The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior men's national teams of the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has been held every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, with the exception of 1942 and 1946 due to the Second World War. The reigning champions are Argentina, who won their third title at the 2022 tournament. The first-ever FIFA World Cup took place almost a century ago, in 1930. Twelve sides from three different continents made the trip to Uruguay, the first host nation. With 13 teams involved, the competition opted for a unique format: three groups of three and one of four, followed by semi-finals contested by the four winners.
In contrast to the group stage used in 1930, the Italy 1934 and France 1938 editions switched to a knockout-only format, starting with a round of 16. These two European pre-war tournaments remain the only World Cups to be played without groups. When the event made its long-awaited return in 1950, the group stage was re-established, albeit with just 13 teams, mirroring the inaugural tournament. Famously, Brazil 1950 is the only World Cup not to include a specific final, with the competition culminating in a four-team group during which the iconic and unforgettable Maracanazo between Uruguay and the hosts took place – a match that saw La Celeste crowned world champions courtesy of an epic 2-1 victory.
Although fans did not know it at the time, the 1954 tournament, the fifth in football history, marked a turning point for the World Cup. It introduced a format that won over spectators and players alike: 16 teams, split up into four groups of four, with the top two in each qualifying for the quarter-finals. However, it was not until the subsequent tournament, hosted by Sweden, that the 16-country format properly found its feet. At Switzerland 1954, all of the teams in the same group did not play each other; instead, the two seeded sides faced the other two. In 1958, it was decided that every team would have to play the three other nations in their group in order to decide who would reach the quarter-finals. Continue reading at FIFA
