The World Cup has been held every four years since 1930. In the early days, only men played the game. However, women started playing the game in 1991. Today, the competition involves 32 teams from around the world. More than 200 million fans watch each match. Each team plays three matches over a period of six weeks and then one final. The winning team receives the trophy just like in some online tournaments found at stellarspins casino.

Evolution of the World Cup

1930-1934

The first official FIFA World Cup was hosted by Uruguay and won by Italy. It took place on 24 July 1930 at La Plata Stadium in Montevideo. This is where the word “cup” originated; it comes from the Latin word “cuppa”.

1938-1950

Due to the Second World War, South America did not host the World Cup for 26 years. So, Europe had their turn. France hosted the event from 1938 to 1942. Germany hosted the cup in 1950 and 1954.

1958-1970

Asia dominated the World Cup with Japan’s win in 1966. In 1970, when the next World Cup would be held, two Asian nations were present, representing Asia – India & Pakistan (both Asian countries). They faced off in the finals against England & Brazil. The tournament was held in Mexico City.

1972-1978

African countries continued to dominate the soccer scene. From these 16 events, only 3 of them ended in a draw. These were Cameroon vs Nigeria (1974), Ghana vs Portugal (1976), and Algeria vs Belgium (1978)

1982-1986

European nations dominated the soccer fields in the 1980s. The US, Canada, Australia & New Zealand did play. The winner of this era was Argentina. They defeated West Germany 4-2 in Estadio Azteca on 30 June 1986.

1990-1994

Hosted in what country? In 1990, Saudi Arabia was the host nation. In 1994, the USA was the host nation. But the 1994 cup was shortened drastically due to security concerns.

1998-2002

In 1998, the ball used was made of leather-like an American football. Until 2002, the ball was actually inflated. That year the ball became softer. Now, balls are 100% synthetic.

2006-2010

South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup. The event was won by Spain which defeated Netherlands 2-1 in extra time.

2014 World Cup

Hosted in Brazil, this was the first edition in which all games would be broadcast live via satellite. All the matches took place in 12 venues across 11 cities.

2018 World Cup

Hosted by Russia and is also known as the International Federation of Football Associations’ 2018 World Cup or WorldCup18. The venue was also in Moscow.

Conclusion

The world cup inspired so much, from real-money sports betting, to movies, clothing, and iconic instruments. There have been more than 60 World Cups that have taken place throughout history. Today, we can still see how much people love to watch football. Every World Cup has been filled with drama, excitement, and joy!