Soccer Guides / Competitions explained
World Cup history
From 13 teams in Uruguay in 1930 to 48 teams across North America in 2026, a plain-English history of the men's FIFA World Cup, its winners, records and the Women's World Cup.
How it began
FIFA, the world governing body of soccer, was founded in Paris in 1904. Its president Jules Rimet championed an international tournament separate from the Olympic soccer competition, and the first FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930. Thirteen teams took part, most of them by invitation, and hosts Uruguay beat Argentina 4-2 in the final in Montevideo.
The tournament has been held every four years since, except in 1942 and 1946, when it was not staged.
Winners at a glance
| Country | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 5 | 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 |
| Germany (including West Germany) | 4 | 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014 |
| Italy | 4 | 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006 |
| Argentina | 3 | 1978, 1986, 2022 |
| France | 2 | 1998, 2018 |
| Uruguay | 2 | 1930, 1950 |
| England | 1 | 1966 |
| Spain | 1 | 2010 |
The table covers tournaments up to 2022. The 2026 edition is covered in its own guide: World Cup 2026.
How the tournament grew
| Era | Number of teams |
|---|---|
| 1930 | 13 |
| 1934 to 1978 | 16 for most editions |
| 1982 to 1994 | 24 |
| 1998 to 2022 | 32 |
| From 2026 | 48 |
Each expansion gave more countries from Africa, Asia, North and Central America and Oceania a realistic path to the finals.
The trophies
The original trophy, named the Jules Rimet Trophy, was awarded to Brazil permanently after its third title in 1970. A new trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy showing two figures holding up the globe, has been used since 1974. Winners receive a replica; the original stays with FIFA.
Memorable firsts
- 1934: first tournament with a qualifying competition.
- 1954: first World Cup shown on television to a wide audience in Europe.
- 1970: first tournament with substitutes and yellow and red cards; see how the rules evolved.
- 1982: first penalty shootout at a World Cup, in the semifinal between West Germany and France. See extra time and shootouts.
- 2002: first World Cup in Asia, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.
- 2010: first World Cup in Africa, hosted by South Africa.
- 2018: first World Cup to use VAR; see VAR.
- 2022: first World Cup in the Middle East, hosted by Qatar and played in November and December.
Famous records
| Record | Holder |
|---|---|
| Most World Cup goals (career) | Miroslav Klose, Germany: 16 |
| Most goals in one tournament | Just Fontaine, France: 13 in 1958 |
| Only player with three winner's medals | Pele, Brazil: 1958, 1962, 1970 |
| Most titles as a team | Brazil: 5 |
Records are as of the 2022 tournament; check an up-to-date source for any changes from 2026.
The Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup began in China in 1991, and the United States won the first title. The US has won it four times (1991, 1999, 2015, 2019). Other winners include Norway (1995), Germany (2003, 2007), Japan (2011) and Spain (2023). Brazil is scheduled to host the 2027 edition.
Future hosts
FIFA has awarded the 2030 World Cup to Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with three opening matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark the tournament's centenary. The 2034 tournament was awarded to Saudi Arabia.
Brazil is the only country to have played at every men's World Cup.
