| 1962 Hosts for the 1962 edition were Chile despite | | | | 1982 in Spain. Eight more teams participated bringing |
| recently having suffered a devastating earthquake. | | | | the total to 24. The idea was to allow the lesser |
| Brazil were favorites to retain the trophy but Chile | | | | footballing countries to enter the tournament. The |
| thought they had a world-beating plan of action. | | | | idea was vindicated by impressive displays by Algeria |
| Before they played Italy they ate spaghetti and won. | | | | and Cameroon. Italy proved to be unstoppable that |
| Before they played Switzerland they ate Swiss | | | | year and defeated the strong West German side 3-1 |
| cheese and won. Before they played Russia they | | | | in the final even after Antonio Cabrini of Italy |
| drank vodka and won (must have been an interesting | | | | became the first player to miss a penalty in a World |
| game). So when they came up against Brazil in the | | | | Cup final.Statistics Host Country: SpainCountries: |
| semi finals, what did they do? Did they eat Brazil | | | | Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, |
| nuts? No, they drank coffee and promptly lost 4-2. | | | | Chile, Czechoslovakia, El Salvador, England, France, |
| Brazil once again claimed the trophy by beating | | | | Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Kuwait, New Zealand, |
| Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final.Statistics Host Country: | | | | Northern Ireland, Peru, Poland, Scotland, Spain, USSR, |
| ChileCountries: Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, | | | | West Germany, YugoslaviaFinal: Italy 3, West |
| Colombia, Czechoslovakia, England, Hungary, Italy, | | | | Germany 1Top goal scorer: Paolo Rossi, Italy (6)1986 |
| Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay, USSR, West | | | | Colombia had been chosen to host the 1986 World |
| Germany, YugoslaviaFinal: Brazil 3, Czechoslovakia | | | | Cup but was unable to due to economic |
| 1Top goal scorer: Drazen Jerkovic, Yugoslavia (5)1966 | | | | considerations so the venue was switched to Mexico |
| In 1966 the World Cup came back to where the | | | | despite strong efforts by Holland and the United |
| modern game of football began in 1863, England and | | | | States to have the competition on home soil. Brazil, |
| the trophy was destined to stay there for four | | | | the favorites were knocked out in the quarter finals |
| years. It might have stayed there permanently | | | | by France on penalties. Another quarter final saw |
| because when it was put on show at the | | | | Argentina's Diego Maradona famous "hand of God" |
| Westminster Central Hall in London four months | | | | goal against England. Several billion TV viewers saw |
| before the tournament was to start it was stolen. | | | | him use his hand to punch the ball into the back of |
| Seven days of acute embarrassment ensued while | | | | the English goal but the referee did not. It was a |
| authorities tried to find the missing cup without any | | | | blatant cheat that still rankles with English fans today |
| result. Eventually a black and white dog called "Pickles" | | | | as it saw their team go home. In the final against |
| found it underneath a hedge wrapped in newspaper | | | | West Germany he showed that he didn't need to |
| whilst doing what dogs do under hedges. Pickles shot | | | | cheat to win as he brilliantly led his country to a hard |
| to stardom and the English Football Association had a | | | | fought win by 3 goals to 2.Statistics Host Country: |
| replica of the trophy made - "just in case". The | | | | MexicoCountries: Algeria, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, |
| replica can still be seen at the English National Football | | | | Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Hungary, |
| Museum.The 1966 World Cup was memorable for | | | | Iraq, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Northern Ireland, |
| several reasons. It was the first World Cup to have a | | | | Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, South Korea, |
| mascot - "World Cup Willie", a lion dressed in the | | | | Spain, Uruguay, USSR, West GermanyFinal: Argentina |
| English strip. It was a World Cup marred by vicious | | | | 3, Germany 2Top goal scorer: Gary Lineker, England |
| tactics on the field and by poor refereeing that saw | | | | (6)1990 The 14th World Cup was without doubt the |
