Do you know that…

•The FIFA World Cup was initiated by FIFA president Jules Rimet.

•1930 Uruguay: Inaugural tournament featuring only 13 teams. It was won by host nation Uruguay who defeated Argentina 4–2

•1942 & 1946: Tournaments canceled due to World War II

•1950 Brazil: Uruguay claimed their second title in the decisive match against Brazil (known as the Maracanazo)

It also witnessed the footwear fiasco as India famously withdrew from the 1950 tournament in Brazil. While a popular urban legend claims they refused to play because FIFA wouldn’t let them play completely barefoot, the actual reason was a mix of high travel costs and the team prioritizing the Olympics at the time.

However, playing without boots did happen in 1938, when Leonidas of Brazil scored a brilliant goal against Poland while his boot was stuck in the thick mud off the pitch.

•1958 Sweden: A 17-year-old Pelé emerged on the global stage, leading Brazil to their first-ever World Cup title.

•1970 Mexico: Brazil won their third title, permanently keeping the original Jules Rimet Trophy

•1986 Mexico: Famous for Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century” against England, culminating in Argentina lifting the trophy.

•2002 South Korea/Japan: The first tournament hosted in Asia and co-hosted by two nations, won by Brazil.

•2010 South Africa: The first World Cup hosted on the African continent, won by Spain.

•2022 Qatar: The first tournament held in the Middle East ending with Argentina winning a dramatic penalty shootout against France.

•2026 North America: Co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, expanding the format to 48 nations.

•The Most Successful Country: Brazil holds the ultimate bragging rights, having won the tournament five times.

•The Craziest Trophy Incident: In 1966, the original World Cup trophy was stolen in London and found days later in a bush by a dog named Pickles.

. The Highest-Scoring Player: Germany’s Miroslav Klose, French forward Kylian Mbappé, and Argentina’s Lionel Messi were tied with 16 total tournament goals each. The FIFA World Cup 2026 is still ongoing. Lionel Messi became the top scorer in FIFA World Cup history after breaking the record with two goals against Austria on June 22, 2026. His goal number is 18 now.

•The All-Time Youngest Goalscorer: The legendary Pelé scored his first tournament goal at just 17 years and 239 days old.

•The Fastest Goal in History: Hakan Şükür of Turkey found the back of the net only 11 seconds into a match in 2002.

•Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup legacy: Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo became the first male player to score in five different World Cups (8 goals total). He is currently appearing in his record sixth tournament in 2026. Lionel Messi has also scored across six World Cups.

•Vinícius Júnior became the fifth Brazilian player to score in all three group-stage matches at a single FIFA World Cup, joining an elite group that includes Jairzinho (1970), Romário (1994), Rivaldo (2002), and Ronaldo (2002).

•Cleaning up stadium: Japanese fans clean stadiums after games to show respect and express gratitude to their hosts, a practice deeply rooted in their cultural values and upbringing. This thoughtful global tradition officially began at the 1998 World Cup in France, when supporters of the national team first stayed behind to tidy up their seating areas.