A general interior overview during the opening ceremony prior to the Group A – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match between Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium on November 20, 2022 in Al Khor, Qatar.
Credit: © Pablo Morano, BSR Agency/Alamy Images

Soccer‘s World Cup tournament for men, held every four years to determine the best team in international soccer, began on Sunday. The first match featured the team of the host country, Qatar, against Ecuador.

The tournament runs from November 20 to December 18 and will be held in six Qatari cities: (1) Al Khor, (2) Al Rayyan, (3) Al Thumama, (4) Al Wakrah, (5) Lusail, and (6) Doha. Favorites for this tournament include the teams from Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 World Cup. It became the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup. Qatar is a small Arab country in southwestern Asia. It occupies a peninsula that juts from eastern Arabia into the Persian Gulf (commonly known as the Arabian Gulf in Arab countries). Doha is Qatar’s capital and largest city.

Over two-thirds of Qatar’s people were born in other countries. The native-born people are called Qataris. Qatar’s economy depends largely on oil and natural gas. Since the 1950′s, the government has earned a large amount of income from oil exports and has used it to develop Qatar. Qatar ranks among the richest nations in terms of average income per person. The government provides free education, free health care, and housing for the poor.

The first match was held in Al Khor. Ecuador defeated Qatar 2-0, the first opening-game loss of a host country in the World Cup’s history. Ecuador’s striker Enner Valencia scored both goals.

The FIFA World Cup is the most important international competition in soccer. The year and name of each FIFA World Cup winner since 1974 is engraved on the underside of the trophy. A different trophy records the winners of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which began in 1991.
Credit: © Alfredo Lopez, Jam Media/LatinContent/Getty Images

In the men’s FIFA World Cup, qualification tournaments begin three years before the final competition. The qualification tournaments are organized in six geographical zones. These six zones are (1) Africa, (2) Asia, (3) Europe, (4) North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, (5) Oceania, and (6) South America. The tournament finals bring together the 32 teams that qualify. The host country receives an automatic berth. In 2026, the tournament finals will be expanded from 32 teams to 48 teams.

The 32 teams that qualify are placed into eight groups, with each group having four teams. Each team plays the other three teams in their group. These matches are played at various locations throughout the host country. The two teams with the best record in each of the eight groups advance to the knockout stage. The knockout stage is a single-elimination tournament—that is, a team is eliminated after losing one game. As the competition progresses, teams are eliminated until two teams qualify for the final match. The televised men’s final is the most popular single sports event in the world.

Uruguay won the first men’s FIFA World Cup in 1930. The World Cup was not held in 1942 and 1946 because of World War II (1939-1945). Brazil has won the World Cup five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002), more than any other country.

July 10, 2019

On Sunday, July 7, at the Stade de Lyon in Décines-Charpieu, France, the United States Women’s National Team defeated the Netherlands 2-0 to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer championship. It was the fourth world title for the U.S. women, who first won the tournament in 1991, the year it was first held. For the Netherlands, it was the team’s first trip to the World Cup final. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). Soccer is called football or association football in much of the world. FIFA is soccer’s world governing body. Held every four years, the Women’s World Cup is the world’s most important and prestigious women’s soccer tournament.

Members of the United States Women’s National Team celebrate winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup on July 7, 2019, at the Stade de Lyon in France. Credit: © Philippe Desmazes, AFP/Getty Images

The United States, the defending champions, entered the 2019 World Cup as heavy favorites. The team thumped Thailand to open the group stage, 13-0—the largest winning margin in World Cup history (men or women). They then took down Chile, Sweden, and Spain on their way to the quarterfinals, where the U.S. women eliminated host France, 2-1. A tough 2-1 semifinal victory over England sent the Americans to the title match against the Netherlands. The Dutch women, playing in the team’s second World Cup, also rolled through the tournament undefeated. The Oranje (Orange) allowed just three total goals in their wins over New Zealand, Cameroon, Canada, Japan, Italy, and Sweden before reaching La Grande Finale in suburban Lyon.

Before 57,900 fans crammed into the Stade de Lyon, the Dutch did what no other team had yet accomplished: they held the vaunted U.S. offense scoreless in the first half (45 minutes of play). A penalty in the 58th minute, however, gave U.S. star Megan Rapinoe the opportunity to break a 0-0 tie. Sporting a pinkish-purple mop of normally blonde hair, the veteran midfielder calmly stuck home a penalty kick to give the Americans a 1-0 advantage at the 61-minute mark. Eight minutes later, U.S. midfielder Rose Lavelle drilled a left-footed strike into the net for what turned out to be an insurmountable 2-0 lead. Emotions built on the U.S. sideline as the clock steadily counted toward 90, and after the final whistle blew, the U.S. women rushed the field for a joyous celebration.

