The History of the FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup has kicked off in Qatar, surrounded by controversy and the first to be held at this time of year. We look back at how the tournament began and how it has changed over the years. How did the World Cup begin?

By the end of World War I, football had already become a world sport, but it was two Frenchman, Jules Rimet and Henri Delaunay, who proposed the idea of a World Cup to be held every four years. Before the FIFA World Cup, the international tournament that everyone wanted to play in was actually part of the Summer Olympics. But during the 1920s the game was transitioning to professionalism which was inconsistent with the Olympic spirit, so in 1928 FIFA started to make plans to organise their own World Cup. Uruguay, who had won Gold in the 1928 Olympics, were selected as the host nation for the inaugural World Cup finals in 1930 with 12 other teams accepting FIFA’s open invitation to take part (qualification rounds started in 1934). The tournament has been held every four years since then, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was suspended due to World War II. Brazil have won five times, and they are the only team to have played in every tournament. The other winners are Germany and Italy with four titles each, Argentina, France, and Uruguay with two titles each, and England and Spain, with one title each. 1966

This is the year that every English soccer fan references at any opportunity and which arguably produced one of the best tournaments to date. Geoff Hurst scored the first and only “hat trick” in a championship game as England defeated West Germany 4-2 in the final. One of Hurst’s goals was also one of the most controversial in World Cup Final history: a powerful drive that hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced on the goal-line according to the Germans – or just over it according to the English and the linesman. This year’s tournament will be different for several reasons: the first to be held in winter (for Northern Hemisphere teams), a controversial choice of host country, concerns over transport infrastructure and support for travelling fans, and threats of boycotts. The final is scheduled to take place on 18th December.

By Helen Say, a freelance copywriter and blogger www.cblservices.co.uk

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