| The FIFA World Cup (often called the
| |
| | tournament in Turin in 1909. The
|
| Football World Cup or simply the World
| |
| | competition is often described as The
|
| Cup) is the most important competition in
| |
| | First World Cup,and featured the most
|
| international football (soccer), and the
| |
| | prestigious professional club sides from
|
| world's most representative team sport
| |
| | Italy, Germany and Switzerland. The first
|
| event. Organised by Federation
| |
| | tournament was won by West Auckland, an
|
| Internationale de Football Association
| |
| | amateur side from north-east England that
|
| (FIFA), the sport's governing body, the
| |
| | was invited after the Football
|
| World Cup is contested by the men's
| |
| | Association refused to be associated with
|
| national football teams of FIFA member
| |
| | the competition. West Auckland returned
|
| nations. The championship has been
| |
| | in 1911 to successfully defend their
|
| awarded every four years since the first
| |
| | title, and were given the trophy to keep
|
| tournament in 1930 (except in 1942 and
| |
| | forever, as per the rules of the
|
| 1946 due to World War II), however it is
| |
| | competition.In 1914, FIFA agreed to
|
| more of an ongoing event as the
| |
| | recognise the Olympic tournament as a
|
| qualifying rounds of the competition take
| |
| | "world football championship for
|
| place over the three years preceding the
| |
| | amateurs", and took responsibility for
|
| final rounds.The final tournament phase
| |
| | organising the event. This led the way
|
| (often called the "Finals") involves 32
| |
| | for the world's first intercontinental
|
| national teams competing over a four-week
| |
| | football competition, at the 1924 Summer
|
| period in a previously nominated host
| |
| | Olympics. Uruguay won the
|
| nation, with these games making it the
| |
| | tournament,before winning the gold medal
|
| most widely-viewed sporting event in the
| |
| | again in 1928, with another South
|
| world.[1] In the 17 tournaments held,
| |
| | American team, Argentina, taking silver.
|
| only seven nations have ever won the
| |
| | In 1928 FIFA made the decision to stage
|
| World Cup Finals. Brazil are the current
| |
| | their own international tournament. With
|
| holders, as well as the most successful
| |
| | Uruguay now two-time official football
|
| World Cup team, having won the tournament
| |
| | world champions and due to celebrate
|
| five times, while Germany and Italy
| |
| | their centenary of independence in 1930,
|
| follow with three titles each. The next
| |
| | FIFA named Uruguay as the host
|
| football World Cup Finals will be held in
| |
| | country.The 1932 Summer Olympics, held in
|
| Germany.The first international football
| |
| | Los Angeles, did not plan to include
|
| match was played in 1872 between England
| |
| | football as part of the programme due to
|
| and Scotland, although at this stage the
| |
| | the low popularity of football in the
|
| sport was rarely played outside Great
| |
| | United States. FIFA and the IOC also
|
| Britain. As football began to increase in
| |
| | disagreed over the status of amateur
|
| popularity, it was held as a
| |
| | players, and so football was dropped from
|
| demonstration sport (with no medals
| |
| | the Games.FIFA president Jules Rimet thus
|
| awarded) at the 1900, 1904 and 1906
| |
| | set about organising the inaugural World
|
| Summer Olympics before football became an
| |
| | Cup tournament to be held in Uruguay in
|
| official competition at the 1908 Summer
| |
| | 1930. The national associations of
|
| Olympics. Organised by England's Football
| |
| | selected nations were invited to send a
|
| Association, the event was for amateur
| |
| | team, but the choice of Uruguay as a
|
| players only and was regarded
| |
| | venue for the competition meant a long
|
| suspiciously as a show rather than a
| |
| | and costly trip across the Atlantic Ocean
|
| competition. The England national amateur
| |
| | for European sides. Indeed, no European
|
| football team won the event in both 1908
| |
| | country pledged to send a team until two
|
| and 1912.With the Olympic event
| |
| | months before the start of the
|
| continuing to be contested only between
| |
| | competition.Rimet eventually persuaded
|
| amateur teams, Sir Thomas Lipton
| |
| | teams from Belgium, France, Romania, and
|
| organised the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy
| |
| | Yugoslavia to make the trip.
|
