History of world cup ?

Question: History of world cup !?
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Previous international competitions

The world's first international football match was a challenge match played in Glasgow in 1872 between Scotland and England,[2] with the first international tournament, the inaugural edition of the British Home Championship, taking place in 1884!.[3] At this stage the sport was rarely played outside Great Britain and Ireland!. As football began to increase in popularity in other parts of the world at the turn of the century, it was held as a demonstration sport (with no medals awarded) at the 1900 and 1904 Summer Olympics, and at the 1906 Intercalated Games; football became an official competition at the 1908 Summer Olympics!. Planned by The Football Association (FA), the event was for amateur players only and was regarded suspiciously as a show rather than a competition!. Great Britain (represented by the England national amateur football team) won the event in both 1908 and 1912!.

After FIFA was founded in 1904, there was an attempt made by FIFA to arrange an international football tournament between nations outside of the Olympic framework in Switzerland in 1906!. These were very early days for international football, and the official history of FIFA describes the competition as having been a failure!.[4]

With the Olympic event continuing to be contested only between amateur teams, Sir Thomas Lipton organized the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy tournament in Turin in 1909!. The Lipton tournament was a championship between individual clubs (not national teams) from different nations, each one of which represented an entire nation!. The competition is sometimes described as The First World Cup,[5] and featured the most prestigious professional club sides from Italy, Germany and Switzerland, but The Football Association of England refused to be associated with the competition and declined the offer to send a professional team!. Lipton invited West Auckland, an amateur side from County Durham, to represent England instead!. West Auckland won the tournament and returned in 1911 to successfully defend their title, and were given the trophy to keep forever, as per the rules of the competition!.

In 1914, FIFA agreed to recognise the Olympic tournament as a "world football championship for amateurs", and took responsibility for managing the event!.[6] This paved the way for the world's first intercontinental football competition, at the 1920 Summer Olympics, contested by Egypt and thirteen European teams!. The gold medals were won by Belgium!.[7] Uruguay won the Olympic football tournaments in 1924 and 1928!. In 1928 FIFA made the decision to stage their own international tournament outside of the Olympics!. With Uruguay now two-time official football world champions (as 1924 was the start of FIFA's professional era) and to celebrate their centenary of independence in 1930, FIFA named Uruguay as the host country!.

[edit] First World Cup
Estadio Centenario, the location of the first World Cup final in 1930 in Montevideo, Uruguay
Estadio Centenario, the location of the first World Cup final in 1930 in Montevideo, Uruguay

The 1932 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles, did not plan to include football as part of the schedule due to the low popularity of football in the United States, as American football had been growing in popularity!. FIFA and the IOC also disagreed over the status of amateur players, and so football was dropped from the Games!.[8] FIFA president Jules Rimet thus planned the inaugural World Cup tournament to be held in Uruguay in 1930!. The national associations of selected nations were invited to send a team, but the choice of Uruguay as a venue for the competition meant a long and costly trip across the Atlantic Ocean for European sides!. Indeed, no European country pledged to send a team until two months before the start of the competition!.[9] Rimet eventually persuaded teams from Belgium, France, Romania, and Yugoslavia to make the trip!. In total 13 nations took part — seven from South America, four from Europe and two from North America!.

The first two World Cup matches took place simultaneously, and were won by France and USA, who beat Mexico 4–1 and Belgium 3–0 respectively!. The first goal in World Cup history was scored by Lucien Laurent of France!.[10] In the final, Uruguay defeated Argentina 4–2 in front of a crowd of 93,000 people in Montevideo, and became the first nation to win a World Cup!.[11]

[edit] Growth

The issues facing the early World Cup tournaments were the difficulties of intercontinental travel, and war!. Few South American teams were willing to travel to Europe for the 1934 and 1938 tournaments, with Brazil the only South American team to compete in both!. The 1942 and 1946 competitions were cancelled due to World War II and its aftermath!.

