Football World Cup winners list | FIFA soccer WC champion teams, history Football World Cup winners list Published on Jun 20, 2014 Take a close look at the greatest football teams on earth: the FIFA World Cup champions. The World Cup, also known as the Mundial or Copa do Mundo, has been held 19 times since it inaugural tournament in 1930. It has been won by eight different teams, with Brazil having the most World Cup titles with five, followed by Italy with four, and West Germany with three. Argentina and Uruguay have two titles each while England, France, and Spain have one title. Below is a year-by-year account of all the World Cup champion teams. 1930 FIFA World Cup Final score: Uruguay 4-2 Argentina Host country: Uruguay The 1930 World Cup was staged in Uruguay and it was the host country that won the championship. In the final match, the Uruguayans saw themselves trailing behind Argentina by 2-1 but managed to turn things around in the second half by scoring three goals. Uruguay became the first World Cup winner with a 4-2 score.

1934 FIFA World Cup Final score: Italy 2-1 Czechoslovakia (Extra time) Host country: Italy The 1934 World Cup was once again won by the host country and this time it was Italy that took the trophy. Playing against Czechoslovakia, Italy imposed a very tough defense but the visiting team breached the Italian line in the 70th to lead 1-0. Italy retaliated to make the game 1-1 before the end of regulation and bagged the win in overtime by a 2-1 tally. 1938 FIFA World Cup Final score: Italy 4-2 Hungary Host country: France Italy retained its crown in the 1938 World Cup in France. In the final match against Hungary, the Italians broke clear with a 3-1 score at halftime and finished the game 4-2. 1950 FIFA World Cup Final score: Uruguay 2-1 Brazil Host country: Brazil The World Cup was not staged again until 1950 because of the Second World War. Played in Brazil, this edition of the Mundial saw one of the biggest upsets in football history when the host country lost to the Uruguay football team.

Brazil was highly favored to win in the final match with Uruguay, which was lowly rated after not qualifying in the two previous World Cups. The Brazilians scored two minutes into the second half and everything seemed to be going well for them. However, Uruguay tied on the 66th minute mark and scored anew on the 79th to steal the 1950 World Cup trophy. 1954 FIFA World Cup Final score: West Germany 3-2 Hungary Host country: Switzerland The 1954 World Cup saw another major upset: In the group stage, the Hungarians trashed West Germany 8-3 and was highly favored to win when the two teams met again in the final. Scoring two goals after only eight minutes, the Hungarian football team looked like they were on a smooth way to the Mundial trophy. However, West Germany equalized within the first half and, just five minutes before the end of regulation, broke away with another goal to win 3-2. 1958 FIFA World Cup Final score: Brazil 5-2 Sweden Host country: Sweden Host Sweden matched up against Brazil in the final of the 1958 World Cup.

The Swedish football team opened the scoring but found themselves trailing by 2-1 at the end of the first half. Brazil played top-class football for the rest of the second half and finished the game 5-2. Brazil’s successful campaign was spurred by one of the greatest footballers in history , Pele, who played his first Mundial in this year. 1962 FIFA World Cup Final score: Brazil 3-1 Czechoslovakia Host country: Chile In the 1962 World Cup, Brazil faced Czechoslovakia in the final match without its goal-scoring genius, Pele, as he was injured in the first round. The Czechoslovakians struck the first goal but the Brazilians showed their offensive flare to emerge as victors with a 3-1 score. This was the second of five World Cup trophies in the Brazilian football team’s history. 1966 FIFA World Cup Final score: England 4-2 West Germany (Extra time) Host country: England England faced West Germany at the final of the 1966 World Cup. The Germans found the back of the net first but the English equalized by halftime, 1-1.

In the second half, the English pulled away with a goal’s lead but West Germany scored before the end of regulation to take the game into overtime with a 2-2 score. Englishman Geoff Hurst, who had one goal in regulation, scored twice in overtime to make England World Cup winners and to become the only player ever to score a hat trick in a Mundial final. The 1966 victory is the only World Cup trophy in the English football team’s history as of present. 1970 FIFA World Cup Final score: Italy 3-1 West Germany Host country: Spain The 1982 World Cup title is the third of Italy. It was not an easy one, as the Italians barely survived elimination in the first round. The first half of the final game did not prove to be inspiring either, as Italy missed a penalty that would have opened the scoring. However, Italy managed to squeeze a goal on the 56th minute and followed it up with two more goals to lead 3-0. West Germany scored a goal in the 82nd minute to finish the game honorably, 3-1.