The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup was played in nine stadiums in various French cities. The 24 entrants included 4 teams making their Women’s World Cup debuts: Chile, Jamaica, Scotland, and South Africa. The opening group stage of the World Cup divided the entrants into six groups of four. The top two teams of each group advanced after playing the other three teams in their group, as did the four best third-place teams. The round of 16 then trimmed the field to 8, and the quarterfinals reduced the tournament to a final 4. The United States downed England in the semifinals, and the Netherlands beat Sweden. The day before the United States took the final, Sweden beat England 2-1 in the anticlimactic battle for third place. All four semifinalists received automatic bids to the women’s soccer tournament at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Japan.

U.S. manager Jill Ellis, who also led the 2015 championship squad, became the first head coach to win two Women’s World Cup titles. The U.S. team set a record by scoring 26 goals during the tournament. Rapinoe earned the Golden Boot Award as the leading goal scorer (6), and she was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. Sari van Veenendaal of the Netherlands earned the Golden Glove Award as the World Cup’s top goalkeeper. The U.S. Women’s National Team returned home to cheers and numerous honors, including a ticker tape parade down a section of Broadway in New York City known as the “Canyon of Heroes.”

Sunday, July 7, was a busy soccer day elsewhere in the world, too. Shortly after the end of the Women’s World Cup, the Brazilian national men’s team defeated Peru 3-1 to win the Copa América, the championship of South American soccer, at the Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. That night, at Soldier Field in Chicago, the Mexican national men’s team beat the United States 1-0 to win the Gold Cup, the championship of Caribbean, Central American, and North American soccer.

July 17, 2018

On Sunday, July 15, at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, the French national men’s soccer team defeated Croatia 4-2 to win the FIFA World Cup championship. It was the second world title for France, which first won the tournament in 1998. It was Croatia’s first trip to the World Cup final. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). Soccer is called football or association football in much of the world. FIFA is soccer’s world governing body. Held every four years, the World Cup is the world’s most important and prestigious soccer tournament.

The French national men’s soccer team celebrates its World Cup championship at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, on July 15, 2018. Credit: © Franck Fife, AFP/Getty Images

Winning the global soccer championship is the dream of every nation’s team, and fans on every continent—yes, Antarctica too—follow the tournament closely, even rabidly, devouring every minute of every match. Many fans travel great distances and pay exorbitant amounts of money to watch their teams compete in the tournament, which was played this year in 12 stadiums in mostly western Russian cities. The World Cup is the end of a two-year elimination tournament process that narrows the global field of more than 200 teams to just 32. The host country (in this case, Russia) and the previous champion (Germany) receive automatic berths.

The year and name of each FIFA World Cup winner since 1974 is engraved on the underside of the trophy. Credit: © Alfredo Lopez, Jam Media/LatinContent/Getty Images

The opening group stage of the World Cup divides the 32 teams into 8 groups of 4. The top two teams of each group advance after playing the other three teams in their group. This year, Russia romped its way through the opening stage in front of delirious fans. Germany, however, became the fourth defending champion in the last five tournaments to be eliminated in the group phase. Superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal shone in the opening round, while fellow star Lionel Messi helped prevent early ejection for Argentina.

In the so-called “knockout” phase (because one loss means elimination) of 16 teams, both Ronaldo and Messi packed their bags for home, as did the Mexico team that looked so impressive in the group stage. A talented Belgium squad mounted a furious comeback to eliminate Japan, which was the first World Cup team to advance from the group stage on “fair play” points. Japan had tied Senegal in every category on the field but one: the Japanese had fewer fouls. In the intense quarterfinals, Belgium, England, and France advanced over Brazil, Sweden, and Uruguay, respectively, and feisty Croatia scraped by in a penalty kick shootout win over Russia. In the semifinals, France downed Belgium 1-0, and England lost to Croatia and its superior midfield, 2-1.

From the opening kick of the World Cup final, France’s superb athletes dominated the pitch, outrunning and eventually out-shooting their Croatian opponents. A French free kick in the 18th minute (each match has two 45-minute halves) ricocheted off a Croatian defender and into the net, giving France a 1-0 lead on the first “own goal” in World Cup final history. The lead was short-lived, however, as Croatia’s Ivan Perišić knocked in the equalizer 10 minutes later. Before the half, French star Antoine Griezmann drilled a penalty kick for a 2-1 advantage.

