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The FIFA World Cup is regarded as the most widely viewed and followed sports event in the world, since the inaugural edition of the held in 1930, in Uruguay, we have had 20 tournaments in all, which is why there are numerous exciting, unbelievable, and facts about FIFA World Cups.
With 27 days to go until the FIFA World Cup begins, we take a look at some of the competition’s long-standing statistics and the records that could be broken and more than 3 billion people were following the game.
Tournament Facts
- The main tournament spanning around a month’s time that is held every four years is called the World Cup Finals.
- The FIFA World Cup is the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world.
- 32 teams compete for the coveted trophy, which includes the host nation who automatically qualifies. Until 1978 it was 16 teams, and until 1994 it was 24 teams.
- 200 countries all around the world play qualifying-related games in a bid to get a place in the final 32 at the World Cup.
- The 2014 mega event is the most expensive one ever, at a cost of a whopping $14 billion.
- The trophy is 14.2″ (36 cm) in height, 13.6 lb (6.175 kg) in weight, and made of 18 carat gold.
- The winning country keeps the real cup till the next World Cup, and gets to keep a gold-plated replica permanently.
- The average attendance at a World Cup game is around 50,000. The best average was achieved at the 1994 edition in USA, which was around 69,000.
- 1950 saw the least number of teams at the finals. Only 13 teams participated, after India, Turkey, and Scotland withdrew.
- In all, 77 teams have qualified to play in the World Cups till date.
- Only the 2002 edition had 2 host nations―South Korea and Japan.
- In the 1930s, the average goals per game was around 4. This rose to around 5.5 in the 1950s. At present, it is a measly 2.5.
- The most goals in a single World Cup are 171. This happened in the 1998 edition in France.
- The 1994 edition was the first where the surnames of players were featured on the back of their jerseys, and their numbers were put at the front.
- The 2014 tournament was the first to use goal line technology. Also, for the first time, referees used the vanishing spray to mark free kicks.
- 7 million people got to see the matches at the grounds in the 2014 edition.
- The tournament was canceled in 1942 and 1946 because of World War II.
- The largest crowd to witness a single game live was in the 1950 edition, when 173,850 witnessed the final between Brazil and Uruguay.
- The 1994 edition in USA was the first time when 3 points was awarded for a win, instead of 2.
- The 1954 edition in Switzerland was the first to be shown on TV. The 1970 edition in Mexico was the first to be beamed all around the globe, thanks to the technology of satellites.
- The 2010 World Cup in South Africa was the first to be televised in each and every country around the world. It was even shown in Antarctica and the Arctic Circle.
- The most Red cards in a single tournament were handed out in 2006, 28 Red cards.
- The 2014 edition saw the use of drones and robots for security reasons.
- The first penalty shootout was in the 1982 tournament held in Spain, when West Germany beat France 5 – 4 in the semi-finals.
- The inaugural 1930 tournament was the only time that an European team didn’t manage to reach the final.
- Goal number 1,000 of a World Cup was when Rob Rensenbrink of the Netherlands scored against Scotland in the 1978 edition.
- Goal number 2,000 came up when Marcus Allback of Sweden scored in a draw against England, in the 2006 edition.
Country Facts
- Germany has played the most World Cup games as compared to any other country.
- The most FIFA World Cups have been won by Brazil – 5.
- Brazil is the only team to have played in each and every FIFA World Cup.
- The first World Cup held in 1930 was won by Uruguay.
- Netherlands is the most successful team to have never won the World Cup, with 3 runner-up finishes and once placed fourth.
- Brazil and Italy are the only 2 countries to have defended their titles successfully.
- In terms of top 4 finishes, Germany is the most successful country, with 14 in all.
- The most goals by a team were scored by Hungary, when, in 1982, they defeated El Salvador 10 – 1.
- The most goals in a game is 12, when Austria defeated Switzerland 7 – 5 in the 1954 quarter-final.
- Brazil has won 71 games at all the finals over the decades, the most by any country.
- Brazil has also scored the most goals at all World Cup games put together; 224 in all.
- The most undisciplined game was between Netherlands and Portugal, in a 2006 round of 16 match. 16 yellow cards and 4 red cards were given out to the players.
- The most goals scored by a team in the whole tournament was by Hungary in 1954. They found the net of the opposing teams 27 times.
- Scotland has qualified for 8 World Cups, but never made it past the first round.
- In 2010, South Africa became the first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup.
- No team has ever won the tournament under the guidance of a foreign coach.
- No country outside Europe and South America has ever won this tournament.
- 23 countries have qualified for the tournament over the decades, just once.
- England has the distinction of getting knocked out of 3 World Cups in the group stages, without losing a single game.
- Brazil’s semi-final defeat by Germany in 2014 was their first loss in a competitive game at home since 1975.
- The most World Cup games played between two countries are 7 – Brazil vs. Sweden. Germany and Yugoslavia have played each other 6 times.
- South Africa is the only host country to have been eliminated in the first round, when they hosted the tournament in 2010.
- The worst performance by a defending champion was by France in 2002. They did not score a single goal and were eliminated in the group stage itself.
- As far as qualifiers are concerned, the biggest victory was achieved by Australia, who beat American Samoa 31-0 in 2001.
- Only 6 countries have managed to win the tournament as host country.
- Mexico has lost the most games at World Cups.
