FIFA World Cup
History
The FIFA World Cup is an international football tournament contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, the sport's global governing body. The tournament has been held every four years since the inaugural event in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held due to World War II.
The first World Cup, held in Uruguay, was the brainchild of FIFA president Jules Rimet. The trophy awarded to the winners was known as the Jules Rimet Trophy until 1970, when it was permanently awarded to Brazil for their third win. A new trophy, known as the FIFA World Cup Trophy, has been awarded since 1974.
Format
The World Cup tournament consists of two parts, the qualification phase and the final phase (also known as the World Cup Finals). The qualification phase, which currently takes place over the three years preceding the Finals, is used to determine which teams qualify for the Finals. The current format of the Finals involves 32 teams competing for the title, over a period of about a month, in the host nation(s). The World Cup Finals is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the 2006 final.
Results
Brazil has won the tournament a record five times, and they are the only team to have played in every tournament. The other World Cup winners are Germany and Italy, with four titles each; Argentina, France, and Uruguay, with two titles each; and England and Spain, with one title each.
Awards
At the end of each World Cup, awards are presented to the players and teams for accomplishments other than their final team positions in the tournament. There are currently six awards: the Golden Ball for best player; the Golden Boot for top goal scorer; the Golden Glove for best goalkeeper; the Best Young Player Award for best player under 21 years of age; the FIFA Fair Play Trophy for the team with the best record of fair play; and the Most Entertaining Team for the team that has entertained the public the most during the World Cup, as determined by a poll of the general public.