Reviews of the history of champions
Since 1930 till nowadays, editions of the World Cup have followed one another to the point of registering several nation champions in its wake.
The FIFA World Cup is the most watched sporting event on television in the worldwide. A global event, subject of a good number of documentaries.
It has been the world championship for men’s national football teams. It was decided on May 28, 1928 by FIFA under the high patronage of its president Jules Rimet by that time, an open competition for all teams worldwide. This included professionals, distinguishing itself from the Olympic football tournament, which was reserved for amateurs in those days.
In the year 1930, for the first time in Uruguay, the competition was held and it was done every four years since then, except in the years 1942 and 1946 due to the Second World War which occurred. Since the second edition of this game competition, in 1934, the World Cup has comprised a qualifying phase involving continental zones, currently organised by each continental confederation, and a final phase which brings together the qualified teams that is 16 nations from the years 1934 to 1978, 24 nations from the years 1982 to 1994, 32 nations from 1998, 36 nations in the previous edition of the year 2022 and for 2026, 46 nations will be involved for a one month period. This final phase currently consists of a first round of pools that qualifies 16 teams for a knockout phase starting in the round of 16. Not forgetting that the host country of the finals is designated by FIFA and automatically it qualifies.
In the 22nd edition up to 2022, last year, only eight nations won once the title and only thirteen nations have reached the final. Brazil was seen as the only team to have played in all the finals of the competition at that time, holds one of the best records with five world titles and earned the right to retain the Jules Rimet Cup in 1970 after they had won the competition for the third time, with Pele, the world’s international and only player to have won three world titles. As for Italy and Germany, they had won four trophies and while Argentina won three titles. Uruguay on its side, won the first edition in their home land and France won the title twice, England and Spain both won once.
The last edition was held in Qatar, last year, 2022 and the next edition is for 2026, in the United States, in Canada and in Mexico, with 48 participating teams.
By Sarah Adjei (J3)