1986 FIFA World Cup Final score: Brazil 0-0 Italy (3-2 pen) Host country: United States The 1994 World Cup, held in the United States, is the fourth occasion that Brazil would rip the highest honor in football. In the final match, neither Brazil nor its opponent, Italy, scored in the regulation and extra periods so the game was forced into a penalty shootout. Both sides missed on their first attempt but Brazil converted its following shots while Italy suffered two more misses to lose 3-2 in the shootout. The biggest disappointment came to Italian football hero Roberto Baggio, who led his team throughout the tournament only to miss his chance from the penalty spot in the final game. 1998 FIFA World Cup Final score: France 3-0 Brazil Host country: France The 1998 World Cup trophy was competed between 32 teams and it was France that emerged triumphant. The French survived the quarter finals through a penalty shootout against Italy and defeated Croatia in the semis with a 2-1 score. They went on to the final to square up with Brazil.

The final belonged to French football legend Zinedine Zidane who scored two goals in regulation to make victory imminent for the host country. His efforts were complemented by Emmanuel Petit, who added another goal in stoppage period. The match ended 3-0 for the first World Cup title in France’s football squad history. 2002 FIFA World Cup Final score: Brazil 2-0 Germany Host country: South Korea & Japan The 2002 World Cup was the first to be held in Asia and saw Brazil become the winner once again. Ronaldo scored both of Brazil’s goals to surge pass Germany 2-0 in the final match. The brilliant striker finished as 2002 top scorer but it was the football goalkeeping legend Oliver Kahn of Germany who bagged the award for the tournament’s best player, the Golden Ball.

(This World Cup, with Korea and Japan as hosts, is the first to be hosted by two nations.) 2006 FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup (Olympic Games 1898) | Alternative History | Fandom powered by Wikia FIFA World Cup (Olympic Games 1898) 41,186pages on FIFA World Cup (Olympic Games 1898) The current FIFA World Cup Trophy , awarded to the World Cup champions since 1976 Founded World Cup The FIFA World Cup (also called the Football World Cup, the Soccer World Cup, or simply the World Cup) is an international association Football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association ( FIFA ), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930 , except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held because of the Second World War . The current champions are Spain , who won the 2010 tournament .

The current format of the tournament involves 32 teams competing for the title at venues within the host nation(s) over a period of about a month – this phase is often called the World Cup Finals. A qualification phase , which currently takes place over the preceding three years, is used to determine which teams qualify for the tournament together with the host nation(s). The 19 World Cup tournaments have been won by eight different national teams. Brazil have won five times, and they are the only team to have played in every tournament. The other World Cup winners are Italy , with four titles; Germany , with three titles; Argentina and inaugural winners Uruguay , with two titles each; and England , France , and Spain , with one title each. The World Cup is the world's most widely viewed sporting event; an estimated 715.1 million people watched the final match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany . [1] The most recent tournament is 2008 FIFA World Cup in South Africa . The next three World Cups will be hosted by Brazil in 2012 , Russia in |2016 , and Qatar in 2020 .

need fusion The FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) World Cup are a football tournament held every four years since 1932 (with the exception of 1940 and 1944 due to the World War 2) in different host countries to hand out the World Cup. The tournament occurs for one month July-June every four years - in 2008, the most recent World Cup, the tournament was hosted in South Africa, and will be hosted by China in 2012. 32 countries are accepted to the tournament, and after initial "group play," 16 teams advance to the knockout rounds. The 2008 championship match between China and Germany was the most-watched program in television history. Contents [ show ] Membership The FIFA is comprised of six leagues, based on geographic location.

There is the Eurasian League, composed of the member-teams of the French Empire in Europe, other European nations as well as Siberia; the Asian League, composed of Middle Eastern, South Asian and East Asian teams, as well as Oceania; African League, which is the continent of Africa, and the Americas League, composed of North and South America, as well as Hawai'i. The most interesting nation to watch in the FIFA tourneys is the French Empire, which in fact fields four separate teams - a team for France proper, a team for the vague boundaries of Germany, a team for the East (Russia) and a team for their Scandinavian territories. In turn, they also administer each of their major colonies (Canada, Algeria, Hindustan, French West Africa) as an independent team. While often a criticized move in that it allows one single government to field eight separate teams, it allows for culturally distinct regions of the French Empire to be properly represented. Additionally, this has allowed France and Germany to separately host the World Cup, as has been done before.

Number of Championships Forth Place: Chile Finals Site: Estadio Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina Notes: At the time, FISA formed an understanding with the football powerhouses of the world that South America and Europe would switch off hosting duties every other World Cup. The 1936 Cup in Argentina was a rousing success for the country, and the infrastructural improvements to many of their stadiums helped boost the strength of the Argentine club team federation. The presence of Chile, traditionally an enemy of Argentina, caused many Argentines to vocally support the German team during the finals, and the Chilean victory was considered a nationally significant event in Chile. Interruption 1940 and 1944 was programed but not players because of World War 2 1948 Forth Place: Chile Finals Site: Estadio Brasiliano Notes: Due to the 1940 World Cup, scheduled for Germany, being cancelled, the French and German teams did not participate in the 1944 World Cup as France recovered from the French Civil War which had claimed over thirty million lives and ravaged the country.