| Brazil literally kicked off the pitch in the first round. | | | | most boring so far. Every team was so scared of |
| The final against West Germany was also memorable | | | | losing that games became low-scoring brutal chess |
| due to one of the most controversial goals in Cup | | | | matches. Both semi finals went into extra time and |
| history. In extra time Geoff Hurst of England | | | | then went on to be decided by penalty kicks. The |
| launched a shot that hit the underside of the goal | | | | final contested by West Germany appearing in its last |
| crossbar and bounced down. The referee ruled that it | | | | World cup before unification and Argentina. In a dour |
| had landed behind the goal-line and was therefore a | | | | and dirty struggle with two sendings off. West |
| goal. The West Germans protested that it did not go | | | | Germany won 1-0 by way of a penalty.Statistics |
| behind the line but the linesman upheld the referee | | | | Host Country: ItalyCountries: Argentina, Austria, |
| and the goal stood. Hurst put the matter beyond | | | | Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, |
| doubt in the last minute by scoring.Statistics Host | | | | Czechoslovakia, Egypt, England, Ireland, Italy, |
| Country: EnglandCountries: Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, | | | | Netherlands, Romania, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, |
| Chile, England, France, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, North | | | | Sweden, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, United |
| Korea, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay, USSR, | | | | States, USSR, West Germany, YugoslaviaFinal: West |
| West GermanyFinal: England 4, West Germany 2 | | | | Germany 1, Argentina 0Top goal scorer: Salvatore |
| (after extra time)Top goal scorer: Eusebio, Portugal | | | | "Toto" Schillaci, Italy (6)1994 FIFA saw the United |
| (9)1970 Mexico 1970 was Brazil's and Pele's World | | | | States as an untapped market as far as football (or |
| Cup. After 1966 when Brazil were knocked out in the | | | | soccer as the Americans call it) was concerned and |
| first round, Pele had vowed never to play in the | | | | so decided to award the 1994 tournament to them. |
| World Cup again. Fortunately he was persuaded to | | | | Italy were on song with their play-maker Roberto |
| make a final appearance in 1970. Hopes were high in | | | | Baggio playing some sublime football. Argentina were |
| England for a repeat of the 1966 success but | | | | hopeful that a newly re-called Maradona could steer |
| matters were not helped when the England captain | | | | them to success but the hope evaporated when he |
| was jailed for four days on manufactured charges of | | | | proved positive for a banned substance and was |
| stealing a bracelet in Guadalajara a couple of weeks | | | | sent home in disgrace. The U.S. on home ground had |
| before the opening game. Those, the humid playing | | | | a better than expected tournament finally going out |
| conditions and Gerd Muller in devastating form, were | | | | to Brazil. Earlier they had beaten Colombia thanks to |
| enough to see West Germany take their revenge in | | | | an own goal by Colombian Andres Escobar who was |
| the quarter final for the defeat in the previous | | | | shot dead when he arrived back home. The final |
| competition's final. But Brazil seemed unstoppable | | | | between Brazil and Italy was an absorbing game of |
| thanks to their magnificent attackers but their | | | | Brazil's irresistible attacking force meeting Italy's |
| defense was questionable. Could the Italian front line | | | | immovable defensive force. Predictably the match |
| turn this to their advantage? At half time it seemed | | | | ended 0-0 after extra time so it went to the |
| that they could with the score line at 1-1 and the | | | | penalties and sudden death. Roberto Baggio of Italy |
| Brazilians obviously demoralized. But after half time | | | | sent his kick high over the cross-bar and Brazil were |
| Pele took charge laying on passes that led to two | | | | the winners.Statistics Host Country: United |
| Brazilian goals and finding the net himself. Brazil had | | | | StatesCountries: Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, |
| won the World Cup for the third time and therefore | | | | Bulgaria, Cameroon, Colombia, Germany, Greece, |
| was allowed to keep the Jules Rimet Trophy | | | | South Korea, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, |
