL.
FACT 28.➤ List of some of the more notable countries that qualified for the 2018 World Cup but did not qualify for the 2022 tournament.
- Italy
- Chile
- Cameroon
- Ghana
- United States
- Netherlands
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Republic of
- reland
- Northern Ireland
- Australia
- Honduras
- Costa Rica
- Panama
- Peru
FACT 29.➤ List of some of the more notable countries that qualified for the 2018 World Cup but did not qualify for the 2022 tournament.
FACT 30.➤ The most attended match in FIFA World Cup history was the final match of the 1950 World Cup, which was held at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. An estimated 199,854 people attended the match, which was played between Brazil and Uruguay. Brazil lost the match 2-1 in front of a home crowd, which remains one of the most famous and memorable moments in the history of the World Cup.
Plants
Animals
Human Body
Physics
Chemistry
Quiz
Funny Jokes
Parenting Tips
Earth Science Topics
- Types of Rocks
- Fossil Fuels
- Earth Day Quiz
- Plate Tectonics
- Layers of the Earth
- Layers of the Atmosphere
- The Water Cycle
- Why We Have Seasons
ALSO READ THESE POPULAR ARTICLES
The post FIFA World Cup Facts appeared first on SmartClass4Kids.
This post first appeared on Free Online Educational Resource For Kids, please read the originial post: here