As a result, the 1944 World Cup was seen as an opportunity for non-Imperial teams to make huge inroads - and that was exactly what happened, as Oceania topped England, the nation they were once a colony of. The stunning collapse of South American teams, which were favored to excel, was a massive surprise. Brazil did not score a single goal in the entire tournament and Argentia lost to Oceania in the semi-final and then lost 6-0 to Turkey in the third-place match. 1948 Forth Place: Chile Finals Site: Evgenigrad Stadium, Evgenigrad, Alaska Notes: The '76 World Cup final pitted France and Brazil in a rematch of their classic title bout in '68, with France once again emerging the victor. The 1-0 French victory gave France their third World Cup, tying them with Chile - and like the Chileans, France has not won a World Cup since '76.

This was also the last time until 1996 that Brazil would participate in the World Cup, due to their vicious civil war involving Colombia and America in the late 1970's and into the 1980's. The Alaskan government saw many of the infrastructural issues with the '76 World Cup and adjusted them in time for the wildly successful 1982 Kialgory Olympics. This was also the first Cup to feature a field of 24 teams, as opposed to 16. 1980 Forth Place: Chile Finals Site: Thames Park, London, England Notes: The 1980 French National Team (Les Imperiales) was considered the most talented team ever fielded by the French Empire, and possibly the best team fielded since the '64 Chilean team or the '52 Egyptian squad.

In a showdown that had Cold War implications, the English team beat the Irish in the semifinal before knocking off France 3-2, with the last goal coming in the 81st minute of the game, in what was referred to as the "Miracle on the Pitch" - the greatest upset in sports history alongside Colombia's 1974 baseball upset of the United States. France has not advanced past the semifinal round since 1980, nor the quarterfinal round since 2000. 1984 Forth Place: Chile Finals Site: Estadio de la Revolucion, Santiago, Chile Notes: In the waning days of the Marxist government in Chile, the Chilean national football team was favored to win a record fourth title, especially on home turf - however, the Argentinians won their elusive first World Cup trophy after decades of frustration 4-1 in front of a 68,000 person crowd that was almost entirely Chilean. The victory was deemed a national embarrassment in Chile, and the Rojos have not advanced to the finals since 1984, and the Marxist government under Ernesto Platera collapsed in 1987.

"Football could have saved the communists," became a popular phrase in Chile and around the world soon thereafter, driving home the effect the match had on the country as a whole. 1988 History of Caribbean teams in the FIFA World Cup - Caribbean & Co. History of Caribbean teams in the FIFA World Cup June 22, 2014 Ursula Petula Barzey Football FIFA , Soccer 0 Thirty-two men’s national association football teams from across the globe are currently in Brazil participating in the 2014 FIFA World Cup for national pride and glory but there are unfortunately no Caribbean teams partaking in this year’s billion dollar tournament. In fact, since the original tournament held in Uruguay in 1930, only four Caribbean national football teams have participated in what for many now is a month of delightful football madness. The four Caribbean national teams to participate in the FIFA World Cup competition which has been held every four years since the inaugural tournament except in 1942 and 1946 due to the Second World War include: Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.

CUBA: Quarterfinals (1938) The Cuba National Football Team was the first Caribbean team to participate in the FIFA World Cup, which they did in 1938. Their qualification came about as a result of the decision to hold this the third World Cup tournament in France. Poorly received in the Americas who felt the tournament should have returned to their side of the globe after the second one was held in Italy, all nations in South America except Brazil withdrew, and all CONCACAF nations except Cuba withdrew, thus the two qualified by default. The tournament was held as a straight knock-out tournament of 16 nations. Once the tournament got on the way, the Cuban team defeated Romania in a replay 2–1 after drawing against them 3–3. They were then eliminated in the quarter-finals by Sweden, 8–0. Cuba has not returned to the World Cup since. They have however finished second in the Caribbean Cup in 1996, 1999 and 2005 and won the 2012 Caribbean Cup.

HAITI: Round 1 (1974) The second Caribbean team to participate in the FIFA World Cup was the Haiti National Football Team in 1974. Held in then West Germany, the Haitian team didn’t get beyond round one and have not made another appearance in the FIFA World Cup. However, it should be noted that they surprised the football world in their debut game when star forward Emmanuel Sanon scored to give Haiti a lead over Italy, at the same time ending Dino Zoff’s still standing record run of 1142 minutes without conceding a goal in international matches. They eventually lost 1–4, and would lose to Poland (0–7) and Argentina (1–4). Their most recent achievement was in 2007, when they won the 2007 Caribbean Cup. JAMAICA: Round 1 (1998) The third Caribbean team to participate in the FIFA World Cup was the Jamaica National Football Team in 1998.

