History of FIFA World Cup in Timeline

The FIFA World Cup is an international association football tournament contested by senior men's national teams of FIFA member associations. Held every four years since 1930, except during World War II (1942 & 1946), it is the most prestigious football tournament globally. Argentina are the current champions, having won the 2022 World Cup, securing their third title.

1900: Summer Olympics

In 1900, football was held as a demonstration sport with no medals awarded at the Summer Olympics; however, the International Olympic Committee has retroactively upgraded their status to official events.

1904: FIFA founded in 1904

After FIFA was founded in 1904, it tried to arrange an international football tournament between nations outside the Olympic framework in Switzerland in 1906.

1904: Summer Olympics

In 1904, football was held as a demonstration sport with no medals awarded at the Summer Olympics; however, the International Olympic Committee has retroactively upgraded their status to official events.

1904: Games Considered to be the 'Football World Championship'

Prior to the Lipton competition, from 1876 to 1904, games that were considered to be the "football world championship" were meetings between leading English and Scottish clubs

1906: FIFA Tournament Attempt

In 1906, FIFA attempted to arrange an international football tournament between nations outside the Olympic framework in Switzerland, but it was unsuccessful.

1906: Intercalated Games

In 1906, the International Olympic Committee has retroactively upgraded their status to official events, as well as the 1906 Intercalated Games.

1908: Football Becomes Official Olympic Sport

In 1908, football became an official Olympic sport at the Summer Olympics in London, with Great Britain winning the gold medals.

1909: Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy tournament in Turin

In 1909, Sir Thomas Lipton organised the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy tournament in Turin.

1911: West Auckland defended their title

In 1911, West Auckland returned to successfully defend their title.

1912: Great Britain wins gold again

In 1912, Great Britain won the gold medals again at the Summer Olympics in Stockholm.

1914: FIFA Recognizes Olympic Tournament

In 1914, FIFA agreed to recognise the Olympic tournament as a "world football championship for amateurs".

1920: British football associations withdrew from FIFA

In 1920, Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland had withdrawn from FIFA partly out of unwillingness to play against the countries they had been at war with, and partly as a protest against foreign influence on football.

1920: Intercontinental Competition at the Olympics

In 1920, the world's first intercontinental football competition for nations was held at the Summer Olympics, contested by Egypt and 13 European teams, and won by Belgium.

1924: Uruguay Wins Olympic Football Tournament

Uruguay won the Olympic football tournament in 1924.

May 1928: FIFA Congress Decides to Stage World Championship

On May 28, 1928, the FIFA Congress in Amsterdam decided to stage a world championship.

1928: Uruguay Wins Olympic Football Tournament

Uruguay won the Olympic football tournament in 1928.

July 1930: First World Cup Matches

On July 13, 1930, the first two World Cup matches took place simultaneously, won by France and the United States.

1930: Inauguration of Jules Rimet Trophy

From 1930 the trophy awarded to the World Cup winning team was the Jules Rimet Trophy.

1930: Uruguay Named Host of Inaugural World Cup

In 1930, FIFA named Uruguay as the host country of the inaugural World Cup tournament.

1930: Advancement of Teams out of the First Round

In 1930, United States were semi-finalists in the World Cup.

1930: Return of 1930 champions Uruguay

In 1930, champions Uruguay returned, who had boycotted the previous two World Cups.

1930: Inception of the World Cup

In 1930, the FIFA World Cup was first held.

1930: Inaugural Tournament

In 1930, the inaugural FIFA World Cup tournament was held.

1930: Start of medal awarding at World Cup

Since 1930, all members (players, coaches, and managers) of the top three teams receive medals with an insignia of the World Cup Trophy; winners' (gold), runners-up' (silver), and third-place (bronze).

1930: Uruguay wins its first title

Uruguay won their first titles as host nations in 1930.

1932: Football Dropped from Olympics

After the creation of the World Cup, FIFA and the IOC disagreed over the status of amateur players; football was dropped from the 1932 Summer Olympics.

1932: Men's football not included in Summer Olympic Games

In 1932, Men's football was not included in the Summer Olympic Games. Apart from 1896, this was the only other occasion it wasn't included.

1934: 16 Teams Competed

Between 1934 and 1978, 16 teams competed in each World Cup tournament.

1934: Difficulties of Intercontinental Travel

In 1934, few South American teams were willing to travel to Europe for the World Cup.

1934: Italy wins its first title

Italy won their first titles as host nations in 1934.

1934: Introduction of qualifying tournaments for the World Cup

Since the second World Cup in 1934, qualifying tournaments have been held to narrow the field for the final tournament.

1936: Olympic Football Returns

In 1936, Olympic football returned at the Summer Olympics but was overshadowed by the World Cup.

