The Journey Starts Here
Tournament Highlights
First Touch
Uruguay hosted the first tournament in 1930 where the home team bested Argentina 4-2 to become the first to hoist the trophy.
A Time to Heal
After two cancelled tournaments, the world came together once again in 1952 to resume the beautiful game’s premier event, which saw Hungary’s team rise to legendary status
Global Impact
In 1982, the tournament increased the number of participating nations from 16 to 24. Today, 32 nations take the field.
Crowd Control
The debate always raged about how well the game would be received in the U.S. That is until 1994, when the U.S. hosted the highest attended tournament to-date ever.
You Gotta Have Goals
The record for most tournament goals in a career is 16, a feat achieved in 24 matches across four tournaments from 2002-2016.
The World Is Watching
In 2018, 3.5 billion spectators took in at least part of the tournament. That was more than half the world's population.
Nobody Does It Better
Brazil has taken home the hardware more than any other team in tournament history. They have won five tournament championships in seven trips to the finals.
In a Pickle
In 1966, the tournament trophy was stolen and held for ransom. While the culprit was nabbed, the real hero of the investigation was a dog named Pickles who found the trophy stashed under a bush.