While this Jamaica team like Haiti didn’t get beyond round one of the tournament held in France, Jamaica is actually the smallest nation to score in and win a FIFA World Cup game — two feats previously held by Northern Ireland since 1958 — when Robbie Earle scored the side’s only goal in a 3–1 defeat against Croatia and then beat Japan 2–1 at the 1998 World Cup, respectively. Jamaica is also, along with United States and Costa Rica, one of the rare teams from the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) region to draw against Mexico in the Estadio Azteca in a World Cup qualifier match. The Jamaica National Football Team has won the Caribbean Cup five times (1991, 1998, 2005, 2008 & 2010). TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Round 1 (2006) The fourth Caribbean team to participate in the FIFA World Cup was the Trinidad & Tobago National Football Team nicknamed the Soca Warriors, in 2006.

During this tournament held in a united Germany, Trinidad & Tobago were grouped with England, Sweden and Paraguay in Group B. They drew their first game 0–0 against Sweden despite going down to ten men early in the second half. They then lost both their remaining matches against England and Paraguay by a 2–0 margin. Base on this appearance, the team currently holds the record of being the smallest nation (both in size and population) to ever qualify for a FIFA World Cup. Outside of FIFA World Cup tournaments, the Trinidad & Tobago National Football Team has qualified for the CONCACAF Gold Cup on eight occasions with their best performance in 2000 after reaching the semi-finals, finishing 3rd. The team has had even greater success in the Caribbean Cup having won the sub-continental competition eight times (1989, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999 & 2001) and runners-up on four occasions (1991, 1998, 2007 & 2012).

Sadly no Caribbean team has gotten close to raising the World Cup trophy in celebration, but we can only hope. Perhaps in 2018 in Russia or 2022 in Qatar England. One can only dream. 🙂 LIKE WHAT YOU'VE READ? If so, please join the growing Caribbean & Co. tribe who receive our weekly newsletter containing: news, events, competitions and offers and get a FREE COPY of our eBook, 14 Tips For Planning An Authentic Caribbean Holiday! All posts/articles are copyright © Caribbean & Co. 2014 - 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication in full without express and written permission from Caribbean & Co. is strictly prohibited. Excerpts (2 to 3 sentences max.) and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and Caribbean & Co. with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. THANK YOU! The following two tabs change content below. Fifa World Cup 2010 Fifa World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams.

It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. The bidding process for hosting the tournament finals was open only to African nations; in 2004, the international football federation, FIFA, selected South Africa over Egypt and Morocco to become the first African nation to host the finals. The matches were played in ten stadiums in nine host cities around the country, with the final played at the Soccer City stadium in South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg. Thirty-two teams were selected for participation via a worldwide qualification tournament that began in August 2007. In the first round of the tournament finals, the teams competed in round-robin groups of four teams for points, with the top two teams in each group proceeding. These sixteen teams advanced to the knockout stage, where three rounds of play decided which teams would participate in the final. In the final, Spain, the European champions, defeated third-time finalists the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time, with Andrés Iniesta's goal in the 116th minute giving Spain their first world title, the first time that a European nation has won the tournament outside its home continent.

Host nation South Africa, 2006 world champions Italy and 2006 runners-up France were eliminated in the first round of the tournament. (wikipedia.org) 2006 Fifa World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six populated continents participated in the qualification process which began in September 2003. Thirty-one teams qualified from this process, along with the host nation, Germany, for the finals tournament. The finals tournament of the 2006 World Cup began on 9 June. The 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four teams each, within which the teams competed in a round-robin tournament to determine which two of those four teams would advance to the sixteen-team knock-out stage, which started on 24 June. In total, 64 games were played. The tournament was won by Italy, who claimed their fourth World Cup title.

They defeated France 5–3 in a penalty shootout in the final, after extra time had finished in a 1–1 draw. Germany defeated Portugal 3–1 to finish third. Although Germany failed to win the Cup, the tournament was considered a great success for Germany in general. Germany also experienced a sudden increase in patriotic spirit with flag waving, traditionally frowned upon by German society since World War II, whenever the German team played.(wikipedia.org) 2002 Fifa World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the World Cup, held in the Republic of Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. The two countries were chosen as hosts by FIFA in May 1996 and was the first tournament in its history to be hosted by two countries. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia. This World Cup was also the last wherein the Golden Goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0 in the final. Turkey beat Korea Republic 3–2 in the third place match.

