94 Years of World Cups
Documentaries, movies, stories and novels, everyone wants to be part of the history of the World Cup, at least, leave a mark, as for example with the film “The World at your feet”, in which a boy, a soccer lover, decided to go by his own means to this magnificent event, because it is not the same and never will be, to listen to it or watch it on TV, than to witness it directly. So, the boy set off and after several journeys he managed to get to the World Cup venue in Mexico.
As mentioned above, at some point in our lives, we have all wanted to be that kid, at least for the fact of sharing with the fans, shouting goals and seeing the great soccer stars gathered in the same place. It is not only about rivalry, but also a great moment in which fans bring out their customs, idioms, chants and costumes.
That is what this article is about, to collect the best moments of the World Cups, the goals, champions, trophies, results of the finals, scorer, goalkeepers and curiosities that arouse the interest every four years of World Cup fans, because the daily motto of a person, whether man or woman who enjoys and loves soccer is: “I play soccer, then exist”.
^First World Cup
FIFA has been involved in everything related to soccer since 1904 when it was founded, and since then it had the intention of organizing an international soccer event, but it was not until 1920 when the idea was supported. The straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak, was when the Olympic soccer tournament was organized in Paris, which turned out to be a great success, after more than 40,000 people watched Uruguay defeat the Swiss team.
Obviously and without any experience, there were many curious details that we would not see today, such as seeing 4 national teams in the same plane, an unfinished stadium and even a goalscorer with only one arm in the final. It was also the first time that an entire country, in this case Uruguay, took a whole day off to celebrate the first world championship won after defeating their fierce rival (since then) Argentina.
In 1930 there was a Group Stage, Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Grand Final.
^Behold All World Cups and their Champions
Uruguay 1930
Champion: Uruguay
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Uruguay |
| 2. Argentina |
| 3. United States |
| 4. Yugoslavia |
Italy 1934
Champion: Italy
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Italy |
| 2. Czechoslovakia |
| 3. Germany |
| 4. Austria |
France 1938
Champion: Italy
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Italy |
| 2. Hungary |
| 3. Brazil |
| 4. Sweden |
Brazil 1950
Champion: Uruguay
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Uruguay |
| 2. Brazil |
| 3. Sweden |
| 4. Spain |
Switzerland 1954
Champion: Germany Federal
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Federal Germany |
| 2. Hungary |
| 3. Austria |
| 4. Uruguay |
Sweden 1958
Champion: Brazil
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Brazil |
| 2. Sweden |
| 3. France |
| 4. Germany Federal |
Chile 1962
Champion: Brazil
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Brazil |
| 2. Czechoslovakia |
| 3. Chile |
| 4. Yugoslavia |
England 1966
Champion: England
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Brazil |
| 2. Germany federal |
| 3. Portugal |
| 4. Soviet Union |
Mexico 1970
Champion: Brazil
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Brazil |
| 2. Italy |
| 3. Germany federal |
| 4. Uruguay |
Germany 1974
Champion: Germany federal
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Germany federal |
| 2. Netherlands |
| 3. Poland |
| 4. Brazil |
Argentina 1978
Champion: Argentina
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Argentina |
| 2. Netherlands |
| 3. Brazil |
| 4. Italy |
Spain 1982
Champion: Italy
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Italy |
| 2. Germany federal |
| 3. Poland |
| 4. France |
Mexico 1986
Champion: Argentina
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Argentina |
| 2. Germany federal |
| 3. France |
| 4. Belgium |
United States 1994
Champion: Brazil
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Brazil |
| 2. Italy |
| 3. Sweden |
| 4. Bulgaria |
France 1998
Champion: France
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. France |
| 2. Brazil |
| 3. Croatia |
| 4. Netherlands |
South Korea/Japan 2002
Champion: Brazil
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Brazil |
| 2. Germany |
| 3. Türkiye |
| 4. South Korea |
Germany 2006
Champion: Italy
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Italy |
| 2. France |
| 3. Germany |
| 4. Portugal |
Sudáfrica 2010
Champion: Spain
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Spain |
| 2. Netherlands |
| 3. Germany |
| 4. Uruguay |
Brazil 2014
Champion: Germany
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Germany |
| 2. Argentina |
| 3. Netherlands |
| 4. Brazil |
Russia 2018
Champion: France
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. France |
| 2. Croatia |
| 3. Belgium |
| 4. England |
Qatar 2022
Champion: Argentina
| First 4 places |
|---|
| 1. Argentina |
| 2. France |
| 3. Croatia |
| 4. Morocco |
World War II and the World Cup
It is difficult to imagine – at this point in 2024 – what those times were like and the harsh reality that marred the world of soccer in the midst of World War II, which was present from approximately 1939 to 1945. That is why there were no World Cup competitions from 1938 to 1950, when the world achieved more stability for FIFA to organize the World Cup again. After this unfortunate historical event, the Teutonic teams were the ones that generated the most news and information – for obvious reasons – in the 1954 World Cup.
