The World Cup

Every four years the world is consumed by ‘football fever’. Over three billion people watch the World Cup and it is estimated that over one billion people across the world watch the final match. This popular sporting event has come a long way since the first FIFA World Cup tournament held in 1930.

The first World Cup tournament featured a total of only 13 teams. Some of the most popular teams in world football were simply not able to make the long trip to South America where the tournament took place. The final match was won by Uruguay when they defeated Argentina 4-2.

In 1934, the World Cup expanded to 16 teams and for the first time, included qualifying matches. There wasn’t a tournment in 1942 or 1946 due to World War II because many countries didn’t want to send players or compete in an international tournament at that time. In 1982, the tournament grew to 24 teams and the tounament really started to grab the attention of football fanatics or ‘fans’.

In 2002, the modern tournament that we know and love was born. Over 200 teams compete in qualifying matches which take place for two years, but only 32 teams can qualify for the finals. Every four years, millions of adoring fans with ‘football fever’ look forward to watching their favorite teams compete in the World Cup tournament.