For a list of all squads that played in the final tournament, see 2002 FIFA World Cup squads. This was the first World Cup that featured squads of 23 players, an increase from 22 previously. Of the 23 players, 3 must be goalkeepers. In the final match held in Yokohama, Japan, two goals from Ronaldo secured the World Cup for Brazil as they claimed victory over Germany. Ronaldo scored twice in the second half and, after the game, won the Golden Boot award for the tournament's leading scorer with eight goals. This was the fifth time Brazil had won the World Cup, cementing their status as the most successful national team in the history of the competition. Brazil's captain Cafu, who became the first player to appear in three successive World Cup finals, accepted the trophy on behalf of the team.

(wikipedia.org) FIFA World Cup 101: The Best 10 Teams In The History Of World Cup | Bleacher Report FIFA World Cup 101: The Best 10 Teams In The History Of World Cup Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow 11.2K 28 Comments Throughout the history of World Cup 75 national teams were able to represent their countries in the biggest, most popular sporting event in the world. However, few of these teams have left a mark and a legacy. These teams made the rich history of the World Cup and created an elite group of countries which will always be there to try and win—not just to represent their nations. Here, we present to you the best 10 teams in the history of the FIFA World Cup, from when it all started back in 1930 all the way to last chapter in 2006. Next » 10: Soviet Union/Russia Russia was the main building block in all the Soviet Union's "USSR" teams before the end of the Cold War. In 1966, USSR achieved their best result in WC history finishing in fourth place.

USSR gave the world one of the best goalkeepers of all times in Yashin. Played: 37 Won: 17 Drew: 6: Lost: 14 Goals Scored: 64 Goals Conceded: 44. Next » 9: The Netherlands The Netherlands has always been hailed as being the best team that never managed to win the World Cup. They finished as runner-up on two consecutive occasions (1974, 1978), and they introduced to the world the concept of "Total Football". The country produced legends that are considered amongst the best in history. One above all the others is Johan Cruyff. Summary: P: 36 W: 16: D:10 L:10 GS: 59 GC:38 In the picture: Arjen Robben He is the star that shines the brightest at the moment, but Wesley Sneijder is also one of many players who are oozing with talent and can take the limelight while leading their team to glory. Next » 8: Sweden This might be a surprise for a lot of people, but Sweden has always been a consistent team when playing in the World Cup.

Their best result was second place in 1958 in the tournament they hosted. They also finished third place twice (1950, 1994) and once finished at fourth (1938). Unfortunately for the Swedes, they are going to miss on the trip to South Africa, as they failed to get through the qualification round. Summary: P: 46 W: 16 D: 13 L: 17 GS: 74 GC: 69 In the picture: Zlatan Ibrahimovic Ibra will miss out on the trip to South Africa along with his nation. Next » 7. Spain Spain are the eternal under-achievers, a team that always boosts some of the best talent on show but never lives up to expectations. For a change, Spain has broken the curse and won their first major title in a long time. Winning the latest European Championship, Spain go to South Africa as one of the hottest favorites for the ultimate prize. Surprisingly, Spain's best achievement was fourth place back in 1950. Can they write history this year?

Summary: P: 49 W: 22 D: 12: L: 15 GS: 80 GC: 57 In the picture: Fernando Torres and Andreas Iniesta. A brilliant striker and fantastic midfielder. Can they, with their teammates, prove that Spain no longer choke on big occasions? Next » 6. France Despite having Platini in the 80's and the fact that a French guy was behind the concept of the World Cup, France had to wait until 1998 to win their first World Cup. Therefore, as previous champions, France can never be ruled out. They are the defending runner up of the latest version, but from the look of it, such an achievement this year will be very hard to repeat. France finished third in 1958 and 1986 while finishing fourth in 1982. Summary: P: 51 W: 25 D: 10 L: 16 GS: 95 GC: 64 In the picture: Franck Ribery He is considered to be the best French player at the moment.

Ribery is a speedy and crafty winger who will be hoping to repeat the success that the great Zidane "Zizou" has achieved for his country. 5: England The English are the inventors of the game in its current format. England have one of the best squads in their history, and indeed they boast one of the best in the coming World Cup. Previous champions from 1966, England have the players and the coach in Capello necessary to win the World Cup. Known for their WAG's and high salaries, can they repeat the successes of the past? England finished fourth in 1990 but have never finished second or third. Summary: P: 55 W: 25 D: 17 L: 13 GS: 74 GC: 47 In the picture: Wayne Rooney. Rooney is one of the best strikers in the world and a contender for this year's European Golden Boot. England also have the likes of Lampard and Gerard, who are considered two of the best midfielders out there. They have Ferdinand and Terry, as well, who are also considered two of the best defenders.