1938: Boycott of the 1938 FIFA World Cup

Both Argentina and Uruguay boycotted the 1938 FIFA World Cup because the South American countries understood that the location would alternate between the two continents.

1938: Automatic qualification for host nations begins

From the 1938 World Cup onwards, host nations receive automatic qualification to the final tournament.

1938: Austria Absorbed into Germany

In 1938, Austria was absorbed into Germany after qualifying, leaving the World Cup tournament with 15 teams.

1942: Cancellation due to World War II

In 1942, the World Cup competition was cancelled due to World War II.

1946: British Teams Rejoined FIFA

In 1946, British football associations rejoined FIFA following an invitation.

1946: Cancellation due to World War II

In 1946, the World Cup competition was cancelled due to World War II.

1946: World Cup trophy renamed Jules Rimet Trophy

In 1946, the World Cup trophy was renamed the Jules Rimet Trophy after the FIFA president who set up the first tournament.

1950: Brazil finishes as runners-up

Brazil finished as runners-up after losing the deciding match on home soil in 1950.

1950: India, Scotland, and Turkey Withdrew

In 1950, India, Scotland, and Turkey withdrew, leaving the World Cup tournament with 13 teams.

1950: 1950 World Cup

In 1950, the World Cup, held in Brazil, included British football associations for the first time and saw Uruguay win the tournament.

1958: FIFA starts alternating the hosts

Since the 1958 FIFA World Cup, to avoid future boycotts or controversy, FIFA began a pattern of alternating the hosts between the Americas and Europe.

1966: England wins its only title

England won its only title while playing as a host nation in 1966.

1966: Advancement of Teams out of the First Round

In 1966, North Korea were quarter-finalists in the World Cup.

1970: Design of the FIFA World Cup Trophy

After Brazil won the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1970 and was allowed to keep it permanently, a new trophy, known as the FIFA World Cup Trophy, was designed.

1970: Brazil keeps the Jules Rimet Trophy

In 1970, Brazil's third victory in the tournament entitled them to keep the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently.

1970: Advancement of Teams out of the First Round

In 1970, Mexico were quarter-finalists in the World Cup.

1974: Changes to World Cup medal distribution

Before the 1978 tournament, medals were only awarded to the eleven players on the pitch at the end of the final and the match for third place. In November 2007, FIFA announced that all members of World Cup-winning squads between 1930 and 1974 were to be retroactively awarded winners' medals.

1974: Germany wins its second title

Germany won their second title on home soil in 1974.

1974: Engraving of FIFA World Cup winners begins

Since 1974, the bottom side of the FIFA World Cup Trophy bears the engraved year and name of each FIFA World Cup winner.

1978: Argentina wins its first title

Argentina won their first titles as host nations in 1978.

1978: Changes to World Cup medal distribution

Before the 1978 tournament, medals were only awarded to the eleven players on the pitch at the end of the final and the match for third place.

1978: 16 Teams Competed

Between 1934 and 1978, 16 teams competed in each World Cup tournament.

1978: World Cup in Argentina

The 2014 FIFA World Cup was hosted by Brazil, the first held in South America since Argentina 1978, and was the first occasion where consecutive World Cups were held outside Europe.

1982: Expansion to 24 Teams

In 1982, the World Cup tournament was expanded to 24 teams.

1982: Spain reaches second round

Spain reached the second round on home soil in 1982.

1982: Advancement of Teams out of the First Round

Until 1982, only a few teams from outside Europe and South America advanced out of the first round.

1983: Theft of Jules Rimet Trophy

In 1983, the Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen in Brazil and has never been recovered, with suggestions it was melted down by the thieves.

1986: Mexico Reached Quarter-Finals

In 1986, Mexico reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

1990: Cameroon Reached Quarter-Finals

In 1990, Cameroon reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

1991: First FIFA Women's World Cup held in China

In 1991, the first FIFA Women's World Cup was held in China. This marked the inaugural edition of the women's equivalent of the men's tournament.

1992: First edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup

In 1992, the first edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup took place. It was contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships, along with the FIFA World Cup champion and the host country.

1992: Introduction of Under-23 rule at the Olympics

In 1992, the men's football tournament at the Olympics transitioned to an under-23 tournament, with each team allowed three over-age players.

1994: European and South American teams continue to dominate

In 1994, the quarter-finalists were all from Europe or South America.

1994: Three points awarded for a win

Since 1994, three points have been awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss; previously, winners received two points.

1996: Women's football debut at the Olympics

In 1996, Women's football made its debut in the Olympics.

1998: France wins its first title

France won their first titles as host nations in 1998.

1998: Expansion to 32 Teams

In 1998, the World Cup tournament was expanded to 32 teams.

1998: World Cups bribery

On 4 June 2015, Chuck Blazer admitted that he and the other members of FIFA's then-executive committee were bribed in order to promote the 1998 World Cups.