France hit the accelerator in the second half as stars Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappé each hit dazzling goals for a seemingly insurmountable 4-1 lead. As the champagne was chilling, however, a few ice cubes clinked to the floor as Mario Mandžukić retaliated with a Croatian goal in the 69th minute. The final 20 minutes then evaporated as France played keep away and thwarted every Croatian attack. A few minutes of stoppage time passed uneventfully, and the final whistle gave all of France—the team, the fans, and the nation—the feu vert (green light) to pop the corks.

French manager Didier Deschamps, who was team captain on the 1998 world championship squad, embraced his players as they lined up in a sudden drenching rain to receive their World Cup gold medals. For France, the date of its 2018 title (July 15) can now be celebrated every year after the country’s great national holiday, Bastille Day (July 14.) Croatian disappointment was quickly replaced by pride in the achievement of reaching the final, and midfielder Luka Modrić added to Croatia’s consolation by winning the Golden Ball Award as the tournament’s best player.

On the day before the World Cup final, Belgium defeated England 2-0 in the highly anticlimactic contest for third place in the tournament. England’s Harry Kane won the Golden Boot by leading all scorers with six goals. Thibaut Courtois of Belgium won the Golden Glove Award as the tournament’s best goalkeeper. Since the World Cup began in 1930, Brazil has the most championships (5); followed by Germany and Italy (4 each); Argentina, France, and Uruguay (2); and England and Spain (1).

July 11, 2018

As soccer’s FIFA World Cup winds up this weekend in Russia, Florida’s Pérez Art Museum of Miami (PAMM) is featuring an exhibition on the art of soccer, or, as it is called in many places, football (fútbol in Spanish). “The World’s Game: Fútbol and Contemporary Art,” which runs through Sept. 2, 2018, features works by more than 40 artists who have revealed their love and unique views of the sport through painting, photography, sculpture, and video art. The PAMM exhibition, timed to coincide with the World Cup, is free to youth soccer clubs and teams in the Miami area.

“The World’s Game: Fútbol and Contemporary Art” at the Pérez Art Museum of Miami celebrates the art of soccer. Credit: © Oriol Tarridas, Pérez Art Museum Miami

“The World’s Game” features works by such famous artists as Andy Warhol and Kehinde Wiley, and includes soccer balls (naturally), cleats, player portraits, videos of raucous fans, and miniature figurines dashing about on artistically imagined pitches (playing fields). Warhol and Wiley excepted (they are both connected to New York City), most artists in the exhibition come from the Miami area and nearby regions of Latin America. The exhibition is a celebration of the sport, of course, but it also explores how soccer influences nationalism while also promoting globalism through such uniting events as the World Cup.

“The World’s Game” also reflects Miami’s diverse population through the international appeal of the sport. Over two-thirds of Miami’s population is of Hispanic origin. Cubans make up about half of that group, and they give the city a strong Latin culture. The city also has a large Haitian population. Other population groups include those of German, Irish, and Italian descent. About a fifth of the people in Miami are African Americans.

PAMM focuses on international art of the 1900′s and 2000′s. It is one of the main attractions of Miami’s Museum Park (formerly known as Bicentennial Park) on Biscayne Bay. The museum’s roots go back to the opening of the city’s Center for the Fine Arts in 1984. It was renamed the Miami Art Museum in 1994, and was later renamed again in honor of Miami real estate mogul, art collector, and philanthropist Jorge M. Pérez, whose donations helped fund an expansion and a new building that opened in 2013. The three-story, 200,000-square-foot (18,580-square-meter) museum was designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron.

February 22, 2016

In January, Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi won his record fifth Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball), an annual award given to the best men’s soccer player in the world. The Ballon d’Or was just the latest tip of the cap for Messi, who has captivated soccer fans since his debut with FC (football club) Barcelona in 2004. One of the best scorers ever to step on the pitch, Messi has racked up 297 goals in his Barcelona career—more than any other player in Spanish league history.

Lionel Messi is an Argentine soccer star who is internationally famous for his speed, his ball handling skills, and his goal scoring. Credit: © AP Photo

In 2008, Messi led the Argentine national team to a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in China. In 2012, playing for both Barcelona and Argentina, he scored 91 goals, the most by a player during one calendar year in professional soccer history. In 2014, he powered Argentina to the FIFA World Cup final in Brazil (a 1-0 extra time loss to Germany). FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). FIFA is soccer’s world governing body. Such was his presence at that tournament that the final was often billed “Messi versus Germany.” Statistically, he didn’t qualify for the all-tournament team, but on reputation alone he was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player in the World Cup.

Lionel Andrés Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. He began playing soccer as a child, playing on local teams. From the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with a deficiency of human growth hormone. Human growth hormone is the main hormone that regulates human growth and development during childhood and adolescence. FC Barcelona signed Messi to a contract and agreed to pay for the treatment he needed to attain a normal height. He and his family moved to Barcelona. Messi obtained Spanish citizenship in 2005 but kept his Argentine citizenship as well.