At that time, after the War, there existed Federal Germany and West Germany. Thus, in the 1954 Swiss World Cup, a historic event for world and German football happened, called the “Miracle of Berne“, since it is known that there were so many legends and stories about this final in 1954 World Cup held in Bern, Switzerland, between the Federal Republic of Germany and Hungary. It turns out that Hungary had defeated West Germany 8-3 in the group stage, but no one, absolutely no one, expected West Germany to reach the final and defeat the great Hungarian team, despite the great. Ferenc Puskás 3 to 2.
Thanks to this victory, the Germans would begin a career full of success, which currently includes four World Cups (1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014) and three Euro Cups (1972, 1980 and 1996).
Results of the World Cup Finals
| Date | Champion | Result | Runner-up | Stadium | Attendance | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-07-1930 | Uruguay | 4-2 | Argentina | Centenario Stadium | 68.346 | Montevideo |
| 10-06-1934 | Italy | 2-1 | Czechoslovakia | Nacional del PNF Stadium | 50.000 | Rome |
| 19-06-1938 | Italy | 4-2 | Hungary | Stade Olympique | 45.124 | Colombes |
| 16-07-1950 | Uruguay | 2-1 | Brazil | Maracana Stadium | 199.150 | Rio de Janeiro |
| 04-07-1954 | Germany Federal | 3-2 | Hungary | Wankdorfstadion | 60.000 | Berna |
| 29-06-1958 | Brazil | 5-2 | Sweden | Råsunda Stadium | 51.800 | Solna |
| 17-06-1962 | Brazil | 3-1 | Czechoslovakia | Nacional Stadium | 68.679 | Santiago de Chile |
| 30-07-1966 | England | 4-2 | Germany Federal | Wembley Stadium | 97.924 | London |
| 21-06-1970 | Brazil | 4-1 | Italy | Azteca Stadium | 107.412 | Mexico City |
| 07-07-1974 | Germany Federal | 2-1 | Netherlands | Olimpic Stadium | 75.200 | Munich |
| 25-06-1978 | Argentina | 3-1 | Netherlands | Antonio V. Liberti Stadium | 71.483 | Buenos Aires |
| 11-07-1982 | Italy | 3-1 | Germany Federal | Santiago Bernabéu Stadium | 90.000 | Madrid |
| 29-06-1986 | Argentina | 3-2 | Germany Federal | Azteca Stadium | 114.600 | Mexico City |
| 08-07-1990 | Germany Federal | 1-0 | Argentina | Olimpic Stadium | 73.603 | Rome |
| 17-07-1994 | Brazil | 0-0 (3-2 pen) | Italy | Rose Bowl Stadium | 94.194 | Pasadena |
| 12-07-1998 | France | 3-0 | Brazil | Stade de France | 80.000 | Saint-Denis |
| 30-06-2002 | Brazil | 2-0 | Germany | International Stadium | 69.029 | Yokohama |
| 09-07-2006 | Italy | 1-1 (5-3 pen) | France | Olimpic Stadium | 69.000 | Berlin |
| 11-07-2010 | Spain | 1-0 | Netherlands | Soccer City Stadium | 84.490 | Johannesburgo |
| 13-07-2014 | Germany | 1-0 | Argentina | Maracana Stadium | 74.738 | Rio de Janeiro |
| 15-07-2018 | France | 4-2 | Croatia | Olimpic Luzhnikí Stadium | 78.011 | Moscow |
| 18-12-2022 | Argentina | 3-3 (4-2 pen) | France | Lusail Stadium | 80.000 | Doha |
World Cup Records
If we talk about transcendental data, the World Cups are the best source of creation, data made to make history, break them and set records. There are different statistics that are worth mentioning, both on an individual level and on a collective level, where, for example, the time that Brazil took over the Jules Rimet Cup stands out, for having won the World Cup on 3 occasions. The FIFA regulations established that the team that won the World Cup three times would keep the Jules Rimet Cup in its showcases. That’s how the trophy traveled to Brazil, and FIFA had to make a new statuette. Records worth remembering and taking into account:
1. Top Scorer in World Cup history – Miroslav Klose – 16 goals
2. Morocco, first African National Team to reach the Semifinals in the World Cup
3. Team with the most red cards in World Cup history – Brazil (13)
4. Qatar 2022 World Cup with most goals: 172 (64 games)
They are followed by: France 98 with 171 goals (64 games), Brazil 2014 had 171 goals (64 games), Russia 2018 169 goals (64 games) and Japan/Korea 2022 had 161 goals (64 games).