1998: Constraints applied to the World Cup draw

Since 1998, constraints have been applied to the draw to ensure that no group contains more than two European teams or more than one team from any other confederation.

1998: 32-team format at FIFA World Cup

Since 1998, the final tournament format has had 32 national teams competing over the course of a month in the host nations.

1998: Alternating hosts between Americas and Europe ends

Since the 1958 FIFA World Cup, to avoid future boycotts or controversy, FIFA began a pattern of alternating the hosts between the Americas and Europe, which continued until the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

2002: Brazil wins the 2002 FIFA World Cup

Brazil won the 2002 FIFA World Cup, so they were the first defending champions to play qualifying matches for the next World Cup, since the automatic qualification for defending champions was withdrawn.

2002: 200 teams entered the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds

In 2002, 200 teams entered the FIFA World Cup qualification rounds.

2002: South Korea Finished Fourth

In 2002, South Korea finished in fourth place at the World Cup.

2002: Fourth-place medals awarded at 2002 World Cup

In the 2002 edition of the World Cup, fourth-place medals were awarded to the hosts, South Korea.

2002: First World Cup held in Asia

The 2002 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by South Korea and Japan, was the first one held in Asia, and the first tournament with multiple hosts.

2006: 198 nations attempted to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup

In 2006, 198 nations attempted to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

2006: European and South American teams continue to dominate

In 2006, the quarter-finalists were all from Europe or South America.

2006: Introduction of FIFA Champions Badge

Since 2006, winners of the World Cup competition are also awarded the right to wear the FIFA Champions Badge, up until the time at which the winner of the next competition is decided.

2006: End of automatic qualification for defending champions

Starting from the 2006 FIFA World Cup, defending champions were required to qualify, ending the practice of automatic qualification.

2006: Controversy surrounding Germany's victory in 2006

The rotation policy was introduced after the controversy surrounding Germany's victory over South Africa in the vote to host the 2006 tournament.

November 2007: Retroactive award of World Cup winner's medals

In November 2007, FIFA announced that all members of World Cup-winning squads between 1930 and 1974 were to be retroactively awarded winners' medals.

2007: Growth of FIFA Women's World Cup

The FIFA Women's World Cup continued to grow. In 2007, the number of entrants reached 120, which was more than double the entrants in 1991.

2010: Intercontinental play-off for World Cup spot

For example, the winner of the Oceanian zone and the fifth-placed team from the Asian zone entered a play-off for a spot in the 2010 World Cup.

2010: Rotation policy for World Cup bids

For the 2010 World Cup, the final tournament was rotated between confederations, allowing only countries from Africa to bid to host the tournament.

2010: Ghana Reached Quarter-Finals

In 2010, Ghana reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

2010: A record 204 countries entered qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

In 2010, a record 204 countries entered qualification for the FIFA World Cup.

2010: U-20 Women's World Cup as World Cup dress rehearsal

In 2010, the U-20 Women's World Cup served as a dress rehearsal for the larger Women's World Cup competition as both tournaments were awarded in a single bidding process.

2010: World Cups bribery

On 4 June 2015, Chuck Blazer admitted that he and the other members of FIFA's then-executive committee were bribed in order to promote the 2010 World Cups.

2010: South Africa hosts the World Cup

South Africa became the first African nation to host the World Cup in 2010.

October 2013: Blatter's remarks on globalisation

In October 2013, Sepp Blatter spoke of guaranteeing the Caribbean Football Union's region a position in the World Cup and expressed his desire to see globalisation taken seriously, suggesting he might be putting himself forward for re-election to the FIFA Presidency.

2014: Brazil loses semi-final against Germany

Brazil lost their semi-final against Germany in 2014.

2014: Rotation policy for World Cup bids

For the 2014 World Cup, the final tournament was rotated between confederations, allowing only countries from South America to bid to host the tournament.

2014: Costa Rica Reached Quarter-Finals

In 2014, Costa Rica reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

2014: U-20 Women's World Cup as World Cup dress rehearsal

In 2014, the U-20 Women's World Cup served as a dress rehearsal for the larger Women's World Cup competition as both tournaments were awarded in a single bidding process.

2014: World Cup in South America since 1978

The 2014 FIFA World Cup was hosted by Brazil, the first held in South America since Argentina 1978, and was the first occasion where consecutive World Cups were held outside Europe.

May 2015: 2015 FIFA corruption case

In May 2015, the games were under a dark cloud because of the 2015 FIFA corruption case, allegations and criminal charges of bribery, fraud and money laundering to corrupt the issuing of media and marketing rights for FIFA games.

