Soccer's international governing body, the FIFA, was formed in 1904 with the objective of organizing championship matches between professional teams of different nations. Professionalism arrived in continental Europe in the 1920s and in South America less than a decade later. By 1930 the interest in soccer was high enough to ensure the success of the first World Cup, even though only 13 countries entered. No team sport approaches soccer's popularity in both Europe and South America. Those two cup winners then meet for the annual World Club Championship.
Professional soccer is big business.
In Europe and South America, star soccer players are celebrities for life. The ardor of soccer spectators, particularly during international matches, sometimes results in violence. A 1970 World Cup qualifying match between Honduras and El Salvador sparked a border war between those two nations. Many African nations, led by Zaire, Zambia, and Guinea, are close to producing world-class soccer teams. The major international competitions in Africa are the African Cup of Nations, held biennially between national all-star teams, and the annual African Cup of Champion Clubs.