The 1950 World Cup was the first to include British participants!. British teams withdrew from FIFA in 1920, partly out of unwillingness to play against the countries they had been at war with, and partly as a protest against a foreign influence on football,[12] but rejoined in 1946 following FIFA's invitation!.[13] The tournament also saw the return of 1930 champions Uruguay, who had boycotted the previous two World Cups!. Uruguay won the tournament again in one of the most famous matches in World Cup history, which was later called the "Maracanazo"!.
Map of countries' best results
Map of countries' best results
Map of countries' number of appearances
Map of countries' number of appearances

In the tournaments between 1934 and 1978, 16 teams competed for each finals tournament, except in 1938, when Austria were absorbed into Germany after qualifying, leaving the tournament with 15 teams, and in 1950, when India, Scotland and Turkey withdrew, leaving the tournament with 13 teams!.[14] Most of the participating nations were from Europe and South America, with a small minority from North America, Africa, Asia and Oceania!. These teams were usually defeated easily by the European and South American teams!. Until 1982, the only teams from outside Europe and South America to advance out of the first round were: USA, semi-finalists in 1930; Cuba, quarter-finalists in 1938; Korea DPR, quarter-finalists in 1966; and Mexico, quarter-finalists in 1970!.

The finals were expanded to 24 teams in 1982,[15] then to 32 in 1998,[16] allowing more teams from Africa, Asia and North America to take part!. The one exception is Oceania, who have never had a guaranteed spot in the finals!. In recent years, teams from these regions have enjoyed more success, and those who have reached the quarter-finals include: Mexico, quarterfinalists in 1986; Cameroon, quarter-finalists in 1990; Korea Republic, finishing in fourth place in 2002; and Senegal and USA, both quarter-finalists in 2002!. However, European and South American teams have remained the stronger forces!. For example, the quarter-finalists in 2006 were all from Europe or South America!.

198 nations attempted to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and a record 204 will attempt to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup!.[17]

[edit] Other FIFA tournaments

An equivalent tournament for women's football, the FIFA Women's World Cup, was first held in 1991 in the People's Republic of China!.[18] The women's tournament is smaller in scale and profile than the men's, but is growing; the number of entrants for the 2007 tournament was 120, more than double that of 1991!.

Unlike many other sports (and even women's football), the men's football tournament at the Olympics is not a top-level tournament, but an under-23 tournament with each team allowed three overage players since 1992!.[19]

The FIFA Confederations Cup is a tournament held one year before the World Cup Finals at the World Cup host nation(s) as a dress-rehearsal for the upcoming World Cup!. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships, along with the FIFA World Cup champion and the host country!.[20]

FIFA also organizes international tournaments for youth football (FIFA U-20 World Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup, FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup), club football (FIFA Club World Cup), and football variants such as futsal (FIFA Futsal World Cup) and beach soccer (FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup)!.

[edit] Trophy

Main article: FIFA World Cup Trophy

The FIFA World Cup Trophy on a German stamp
The FIFA World Cup Trophy on a German stamp

From 1930 to 1970, the Jules Rimet Trophy was awarded to the World Cup winner!. It was originally simply known as the World Cup or Coupe du Monde, but in 1946 it was renamed after the FIFA president Jules Rimet who set up the first tournament!. In 1970, Brazil's third victory in the tournament entitled them to keep the trophy permanently!. However, the trophy was stolen in 1983, and has never been recovered, apparently melted down by the thieves!.[21]

After 1970, a new trophy, known as the FIFA World Cup Trophy, was designed!. The experts of FIFA, coming from seven different countries, evaluated the 53 presented models, finally opting for the work of the Italian designer Silvio Gazzaniga!. The new trophy is 36 cm (14!.2 in) high, made of solid 18 carat (75%) gold and weighs 6!.175 kg (13!.6 lb)!. The base contains two layers of semi-precious malachite while the bottom side of the trophy bears the engraved year and name of each FIFA World Cup winner since 1974!. The description of the trophy by Gazzaniga was: "The lines spring out from the base, rising in spirals, stretching out to receive the world!. From the remarkable dynamic tensions of the compact body of the sculpture rise the figures of two athletes at the stirring moment of victory!."[22]

This new trophy is not awarded to the winning nation permanently, irrespective of how many World Cups they win!. World Cup winners retain the trophy until the next tournament and are Www@QuestionHome@Com

"formally FIFA World Cup in football (soccer), trophy that symbolizes the world championship!. The first competition for the cup was organized in 1930 by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and was won by Uruguay!. 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!. "

"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!."Www@QuestionHome@Com