The 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup is 24 hours away and we take a look at the grandiose history of the greatest sporting event in the world.
In regards to participants at the World Cup, there is no looking past Brazil: the ultimate World Cup team. Not only have the South Americans won the World Cup five times, more than any other country, they are also the only nation to play at every single tournament since its inception in 1930.
Brazil are one of eight different winners of the majestic golden trophy. Uruguay won the inaugural edition, before Italy won back-to-back World Cups one year before World War II broke out. Uruguay collected a second winner’s medal in Brazil 1950, as the World Cup returned 12 years after it had last been held in France.
The legendary Pele inspired Brazil to the Jules Rimet Trophy three times out of four between 1958 and 1970, with England claiming a maiden WC title in 1966. West Germany then conquered for a second time, 20 years after its first.
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Argentina raised aloft the World Cup on home soil in 1978, and again in Mexico 1986. 1982 saw Italy celebrate a third world triumph, almost half a century after they had last won prior to WWII.
Germany and Brazil each hoisted the World Cup again in the 1990s, while France were crowned world champions on home territory, in what was the final edition of the 20th century.
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By 2002, the Brazilians had separated themselves from the chasing pack. A fifth world title meant, at the time, the men in yellow had two more than both of Italy and Germany. The Italians and the Germans have since gone on to add to their collections, in 2006 and 2014, respectively, surrounding Spain’s sole success in South Africa.
A dazzling display in Russia 2018 saw France become two-time world champions. Defending their crown in Qatar will be no simple task and in recent years the odds have generally been stacked against the World Cup holders.
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Each of the three previous winners (Italy, Spain, and Germany) were eliminated from the group stage as reigning world champions. In addition, the last team to successfully defend the World Cup was Brazil, back in 1962.
Prior to Qatar, a total 17 different nations have played host to the World Cup, while five countries – Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, and Mexico – have staged multiple events on behalf of FIFA. 10 of the 21 tournaments to date were held in Europe, eight in the Americas, two on Asian landscape, and one on the African continent. Qatar 2022 will be the first World Cup contested in the Middle East.
Can’t wait to see who becomes a legend at #Qatar2022 📺#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 18, 2022
Pele remains the only player in history to pick up three World Cup winner’s medals. A total 20 players have won the World Cup twice, with 15 of them from Brazil; 13 of them won back-to-back titles in 1958 and 1962. Brazilian legends Ronaldo Nazario and Cafu were both part of the 1994 and 2002 successes.
No player has scored more goals at the World Cup than Germany legend Miroslav Klose, who found the net 16 times in 24 matches. Klose has also made the second-most appearances at the World Cup, with countryman Lothar Matthaus the only player in history to rack up a quarter-century appearances at the quadrennial event.
Italian great Paolo Maldini featured 23 times across four tournaments and he has played more minutes (2,217) than any player in World Cup history.
Matthaus is one of three individuals to play at five World Cups, the others being Mexico duo Antonio Carbajal and Rafael Marquez. A certain Lionel Messi is on the verge of entering this exclusive club, as is Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo.
Several recipients of the World Cup Golden Ball sit among football royalty, including the likes of Maradona (1986), Ronaldo Nazario (1998), Zinedine Zidane (2006), and Messi (2014).
Eusebio (1966), Gerd Muller (1970), Ronaldo (2002), and Thomas Muller (2010) have all been awarded the Golden Boot for ending a tournament with the most goals. This century alone, Brazilian legend Ronaldo has scored the most goals at a single tournament, with eight in 2002.
Audience data found that a combined 3,5 billion viewers tuned into the 2018 World Cup, and the final between France and Croatia attracted a global audience in excess of one billion people.
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino expects more than five billion viewers at the forthcoming event, beginning on Sunday.
Who will inscribe their name into FIFA World Cup folklore in 2022?