Next » 4: Argentina The Tango team: Argentina are a team that is all about talent, flair, artistry, and magic on the ball. Argentina is the motherland of the best player in history, Diego Armando Maradona. Currently the Argentinian head coach, Maradona seems to have dragged the team down. Considering the ridiculous amount of talented players they have, Argentina look shaky and susceptible. The Argentinians have been winners twice (1978, 1986) and runner up in 1930 and 1990. Summary: P: 65 W: 33 D: 13 L: 19 GS: 113 GC: 74 In the picture: Lionel Messi. The Ballon D'Or FIFA World Player of the year and the Messiah of Barcelona, Messi is considered by many to be the best player the world has seen since Maradona. Some even argue that he will soon surpass everyone else to become the best in the world. If Maradona can build his team to utilize Messi's talent, many believe that Argentina will walk away with the cup.

The thought is tempting when you consider that the supporting cast includes the likes of Higuain, Aguero, Tevez, Di Maria, and Milito. Next » 3. Italy One of the most successful teams in the history of the World Cup and the masters of defense, Italy have always been considered to be the team that can not be written off. They can win a the Cup when you least expect it. Italy are the current Cup holders and will be hoping to retain it. However, with an aging squad and few changes from the team that won the tournament last time, it looks very unlikely that they will win it this year. Then again, that has always been the case. They were never clear favorites. Italy has four titles to its name (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006). They also came second on two occasions (1970, 1994), third once (1990), and fourth once (1978). Summary: P: 77 W: 44 D:19 L: 14 GS: 122 GC: 69 In the picture: Andrea Pirlo.

The team doesn't have a clear star. None of the players shine brighter than the othesr, and if Italy are going to achieve something in this tournament, it would be by team effort, just like they did in 2006. Next » 2: Germany Germany is a team of steel. They say that when you play Germany, you play against 22 players instead of 11. They are well known for being as relentless as they are efficient and ruthless. In the past few years, Germany was not as impressive as they used to be in the 90's, 80's and 70's. Still, they always find a way to reach the semifinals. Like Italy, Germany cannot be written off. They are always a legitimate contender, and when teams play against them, they never feel safe until the final whistle is blown.

They are three time holders (1954, 1974, 1990), with four finished in second place (1966, 1982, 1986, 2002), three in third place (1934, 1970, 2006), and one in fourth place (1958). Summary: P: 92 W: 55 D: 19 L: 18 GS: 190 GC: 112 In the Picture: Michael Ballack. The center midfielder is one of 23 hard-working players who are guaranteed to run tirelessly all over the pitch for the full duration of the match. This team is not about talent as much as it is about discipline and desire. 1: Brazil Brazil is the only team that never missed one edition of the FIFA World Cup. They are a team that is, like their neighbors in Argentina, well known for the flair and their entertaining brand of football. Brazil gave the footballing world some of the best names that played the game: Pele, Ronaldo, Socrates, Zico, Ronaldinho and others.

Currently heading FIFA Rankings, Brazil are one the hot favorites, along with Spain and England, to win this tournament. Already with five titles to their name (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002), Brazil will shoot for a sixth title. Their current coach has dramatically changed the basis of the team from a group of artists to a united tactical unit that is the embodiment of discipline and commitment. Brazil finished second twice (1950, 1998), third twice (1938, 1978), and fourth once (1974). Summary: P: 92 W: 64: D: 14 L: 14 GS: 201 GC: 84 In the picture: Luis Fabiano The Seville star will lead the samba's striking force, and with a naturally talented supporting cast, Brazil have a good chance to add a sixth title to their haul. Soccer World Cup explained for beginners | Football Bible What is Football World Cup?

Published on Sep 02, 2014 FIFA World Cup is a senior men’s soccer tournament contested by the FIFA Member associations. The tournament is held every four years since 1930. Owing to the World War II, the competition was not organized in the years 1942 and 1946. The latest tournament is the 2014 World Cup which saw Germany prevail over Argentina at the final held in July. Germany remain the World champions until 2018 when they get to defend their title in Russia. Football World Cup history & origin A number of international soccer matches were played prior to the World Cup. It’s in the early 20th century that international soccer experienced significant growth. The game was featured in the 1900 and 1904 Olympic Games and became an official competition at the Olympics beginning 1908. FIFA which stands for Federation Internationale de Football Association, was formed in 1904. FIFA embarked on creating an international soccer tournament separate from the Olympics. The formation of the World Cup was a means of meeting its main aim of developing the game and setting up a better future.

Though it took the governing body a number of years to successfully organize an international competition, the sport has subsequently grown to be the most popular sporting event in the world. Uruguay became the host and winner of the first tournament in 1930, in which 13 nations contested. The participants came from Europe, South America and North America. 16 teams participated in each tournament between 1934 and 1978. However, 15 teams took part in 1938 after Austria was absorbed by Germany while 13 teams featured in the 1950 World Cup after Scotland, Turkey and India withdrew. The key challenge facing FIFA In the early tournaments was the lack of participation by British teams until the 1950 tournament. However, teams from other regions, Africa, Asia and Oceania, played in the tournament despite their weak performance. Further expansions were made in 1982(24 participants) and 1998(32 participants) in order to accommodate more teams. A significant mention in the history of the World Cup is the story of the 1970 winners. Brazil won their third tournament in 1970.