Other World Book articles: 

• Soccer (2005) – A Back in Time article
• Soccer (2009) – A Back in Time article
• Soccer (2010) – A Back in Time article
• Soccer (2011) – A Back in Time article
• Soccer (2012) – A Back in Time article
• Soccer (2013) – A Back in Time article
• Soccer (2014) – A Back in Time article
• Argentina (2014) – A Back in Time article
• Latin America (2014) – A Back in Time article
• The 2014 World Cup (2014) – A Special Report

May 28, 2015

Yesterday, in a dawn raid, Swiss police arrested officials from soccer’s world governing body, the Federation Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA (fee fuh). Seven of the officials were arrested at a five-star Swiss hotel, where they were staying before FIFA’s annual congress, which opened in Zurich this morning. Those arrested and indicted were Jose Maria Marin of Brazil, Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands, Eduardo Li of Costa Rica, Julio Rocha of Nicaragua, Eugenio Figueredo of Uruguay, Costas Takkas of the United Kingdom, and Rafael Esquivel of Venezuela. Seven other officials named in the 161-page indictment were not present at the hotel.

The indictment stemmed from an investigation into corruption led by the U.S. Department of Justice. Attorney General Loretta Lynch began work on the investigation long before she was chosen for her current position. At a news conference yesterday, she stated that FIFA had been involved in “rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted” corruption.

At a news conference on May 27, 2015, U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announces an indictment against nine officials of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and five corporate executives for racketeering, conspiracy, and corruption. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

The indictment claims that high-level FIFA officials accepted bribes in order to influence where major tournament games would be held. For example, one section states that South African soccer officials paid $10 million to U.S. FIFA executives to obtain the 2010 FIFA World Cup games for South Africa. U.S. executives indicted are said to have collected about $150 million in graft in the period since 1991.

At tomorrow’s meeting, FIFA President Sepp Blatter is running for reelection. He has held the presidency of FIFA for 17 years. In a press conference today, Blatter denied responsibility for the corruption that has been rife in his organization. Soccer insiders, however, claimed a culture lacking in transparency had at least contributed to FIFA’s problems. Allegations of bribery have also been raised concerning winning bids that went to Qatar and Russia for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup Games, respectively. Blatter is running against Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein of Jordan and is expected to win another term as president.

Other World Book articles:

• Cabinet (2014-a Back in time article)
• Soccer (2013-a Back in time article)

June 12, 2014

The World Cup Finals, the biggest single-event sports competition in the world, kicked off today in Brazil. The tournament will involve 32 countries whose teams will play 64 games in 12 cities over 32 days. The final match is scheduled for July 13 in Rio de Janeiro. Television viewership of the soccer championship is expected to be the highest in history, surpassing the 3.2 billion people who watched the 2010 games, according to the FIFA, the international governing body of association football. A description of the World Cup as “the planet’s single greatest collective human experience” by sports writer Roger Bennett captures the fervor aroused by the tournament.

The World Cup is the most important international competition in soccer. Every four years national all-star teams from 32 countries compete for the trophy. (© Alfredo Lopez, Jam Media/LatinContent/Getty Images)

Football, or soccer, is known as "the beautiful game." (© Jose Jordan, AFP/Getty Images)

The United States is one of four countries from North and Central America to reach the final round of play in the 2014 tournament. The other qualifying teams are from Costa Rica, Honduras, and Mexico. The United States has qualified for every World Cup since 1990. The U.S. team plays it first match on Monday, June 16, against Ghana.

The 2014 World Cup, the most expensive ever staged, has been highly controversial. Surveys found that more than half of Brazilians–perhaps as many as two out of every three residents–opposed the tournament. Across Brazil, demonstrators have protested the enormous cost of hosting the event–$11 billion–which they claim would have been better spent on hospitals, public housing, and schools. In 2013, an estimated 1 million people joined demonstrations across Brazil, protesting an event that offers no economic advantage to the vast majority of Brazil’s population. Today in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, police used tear gas to break up a demonstration. Protesters were attempting to block a road leading to the stadium where the opening ceremony took place. Near the stadium, some 3,000 families are camping in a squatter settlement known as the “People’s Cup,” hoping to use the global event as a platform to pressure the government to provide better public services. Elsewhere in the city, riot police used tear gas and rubber truncheons to disperse protesters outside a subway station on the route to the same arena.

Additional World Book articles:

• Tim Cahill
• Lionel Messi
• Neymar
• Cristiano Ronaldo