If the number of television viewers watching a sporting event is any guide to its popularity, then the FIFA World Cup is the world's favorite, with an estimated viewer ship of nearly 30 billion. How very different from the early days.
In the early 20th century, the only tournament where national teams could compete, albeit on an amateur basis was as part of the Olympic Games. The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) recognized the Olympic tournament as a "world football championship for amateurs" in 1914 and undertook to organize the event under the Olympic umbrella.
Due to the First World War the introduction of the FIFA organized event was delayed until the 1920 Summer Olympics. Belgium won the tournament that year with Uruguay winning the next two titles in 1924 and 1928. During the early planning stages of the 1932 Summer Olympics the International Olympic Committee decided to drop the football tournament because of the low popularity of football in the United States. In response, Jules Rimet, the then President of FIFA passed a vote initiating a tournament to be held in 1930 totally under FIFA' s control. Thus the World Cup was born. 1930 To honor its 100th birthday and to acknowledge the fact that it had won the last two Olympic competitions, Uruguay was chosen as the first host of the World Cup. Only four European teams took part despite Uruguay's willingness to pay travel expenses.
The first match was France versus Mexico. Less than 1000 fans turned up to see the French win 4-1. In another match, again involving France, but this time against Argentina, the referee set the depressing pattern of poor decisions in the World Cup by ending the game over six minutes early. The ensuing invasion of the pitch by the Argentinean fans persuaded the referee to play the extra six minutes once the pitch had been cleared. Just as well for Argentina. They won 1-0. The final was a real grudge-match between Uruguay and Argentina. They couldn't even agree on what type of ball to use so a compromise was reached where a different ball was used for each half of the match. Over 90,000 fans watched Uruguay become the first World Cup Champions by beating Argentina 4-2.
Statistics Host Country: Uruguay
Countries: Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, France, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, United States, Uruguay and Yugoslavia.
Final: Uruguay 4, Argentina 2
Top scorer: Guillermo Stabile, Argentina (8)
1934 On to Benito Mussolini's fascist Italy for the 1934 World Cup. The Italians didn't offer traveling expenses so the previous champions Uruguay so they chose not to defend their title. The USA in their second World Cup suffered a 7-1 defeat at the hands of the eventual winners Italy who beat Czechoslovakia 2-1 after extra time.
Statistics Host Country: Italy
Countries: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States
Final: Italy 2, Czechoslovakia 1 (after extra time)
Top goal scorer (Joint) : Conen, Germany, Oldrich Nejedly, Czechoslovakia, Angelo Schiavio, Italy (4)
1938 With war clouds heavy over Europe the World Cup moved to France. Italy were the favorites but their future allies Germany fancied their chances. The Germans, who had recently annexed Austria invited the Austrian players to choose to play for either Austria or Germany. Six of the Austrians chose to play for Germany. It wasn't a good move as Switzerland knocked Germany out in the first round. The Italians cruised to the final, beating France and Brazil on the way. Hungary were no match for them in the final itself, Italy winning 4-2.
Statistics
1938
Host Country: France
Countries: Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies , France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
Final: Italy 4, Hungary 2
Top goal scorer: Leonidas da Silva, Brazil (8) The Second World War After 1939 the world had more important matters to think about other than football and Italy kept the World Cup Trophy under the bed of Ottorino Barassi, the Italian vice president of FIFA, who feared it would be a prime target for Nazis. Thankfully this action kept the trophy safe and in 1946 as a tribute to Jules Rimet, whose initiative led to the creation of the World Cup Competition, the trophy was officially named The Jules Rimet Trophy. As most of Europe lay in ruins and the world's economies were devastated by the war the next World Cup competition did not take place until 1950.
1950 After a twelve-year lay off, the World Cup competition returned to South America, this time Brazil. The lack of participating countries caused the organizers a headache so the format was changed. Instead of a final Brazil, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay played in a league format that ended with Brazil just needing a draw in its final game to win the cup. But it was not to be. Brazil's opponents spoiled the party by winning 2-1.
Statistics Host Country: Brazil
Countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, England, Italy, Mexico, Paraguay, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, Uruguay, Yugoslavia
Final: Uruguay 2, Brazil 1
Top goal scorer: Ademir de Menezes, Brazil (9)
1954 This was the first World Cup to be televised and the few people with television sets in those days were treated to a feast of goals, the average being 5.38 per game. Some of the highest scoring games were - Hungary 9 South Korea 0, Hungary 8 West Germany 3, (a group stage match that the West German coach wanted to lose to avoid meeting Brazil too early) and West Germany 7 Turkey 2. The highest scoring match in World Cup history took place during this competition. It was the quarter final where Austria beat Switzerland 7-5. The final was a re-match of the earlier game West Germany versus Hungary. This time the West German coach Sepp Herberger fielded his strongest side and beat Hungary 3-2
Statistics Host Country: Switzerland
Countries: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Brazil, England, France, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Scotland, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey, Uruguay, West Germany, Yugoslavia
Final: West Germany 3, Hungary 2
Top goal scorer: Sandor Kocsis, Hungary (11)
1958 Again in Europe, this time Sweden, the 1958 World Cup saw the debut on the world stage of a 17 year old Brazilian destined to become the most famous footballer in the world - Pele. He scored a total of six goals in the tournament including three in the final against hosts Sweden that Brazil won 5-2.
Statistics
Host Country: Sweden
Countries: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, England, France, Hungary, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Paraguay, Scotland, Sweden, USSR, West Germany, Wales, Yugoslavia
Final: Brazil 5, Sweden 2
Top goal scorer: Just Fontaine, France (13) Still the record
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