June 2015: Swiss authorities seized computer data

On 10 June 2015, Swiss authorities seized computer data from the offices of Sepp Blatter. The same day, FIFA postponed the bidding process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in light of the allegations surrounding bribery in the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

June 2015: Chuck Blazer admitted to bribery

On 4 June 2015, Chuck Blazer admitted that he and the other members of FIFA's then-executive committee were bribed in order to promote the 1998 and 2010 World Cups.

October 2015: Blatter and Platini Suspended

On 28 October 2015, Blatter and FIFA VP Michel Platini were suspended for 90 days.

December 2015: FIFA Vice-Presidents Arrested

In December 2015, two FIFA vice-presidents were arrested on suspicion of bribery.

February 2016: Sepp Blatter announced he would relinquish his position

At the time, FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced he would relinquish his position in February 2016.

October 2016: Gianni Infantino supported a 48-team World Cup

In October 2016, FIFA president Gianni Infantino stated his support for a 48-team World Cup in 2026.

January 2017: FIFA approves 48-team World Cup format

On 10 January 2017, FIFA approved a new format, the 48-team World Cup consisting of 16 groups of three teams each, with two teams qualifying from each group to form a round of 32 knockout stage, to be implemented by 2026.

2017: Last edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup

In 2017, the last edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup was played.

2018: U-20 Women's World Cup as World Cup dress rehearsal

In 2018, the U-20 Women's World Cup served as a dress rehearsal for the larger Women's World Cup competition as both tournaments were awarded in a single bidding process.

2018: Viewership of the 2018 World Cup

In 2018, the World Cup viewership was estimated to be 3.57 billion people.

2018: European and South American teams continue to dominate

In 2018, the quarter-finalists were all from Europe or South America.

2018: Allegations surrounding bribery in the awarding of the 2018 tournaments

2018: Any country can apply to host the World Cup

Starting from 2018, any country, except those belonging to confederations that hosted the two preceding tournaments, can apply as hosts for World Cups.

2018: 2018 World Cup awarded to Russia

The hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were announced at the same time, with the 2018 World Cup awarded to Russia.

March 2019: FIFA confirms discontinuation of Confederations Cup

In March 2019, FIFA confirmed that the FIFA Confederations Cup would no longer be active due to an expansion of the FIFA Club World Cup in 2021.

May 2021: Saudi Arabia proposes biennial World Cup

In May 2021, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation proposed a biennial World Cup plan at the 71st FIFA Congress. The plan received prominent backing from Arsène Wenger and national federations in Africa and Asia.

2021: Expansion of the FIFA Club World Cup

In 2021, the FIFA Club World Cup expanded, leading to the discontinuation of the FIFA Confederations Cup.

2022: 22nd Final Tournament

As of 2022, the World Cup has seen 22 final tournaments held since its inception.

2022: Argentina wins the 2022 World Cup

In 2022, Argentina won their third World Cup title by defeating France.

2022: Morocco Finished Fourth

In 2022, Morocco finished in fourth place at the World Cup.

2022: Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup

In 2022, Qatar hosted the World Cup.

2022: Allegations surrounding bribery in the awarding of the 2022 tournaments

2022: 2022 World Cup awarded to Qatar

The hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were announced at the same time, with the 2022 World Cup awarded to Qatar, making it the first Middle Eastern country to host the tournament.

March 2023: Revised format of the 2026 FIFA World Cup

On 14 March 2023, FIFA approved a revised format of the 2026 tournament, which features 12 groups of four teams each, with the top 8 third-placed teams joining the group winners and runners-up in a new round of 32.

March 2025: FIFA considers a 64-team World Cup for 2030

In March 2025, it was reported that FIFA was considering a one-off expansion to 64 teams for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, the centennial anniversary of the FIFA World Cup.

2026: Implementation of the 48-team World Cup format

In 2026, FIFA implemented the 48-team World Cup format, consisting of 16 groups of three teams each, with two teams qualifying from each group, to form a round of 32 knockout stage.

2026: Expansion to 48 teams

In 2026, the World Cup is scheduled to expand to 48 teams.

2026: 2026 Tournament Hosts

In 2026, the World Cup will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

2026: FIFA confirmed the 2026 World Cup will have 48 finalist teams

On 10 January 2017, FIFA confirmed the 2026 World Cup will have 48 finalist teams.

2026: FIFA postponed the bidding process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

On 10 June 2015, FIFA postponed the bidding process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in light of the allegations surrounding bribery in the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

2026: The 2026 FIFA World Cup hosts

The 2026 FIFA World Cup was chosen to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, marking the first time a World Cup has been shared by three host nations.

2028: Start of FIFA Women's Club World Cup

In 2028, the FIFA Women's Club World Cup is scheduled to start, expanding FIFA's portfolio of international tournaments.

2030: Centennial anniversary of the FIFA World Cup

In March 2025, it was reported that FIFA was considering a one-off expansion to 64 teams for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, the centennial anniversary of the FIFA World Cup.