Every Four Years…WORLD CUP SOCCER! (aka Futbol)
The World Cup or “Coupe du Monde” is the most viewed sporting event in the world exceeding even the Olympic Games.
Tournament Kickoff: 12 June, 2014
Final (Championship) Game: 13 July, 2014
732 Players on 32 National Teams
A record 204 countries entered qualification for the 2010 World Cup.
BRAZIL is the host nation in 2014
FIFA -Fédération Internationale de Football Association
FIFA Membership: 209 national associations
FIFA Headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland
FIFA President is Sepp Blatter
FIFA was founded in Paris on 21 May, 1904. Founding Members: Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain (the Madrid Football Club; Spanish Federation wasn’t created until 1913), Sweden and Switzerland. The same day, the German Association telegrammed its intention of affiliating. Membership expanded beyond Europe with South Africa 1908, Argentina and Chile 1912, Canada and the United States 1913.
In tournaments from 1934-1978, 16 teams competed except in 1938, when Austria was absorbed into Germany after qualifying, and in 1950, when India, Scotland and Turkey withdrew. The tournament was expanded to 24 teams in 1982 and then to 32 in 1998 allowing more teams from Africa, Asia and North America to take part.
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging, was held in West Germany. The tournament marked the first time that the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded. The previous trophy, the Jules Rimet Trophy, had been won for the third time by Brazil in 1970 and was awarded permanently to the Brazilians.
Largest official attendance at a World Cup match: 173,000 in Maracana, Brazil, July 16, 1950 (unofficial attendance: 220,000)
The next two World Cups will be hosted by Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.
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UPDATE: 1 July, 2014 United States eliminated. Belgium 2 – United States 1
Great game! – Extra time! – Heartbreaking loss! – Belgium wins. Thank you and good night! Tim Howard played an amazing game as Goalkeeper, making 15 saves and keeping the U.S. in it until extra time. Too many opportunities for Belgium and too many missed opportunities for the United States. It was a good run, but now the U.S. is out of the competition. Congratulations Belgium. Good luck against Argentina.
CHEERS!
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