The FIFA World Cup, often just called the World Cup, is an international association football competition challenged by the senior men's public groups of individuals from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the game's worldwide administering body. The title has been awarded like clockwork since the debut tournament in 1930, besides in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held in light of WWII. The ongoing heroes are France, who came out on top for their second championship at the 2018 tournament in Russia.



Held every four years since that time, except during World War II, the competition consists of international sectional tournaments leading to a final elimination event made up of 32 national teams. Unlike Olympic football, World Cup teams are not limited to players of a certain age or amateur status, so the competition serves more nearly as a contest between the world’s best players. Referees are selected from lists that are submitted by all the national associations.

Uruguay won in 1930, and Germany is the current football world cup winner. 


The trophy cup awarded from 1930 to 1970 was the Jules Rimet Trophy, named for the Frenchman who proposed the tournament. This cup was permanently awarded in 1970 to then-three-time winner Brazil (1958, 1962, and 1970), and a new trophy called the FIFA World Cup was put up for competition. Many other sports have organized “World Cup” competitions.




Year

Host Nation

Winner

Runner up

Final Score

Number of Teams

1930

Uruguay

Uruguay

Argentina

4-2

13

1934

Italy

Italy

Czechoslovakia

2-1

16

1938

France

Italy

Hungary

4-2

15

1950

Brazil

Uruguay

Brazil

2-1

13

1954

Switzerland

West Germany

Hungary

3-2

16

1958

Sweden

Brazil

Sweden

4-2

16

1962

Chile

Brazil

Czechoslovakia

3-1

16

1966

England

England

West Germany

4-2

16

1970

Mexico

Brazil

Italy

4-1

16

1974

West Germany

West Germany

Netherlands

2-1

16

1978

Argentina

Argentina

Netherlands

3-1

16

1982

Spain

Italy

West Germany

3-1

24

1986

Mexico

Argentina

West Germany

3-2

24

1990

Italy

West Germany

Argentina

1-0

24

1994

USA

Brazil

Italy

0-0 (3-2)

24

1998

France

France

Brazil

3-0

32

2002

South Korea/Japan

Brazil

Germany

2-0

32

2006

Germany

Italy

France

1-1 (5-3)

32

2010

South Africa

Spain

Netherlands

1-0

32

2014

Brazil

Germany

Argentina

1-0

32

2018

Russia

France

Croatia

4-2

32