It is difficult to find a sports game on our planet that could compete in popularity with football. Being one of the most affordable sports for all walks of life, it is interesting for people both far from competitions and fans at any level. But all the same, the top are the championships of a planetary scale - the main competitions held every four years. At the moment, the history of the World Cup totals 20 tournaments held.
First tournament
The choice of venue for the first world football championship in favor of Uruguay was not accidental. This team won the last two international tournaments at the Olympic Games, and for its services, the South American power was awarded the honorary right to host an international competition. It happened in 1930, when the first ever World Cup was held. Football was then destined to win the hearts of people around the world. 13 participating countries were registered for participation. The home stadium in Montevideo has become truly gold for the Uruguayan team. It was on it that the home team won the first championship gold medals in history.
World Cup : Victory History
In the future, world tournaments were held with a certain regularity - once every four years. The forties were an exception when two competitions were missed due to World War II.
The second world championship, held in Italy, pleased the fans with a new venue. The organizers used the so-called Olympic system, where the loser dropped out of the further struggle. And again the hosts became the strongest, this time the Italian team.
After the war, world football championships have resumed since 1950. The first post-war championship was entrusted to the Brazilian Federation. Local fans did not unreasonably expect the triumph of their players. The scheme of the tournament games was again modified, now the final four revealed the strongest in a circular system. Before the last game, the Brazilian team was satisfied with a draw, but they lost to their eternal rivals the Uruguayans with a score of 1-2 and became only the second. The time of the "pentacampions" will come in a few years, and at that time the whole country was immersed in mourning.
Brazil national era
The sixth world championship, held on the Swedish fields, marked the hegemony of Brazilian football for many years to come. In Sweden, this team was head and shoulders stronger than its opponents. What are the results of the semifinal and final matches? Both of these games ended with the same score 5-2 in favor of the Brazilian national team.
In 1962, at the World Championships, held in Chile, the story was largely repeated. Once again, the Brazilian ice rink team passes through their rivals, giving only one point in the group stage of the Czechoslovak team. The chance to get even with an opponent fell for the Brazilians in the final match. And this time, the “yellow” were stronger with a score of 3-1.
But at the world championship in 1966, the Brazilian team could not overcome even the group stage. In fairness, it is worth noting that this had its own reasons. The loss of a number of leading players, including Pele, adversely affected the playing potential of the ball’s magicians. And the hosts won that championship, the English national team players, who beat the German national team with a score of 4-2 in the final match. For the founders of football, this triumph will remain the only one to this day.
But after four years at the Mexican World Cup, the Brazilians regained the title of the strongest team on the planet. This time, the South American team won six out of six matches, with a total difference of 19–7 goals. The final game against the Italians was held with a huge advantage for the Brazilian national team and ended in the defeat of 4-1. And again, the whole world admired the game of the great Pele.
The era of total football
Time passed, the world changed, and the main sport changed. Coaches experimented more and more with the tactics of the game, and this was beginning to bear fruit. Held in 1974 in Germany, the World Cup, the history of the results of which showed how great the value of the coaching staff was, surprised. The German team led by Helmut Schön triumphantly held a home tournament, winning the second gold in its history.
In the future, different teams became winners. But the history of the World Cup has taken its place for the Brazilians. None of them managed to repeat the achievement of the South American team, having won two tournaments in a row.
Personalities
Each World Cup is a story of winners, a story of personalities who conquered millions of fans with their game. In the pre-war competitions, the main stars were Stabille, Meazza, Planichka, Piolla - names that say little to current fans of this sport, but at that time they were cult soccer players of their countries.
In the postwar years, Brazilians came to the fore with a scattering of stars, the main of which was Pele, a three-time world champion in the Brazil national team. Together with him at the football stadiums Dida, Garrincha and other football masters shone. The next era gave the world such values as Bekenbauer, Kempes, Rossi, Bonek.
The 1986 championship has become a landmark in the history of international football. Not only did the Argentine national team for the second time become the strongest team on the planet, the main thing was the formation in the status of a star Diego Maradona, who performed miracles at that tournament. Perhaps, after Pele, this was the first player to be quoted as high.
Kahn, Ronaldo, Batistuta, Zidane, Klose - each football fan can continue this list, depending on their addictions.
The national team of Russia (USSR) at the world championships
The first participation of our players in the largest world tournament took place at the sixth world championship in Sweden. The debut was quite successful. Domestic athletes made their way among the eight best teams on the planet, losing in the quarterfinals to the hosts with a score of 0-2. Four years later, the result was the same: departure at the ¼ final stage. And again, the host team of the championship, the Chilean team, became an obstacle.
The most successful in the history of domestic football was the World Cup in England, where our team reached the semifinals. In the future, such results could only be dreamed of.
Russia at the World Cups - the story is rather sad. The team began its performances in 1994. Having become the legal successor of the Soviet Union, the Russian team performed three times at world championships. Unfortunately, all three tournaments were completed already in the group stage. We hope that the 2018 World Cup, which will be held in our country, will bring athletes more reasons to be proud.
World Cup: history and statistics
As you know, all sports need constant calculations of various indicators. If we consider purely figures, then we can see the following indicators: at the moment, the history of the World Cup totals 20 tournaments held, but only 8 teams have won the main award.
The Brazilian national team has the largest number of victories - 5, close to them are the national teams of Germany and Italy, which have four victories in their assets. The best scorer in the history of world championships is the striker of the German national team Miroslav Klose. He has 16 goals scored. The largest number of personal victories in the asset of Pele, who three times became the world champion in the Brazilian team. The largest number of matches in the final series of international championships was held by the German football player Lothar Matteus.
Mundial 2018: expectations
The history of the World Cups continues its report. And the next world championship, which will take place in Russia, will complement this story with new facts. This tournament promises to be interesting, entertaining, exciting. New stars will certainly light up on it and athletes known around the world will flash.