T
he FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup is the largest and most important sporting event
in the world, drawing an audience of over one billion people worldwide
who watch or listen to the final match. A total of 195 of the 204
countries in FIFA entered the 2002 competition, and it took more
than two years and 700 individual matches to determine the countries
that qualified for the 32 team final tournament held in
Korea and Japan.
For the 2006 FIFA World Cup, 31 of the 32 teams in the final round qualified through regional
tournaments organized by each of the six continental confederations.
The host nation, Germany, qualified automatically.
The number of teams that qualify from each region varies according
to size and past performance, and one team entered the finals
through an inter-regional playoff game. The 2006 FIFA World Cup
consisted of:
- 4.5 teams from Asia (playoff vs North and Central America)
- 5 teams from Africa
- 4.5 teams from South America (playoff vs. Oceania).
- 3.5 teams from North and Central America (playoff vs Asia).
- 0.5 teams from Oceania (playoff vs. CONMEBOL).
- 14 teams from Europe (including Germany).
In December 2005, the 32 teams that qualified for the 2006 FIFA World
Cup were placed into eight groups of four teams each during a gala
ceremony known as the FIFA World Cup Final Draw. This event, which
took place in Germany, was one of the most highly-anticipated in
the world as each participating country learned their opposition
in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
During the FIFA World Cup each
team plays the three teams in their group once, and the top two
teams from each of the eight groups will advance to the round of 16.
From there, only the winning teams advance in each round until the
final match.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th World Cup tournament. The
first 18 World Cup champions are:
| Year |
Host |
Winner |
| 1930 |
Uruguay |
Uruguay |
| 1934 |
Italy |
Italy |
| 1938 |
France |
Italy |
| 1950 |
Brazil |
Uruguay |
| 1954 |
Switzerland |
Germany |
| 1958 |
Sweden |
Brazil |
| 1962 |
Chile |
Brazil |
| 1966 |
England |
England |
| 1970 |
Mexico |
Brazil |
| 1974 |
Germany |
Germany |
| 1978 |
Argentina |
Argentina |
| 1982 |
Spain |
Italy |
| 1986 |
Mexico |
Argentina |
| 1990 |
Italy |
Germany |
| 1994 |
United States |
Brazil |
| 1998 |
France |
France |
| 2002 |
Korea and Japan |
Brazil |
| 2006 |
Germany |
Italy |