5. Fastest goal in the World Cup
The former Turkish soccer player Hakan Sukur has the record for the fastest goal in World Cups, 11 seconds into the match between Türkiye and South Korea, in the 2002 World Cup.
6. Most Penalties Saved in a World Cup – Sergio Goycochea of Spain and Harald Schumacher of Germany – 4 penalties
Other goalkeepers with 3 penalties saved: Iker Casillas from Spain, Ricardo Soares Pereira from Portugal
7. Most games in a World Cup – Lionel Messi – 26 games
Lionel Messi will surpass the German Lothar Matthäus as the player with the most appearances in the history of the World Cups.
8. Scorer in Most World Cups – Cristiano Ronaldo – 5 goals
Pele, Miroslav Klose, Uwe Seeler: They have the distinction of having scored in four different World Cups and in Qatar 2022 Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed the mark.
9. National Team with the Most Matches in World Cups – Brazil and Germany (109)
Brazil has had 21 participations, and shares the record of games played with Germany, both have 109. Of course, it will be Brazil that surpasses the mark by going further than the Germans in Qatar 2022.
10. Coach with the most victories in World Cups
Helmut Schön (16), Luiz Felipe Scolari and Didier Deschamps (14).
11. Players and their Fifth World Cup
Antonio “La Tota” Carbajal (Mexico), Lothar Matthaus (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Rafael Márquez (Mexico), Andres Guardado (Mexico), Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico), Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
12. Oldest player to score a hat-trick
In Russia 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in a match.
13. Fewest goals scored
On ten occasions, both Peter Shilton of England (1982, 1986 and 1990) and France’s Fabien Barthez (1998, 2002 and 2006) came away with clean sheets in World Cup games.
14. Most scored goals
Antonio ‘La Tota’ Carbajal of Mexico received 25 goals, Henry Francillon of Haiti and Keylor Navas of Costa Rica 14 goals, Luis Ricardo Guevara of El Salvador 13 goals and Tony Meola of United States received 12 goals.
15. Players with the Most Goals in World Cup Finals
4 goals Kylian Mbappé (France), 3 goals Vavá (Brazil), Pelé (Brazil), Geoff Hurst (England) and Zinedine Zidane (France).
16. Players who have scored 3 goals in a Final
Geoff Hurst of England in 1966 and Mbappé now in Qatar 2022.
17. Oldest players who have scored goals in World Cups
Roger Milla from Cameroon at 42 years old, Pepe from Portugal at 39 years old, Gunnar Green from Germany at 37 years old and Cuauhtémoc Blanco at 37 years old.
Curiosities
The current World Cup has 18 carats of pure gold and replaced the Jules Rimet Cup that Brazil won in 1970.
One of the most emblematic teams of the World Cups was the Netherlands in 1974, nicknamed “The Clockwork Orange.”
