There is no bigger football cup than the FIFA. The full form of FIFA is Federation Internationale de Football Association.
It was founded in Paris, France on May 21, 1904. This is the governing body for football across the world. Whenever FIFA World Cup is around the corner, you can find Live Football tickets ruling the web and outside.
The first FIFA World Cup was held in 1930.
This was a men’s tournament that saw the participation of 13 teams. Since then, there has been no looking back for FIFA. It has gone through successive expansions and remodeling of format. At present, more than 200 teams from across the world participate in this sensational tournament.
The first official international match
The first official international match took place in Glasgow between teams of England and Scotland in 1872.
By the 20th century, football fever began to spread around the world. Nations began to form National Football Associations.
Till now, football sport hardly stepped outside Great Britain. In July 1902, a football tournament was held between Argentina and Uruguay in Montevideo. This was the first official match to be held outside Britain.
Gradually, football became a popular sport.
In 1990, it received the recognition of IOC and contested as an Olympic sport. It also showed its presence in 1904 Summer Olympics and in 1906 Intercalated Games.
Thereafter, it became an official Olympic competition supervised by the FIFA at the Summer Olympics of 1908. This was organized by the Football Association of England. The tournament was only for amateur players. The tournament was won by the national amateur team of England. The same tournament was held in 1912. Again, England won it.
The first World Cup
The first FIFA World Cup was held in 1930. Two matches happened simultaneously. They were between France and Mexico and between the United States and Belgium. The winning teams were the United States and France.
FIFA during World War II
World War II brought a difficult time for FIFA. Finances and personnel resources posed problems.
The World War II ended in 1945 and the next FIFA was to be played in 1946, but due to problems the federation could not organize a tournament. Their first meeting post World War was held on July 1, 1946. They scheduled the next Cup for 1949, but no country was ready to host it.
There was no World Cup during this period, except the South American Championship, which saw Argentina as the winner against Brazil.
World Cup in the 21st Century
After many ups and downs, FIFA stood the test of time and continued to host smashing tournaments over the years.
- The first World Cup in Asia was held in 2002. South Korea and Japan hosted the tournament jointly.
- The World Cup 2006 was hosted in Germany.
- The first World Cup in Africa took place in 2010. Spain won this Cup.
- The World Cup 2014 was hosted in Brazil. Germany won the Cup.
- The World Cup 2018 was hosted in Russia and was the first to be organized in Eastern Europe. France won this Cup.
As per the latest sports report, the next FIFA World Cup is scheduled for 2022 in Qatar. This is the first Cup to be held in winter. It is expected to begin on November 21 and end on December 18.
The FIFA World Cup is held every four years. However, the excitement of football lingers on from year to year. And as the World Cup nears, you will find a spurt of merchandise by stores. T-shirts, caps, shoes, stickers, and what not!
Football tournament is not just a tournament; it is a festivity. People celebrate the sport with fervor. As soon as one World Cup ends, preparations begin for the next one!
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