They were awarded the trophy permanently only for it to be stolen in 1983 and never to be recovered. As for now, winners cannot be permanently awarded the present golden FIFA World Cup Trophy which was designed after 1970. Titleholders return the trophy after the match celebrations at the field and are handed a gold-coated replica as a replacement. Apart from the FIFA World Cup, the organization governs other major tournaments. FIFA Women’s World Cup has been played since 1991. FIFA also organizes the Confederation Cup a year before the upcoming World Cup, held at the host nation as a preparation of the event. Similarly, there are international tournaments for soccer clubs, youth teams (both men and women) and soccer variants governed by FIFA. Football World Cup groups & format All teams have to go through a qualification phase about three years prior to the final tournament. The only team guaranteed of a spot is the host nation. Defending champions had an equal privilege between 1938 and 2002 before it was withdrawn. 32 teams make it to the final tournament held in a pre-determined host nation.

FIFA determines the number of teams to represent each of the six FIFA continental zones, namely Europe, North & Central America and Caribbean, South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania. The tournament is split into group and knockout phases and runs for a month. Initially, the teams are drawn into groups of four through seeding and the use of a formula that is based on the FIFA rankings of various national teams. The process has ensured that a group can have at most two teams from Europe and one team at most from any other zone. At the group stage each team plays three matches against the other three teams. The last two group matches are played simultaneously. Two teams proceed depending on the points earned and the superior goal difference in case of a tie in points at the second position. The knockout stage comprises the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place play-off and the finals. The round of 16 has each group winner playing against a runners-up from another group. Matches at this level can go into extra time or even penalty shootouts to find the winner.

Image below: FIFA Football Wordp Cup 2014 Team Groupings and Format FIFA World Cup Statistics, Participation & Top Goal Scorers Over the 84-year duration, 77 nations have taken part in the final tournament with eight teams winning the 20 titles to date. World Cup Winners Among the soccer world cup winners , Brazil are top with five titles, Germany and Italy have four titles each, Uruguay and Argentina hold two titles each and France, England, and Spain have won one time each. World Cup Participation Brazil has played in every tournament since 1930. Italy and Germany follow with 18 appearances and Argentina has made 16 appearances. However, Germany has played more matches than any other team, 106, and have scored the highest number of goals (224). Moreover, Germany has featured in most finals, a record eight times. It is worth noting that the World Cup final has been played by teams from only two zones, Europe and South America, over the years. The only teams to reach the semi-finals outside these two regions are USA (1930) and South Korea (2002).

African teams have only made it to the quarters while the Oceania zone got represented once in the Round of 16 by Australia in 2006. World Cup Top Scorers The FIFA World Cup all-time top scorers are Miroslav Klose of Germany (16 goals), Ronaldo of Brazil (15), Gerd Muller of West Germany (14), Just Fontaine of France (13) and Brazil’s Pele in the fifth position with 12 goals. Fontaine scored all his goals in the 1958 tournament, a record he set for most goals scored by a player in a single final tournament. Eye See Data | FIFA World Cup History FIFA World Cup History 2 Posted by Mac Bryla - 2014/12/07 - Football , Visualisation With the FIFA World Cup in Brazil now over, I thought I take a visual look at the 80 year old history of the FIFA World Cup. It all started in 1930 in Uruguay where only 13 nations took part, currently we are up to its 20th instalment in Brazil, where 32 teams will battle it out in 2014.

World Cup football is big business, according to Wikipedia, teams in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa had a little more than just their countries to play for. Total prize money on offer was $420 million and the winner took home $30 million. FIFA also made a $40 million payment to domestic clubs and each of the 32 entrants received $1 million for preparation costs. Over the years, World Cups have attracted their share of controversies, so as I was taking a closer look at it’s history, I uncovered many interesting facts. Did you know that the highest attendance for a single match was in the 1950 final? The official attendance was 199,854 for the match between Brazil and Uruguay at Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Unfortunately, there will be no new attendance records set this time around as the Estádio do Maracanã current capacity stands at 76,935. Take a look at many other interesting World Cup facts at the bottom of this post . Interactive visualisation, use slider to select year: Most of the following content comes form the good people at Wikipedia ( ).