| Most Goals Scored Historical |
|---|
| Qatar 2022: Spain 7-0 Costa Rica |
| Brazil 2014: Brazil 1-7 Germany |
| SouthAfrica 2010: Portugal 7-0 C. del Norte |
| Japan/Korea 2002: Germany 8-0 Saudi Arabia |
| Spain 1982: Hungary 10-1 El Salvador |
Historical Table of Top Scorers
| Pos. | Player | Country | Goals | Games | Played Tournaments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 16 | 24 | 2002, 2006, 2010 y 2014 |
| 2 | Ronaldo | Brazil | 15 | 19 | 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| 3 | Gerd Müller | Germany | 14 | 13 | 1970 y 1974 |
| 4 | Just Fontaine | France | 13 | 6 | 1958 |
| 5 | Pelé | Brazil | 12 | 14 | 1958, 1962, 1966 y 1970 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 12 | 25 | 2006, 2014, 2018 y 2022 | |
| 6 | Sándor Kocsis | Hungary | 11 | 5 | 1954 |
| Jürgen Klinsmann | Germany | 11 | 17 | 1990, 1994 y 1998 | |
| 8 | Helmut Rahn | Germany | 10 | 10 | 1954 y 1958 |
| Gabriel Batistuta | Argentina | 10 | 12 | 1994, 1998 y 2002 | |
| Gary Lineker | England | 10 | 12 | 1986 y 1990 | |
| Teófilo Cubillas | Peru | 10 | 13 | 1970, 1978 y 1982 | |
| Thomas Müller | Germany | 10 | 16 | 2010, 2014 y 2018 | |
| Grzegorz Lato | Poland | 10 | 20 | 1974, 1978 y 1982 |
The World Cup Awards
Golden Ball
This award began its journey in the Spain 82 World Cup, and is awarded to the best player in the World Cup. Likewise, the Silver Ball is also awarded for second place and Bronze Ball for the third.
| Championship | Player | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Spain 1982 | Paolo Rossi | Italy |
| Mexico 1986 | Diego Maradona | Argentina |
| Italy 1990 | Salvatore Schillaci | Italy |
| United States 1994 | Romario | Brazil |
| France 1998 | Ronaldo | Brazil |
| Japan/Korea 2002 | Oliver Kahn | Germany |
| SouthAfrica 2010 | Diego Forlán | Uruguay |
| Brazil 2014 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| Russia 2018 | Luka Modrić | Croatia |
| Qatar 2022 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
Golden Boot
It is worth mentioning that in Latin America only 2 players have been able to win it: Ronaldo from Brazil and the Colombian James Rodríguez.
| Championship | Player | Goals | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uruguay 1930 | Guillermo Stabile | 8 goals | Argentina | |
| Italy 1934 | Oldrich Nejedly | 5 goals | Czechoslovakia | |
| France 1938 | Leônidas da Silva | 7 goals | Brazil | |
| Brazil 1950 | Ademir | 8 goals | Brazil | |
| Suiza 1954 | Sandor Kocsis | 11 goals | Hungary | |
| Sweden 1958 | Just Fontaine | 13 goals | France | |
| Chile 1962 | Garrincha, Vavá (Brazil), Flórián Albert (Hungary), Valentin Ivanov (Russia) Dražan Jerković (Croatia) y Leonel Sánchez (Chile) | 4 goals | ||
| England 1966 | Eusébio | 9 goals | Portugal | |
| Mexico 1970 | Gerd Müller | 10 goals | Germany | |
| Germany 1974 | Grzegorz Lato | 7 goals | Poland | |
| Argentina 1978 | Mario Kempes | 6 goals | Argentina | |
| Spain 1982 | Paolo Rossi | 6 goals | Italy | |
| Mexico 1986 | Gary Lineker | 6 goals | England | |
| Italy 1990 | Salvatore Schillaci | 6 goals | Italy | |
| United States 1994 | Oleg Salenko, Russia y Hristo Stoitchkov, Bulgaria | 6 goals | ||
| France 1998 | Davor Šuker | 6 goals | Croatia | |
| Corea del Sur/Japan 2022 | Ronaldo | 6 goals | Brazil | |
| Germany 2006 | Miroslav Klose | 5 goals | Germany | |
| Sudáfrica 2010 | Thomas Müller (Germany), David Villa (Spain), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands) y Diego Forlán | 5 goals | ||
| Brazil 2014 | James Rodríguez | 6 goals | Colombia | |
| Russia 2018 | Harry Kane | 6 goals | England | |
| Qatar 2022 | Kylian Mbappé | 8 goals | France |
Golden Glove
The Golden Glove is one of the official FIFA World Cup awards, recognizing the best goalkeeper of each edition. The award has been in force since 1994, and it should be noted that only one Latin American goalkeeper has been selected for the award.
| Championship | Goalkeeper | Country |
|---|---|---|
| United States 1994 | Michel Preud’homme | Belgium |
| France 1998 | Fabien Barthez | France |
| Korea/Japan 2002 | Oliver Kahn | Germany |
| Germany 2006 | Gianluigi Buffon | Italy |
| SouthAfrica 2010 | Iker Casillas | Spain |
| Brazil 2014 | Manuel Neuer | Germany |
| Russia 2018 | Thibaut Courtois | Belgium |
| Qatar 2022 | Damián Martínez | Argentina |
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