| permanently. Some year later it was stolen and never | | | | Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Romania, Russia, Saudi |
| recovered. It is presumed it was melted | | | | Arabia, Spain, USA, Sweden, SwitzerlandFinal: Brazil 1, |
| down.Statistics Host Country: MexicoCountries: | | | | Italy 0 (3-2 on penalty kicks)Top goal scorer (Joint): |
| Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, El Salvador, | | | | Oleg Salenko, Russia and Hristo Stoitchkov, Bulgaria |
| England, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Romania, | | | | (6) 1998 France, played host to an expanded World |
| Sweden, Uruguay, USSR, West GermanyFinal: Brazil 4, | | | | Cup with the number of participants brought up to |
| Italy 1 (after extra time)Top goal scorer: Gerd Muller, | | | | 32. Nobody thought that France had a chance of |
| West Germany (10)1974 In 1974, West Germany | | | | winning and everyone was very surprised when the |
| played hosts for the competition for the new trophy, | | | | made it to the final. Amazement took the place of |
| the FIFA World Cup. West Germany had a | | | | surprise when the managed to destroy Brazil 3-0 in |
| tremendously strong side but then so did Holland with | | | | the final. To this day nobody who isn't French can |
| its brand of "total football" and Poland. Holland beat | | | | explain how they did it. Serious hooliganism reared its |
| Brazil 2-0 to face West Germany in the final in Berlin | | | | ugly head during the early stages of the tournament |
| but the German ultra efficient football machine held | | | | when English fans rampaged through Marseille and |
| out against the inspirational Dutch to grab a late | | | | German fans attacked a police officer with an iron |
| winner.Statistics Host Country: West | | | | bar and left him permanently brain |
| GermanyCountries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, | | | | damaged.StatisticsHost Country: FranceCountries: |
| Chile, East Germany, Haiti, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, | | | | Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, |
| Scotland, Sweden, Uruguay, West Germany, | | | | Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, |
| Yugoslavia, ZaireFinal: West Germany 2, Netherlands | | | | Germany, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, |
| 1Top goal scorer: Grzegorz Lato, Poland (7)1978 1978 | | | | Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, |
| saw the FIFA World Cup being held in Argentina and | | | | Romania, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Africa, South |
| it was one of the most controversial with very | | | | Korea, Spain, Tunisia, United States, YugoslaviaFinal: |
| strange refereeing and organizational decisions | | | | France 3, Brazil 0Top goal scorer: Davor Suker, |
| seeming to favour the home country. In a | | | | Croatia (6)2002 For the first time the World Cup had |
| second-round match Argentina needed to score at | | | | co-hosts in Japan and South Korea. It was also the |
| least four goals against Peru. It scored six and Peru | | | | first to be held on the continent of Asia. Fears of |
| were heavily criticized for giving the game away. In | | | | major rioting due to hooligans proved unfounded due |
| the final Argentina seemed to have an extra man in | | | | to the superb preparations by the co-hosts and the |
| referee Sergio Gonella. His decisions were so blatantly | | | | whole tournament had a party atmosphere. It was |
| pro Argentina that there were calls (particularly by | | | | also a tournament of upsets. In 1998 the United |
| the Dutch) for the match to be re-played in a neutral | | | | States had finished last but in 2002 they sailed into |
| country - calls that fell on deaf ears.Statistics Host | | | | the quarter finals before being knocked out by |
| Country: ArgentinaCountries: Austria, Argentina, Brazil, | | | | Germany. France, the holders were eliminated in the |
| France, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, | | | | first round without scoring a single goal and Italy left |
| Peru, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, West | | | | the tournament early after some poor refereeing. In |
| GermanyFinal: Argentina 3, Netherlands 1 (after extra | | | | the end it was Brazil and Germany who contested |
| time)Top goal scorer: Mario Kempes, Argentina | | | | the final with Brazil winning by two goals. |
| (6)1982 An expanded World Cup was launched in | | | | |