Football is the most-loved sport in the world. Apart from its rich culture that spans across centuries of revolution and evolution, football is a sport which is truly meant to be global.
Be it the passion for the game or rivalry between teams, there are a number of reasons which make people mad for soccer. But of all, FIFA World Cup is inarguably the biggest factor that gives football its tremendous fanbase.
Played as a quadrennial competition organized by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), FIFA World Cup is soccer’s biggest spectacle, and its rich history of legendary names, teams make up the footballing royalty
And did you know that FIFA World Cup began 92 years ago exactly on this day, i.e. July 13.
The inaugural matches of the competition were played on 13 July 1930 and won by France and the US, who defeated Mexico 4–1 and Belgium 3–0 respectively. The first goal in World Cup history was scored by Lucien Laurent of France.
Uruguay clinched the inaugural cup in its home turf by defeating Argentina 4–2 in front of more than 90,000 people.
In the tournaments that followed between 1934 and 1978, 16 teams competed in each edition. The tournament was expanded to 24 teams in 1*982 and then to 32 in 1998. In 2017, FIFA confirmed that the 2026 edition of the World Cup will have 48 finalist teams.
Winners’ record:
Brazil are the most successful team of all with 5 championships to its name, the last of which came with a star-studded team comprising the likes of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. Germany and Italy have also won the competitions 4 times each. Argentina, Uruguay and France have two cups while Spain and England have won the cup only once.
Leading scorers:
German great Miroslav Klose holds the record for scoring most (16) goals in world cup tournaments while Brazilian legend Ronaldo has one less than Klose.
India’s record at World Cups:
Despite boasting a great record in a plethora of sports, FIFA World Cup still remains a far-fetched dream for India. India did however qualify by default for the World Cup in 1950 as all the other nations in their qualification group withdrew.
2022 World Cup:
The next FIFA World Cup, the 22nd edition of the sporting event is scheduled to take place in Qatar from November 21 to December 18 later this year. The first match will be contested between Senegal and the Netherlands at Al Thumama Stadium, Doha.