1930, Uruguay: Because of a dispute, a different ball was used in each half, one chosen by each team. Argentina’s ball was used for the first half, and Uruguay’s ball was used for the second half. 1934, Italy: The group stage used in the first World Cup was discarded in favour of a straight knockout tournament. If the score was tied after extra time, the match would be replayed the next day. 1938, France: Because of anger over the decision to hold a second successive World Cup in Europe, neither Uruguay nor Argentina entered the competition, while Spain became the first country to be prevented from competing by war. 1942, 1946 World Cup did not take place due to World War II. 1950, Brazil: In the aftermath of the war, much of Europe lay in ruins. As a result, FIFA had some difficulties finding a country interested in hosting the event, since many governments believed that their scarce resources should to be devoted to more urgent priorities. 1954, Switzerland: The tournament used a unique format. The 16 qualifying teams were divided into four groups of four teams each.

Each group contained two seeded teams and two unseeded teams. Only 4 matches were scheduled for each group, each pitting a seeded team against an unseeded team. 1958, Sweden: This World Cup saw the entry and qualification of the Soviet Union for the first time, and the qualification of all the United Kingdom’s home nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. 1962, Chile: The average goals per match dropped to 2.78, under 3 for the first time in the history of the competition (the average has never been above 3 since). 1966, England: World Cup Willie, the mascot for the 1966 competition, was the first World Cup mascot, and one of the first mascots to be associated with a major sporting competition. To this date it is the only major championship England has won. 1970, Mexico: The tournament was won by Brazil, who claimed their third World Cup title by defeating another two-time former champion, Italy, 4–1 in the final, thereby winning the right to permanently keep the Jules Rimet Trophy.

1974, West Germany: The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded. 1978, Argentina: More controversy surrounded the host, Argentina, as all of their games in the first round kicked off at night, giving the Argentines the advantage of knowing where they stood in the group. This issue would arise again in Spain 1982, which prompted FIFA to change the rules so that the final two group games in subsequent World Cups would be played simultaneously. 1982, Spain: For the first time, the World Cup finals expanded from 16 to 24 teams. This allowed more teams, especially from Africa and Asia, to participate. This was the first World Cup in which teams from all six continental confederations participated in the finals, something that would not happen again until 2006. 1986, Mexico: Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA, but largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially resigned in 1982. Mexico was selected as the new host in May 1983.

1990, Italy: It generated a record low goals-per-game average of just 2.21- a record that still stands to date – and a then-record 16 red cards were handed out, including the first ever dismissal in a final. Following the 1990 World Cup, the back-pass rule was introduced in 1992 to discourage time-wasting and overly defensive play, and wins were awarded three points in the group stage of the 1994 World Cup to encourage more attack-minded tactics and discourage the strategy of playing for a draw. 1994, USA: The 1994 World Cup was the best attended in history, with average attendance of nearly 69,000. The total attendance of nearly 3.6 million for the final tournament remains the highest in World Cup history, despite the expansion of the competition from 24 to 32 teams. The finals were also the first time that players had their shirt numbers printed on the centre front of the shirt, as well as their names printed in the back of their jerseys in a World Cup, just like other American sports did, to make their identification easier for sportscasters.

This custom followed from Euro 92, and has followed ever since. 1998, France: For the first time in the competition, the group stage were expanded from 24 teams to 32, with eight groups of four. A total of 64 matches were played in 10 stadiums located across 10 different host cities. 2002, Japan and South Korea: Initially, South Korea, Japan, and Mexico presented three rival bids. However, the two Asian countries agreed to unite their bids shortly before the decision was made, and they were chosen unanimously in preference to Mexico. This was the first (and so far the only) World Cup to be hosted by two countries. 2006, Germany: The 2006 World Cup stands as one of the most watched events in television history, garnering an estimated 26.29 billion non-unique viewers, compiled over the course of the tournament. The final attracted an estimated audience of 715.1 million people. The tournament also saw English refereeGraham Poll mistakenly hand out three yellow cards to Croatia’s Josip Šimunić in their match against Australia.

2010, South Africa: It was the first time that the hosts were eliminated in the first round. The English, German and Italian squads were made up of entirely home based players, while only Nigeria had no players from clubs in their own league. In all, players from 52 national leagues entered the tournament. Tournament prize money: $8 million – group stage exit (16 teams) $9 million – round of 16 exit (8 teams) $14 million – quarter finals exit (4 teams) $18 million – fourth placed team $20 million – third placed team $24 million – runner up $30 million – World Cup winner 2014, Brazil: It’s the first time two consecutive World Cups are staged outside Europe and the first time two consecutive World Cups are staged in the Southern Hemisphere. It was also the first World Cup to use goal-line technology. By winning the final, Germany became the first European team to win a World Cup in the Americas. The result also marked the first time that sides from the same continent had won three tournaments in a row (following Italy in 2006 and Spain in 2010)

Question: Which nation’s football team were the runners up in the 2006 FIFA World Cup?
Answer: France