The 2018 World Cup in Russia is less than a month away and fans across the globe are eagerly waiting for the world's most-watched football championship.
Russia is hosting the World Cup for the first time in over eight decades. Matches will span over 32 days from June 14 until July 15.
The idea of holding a World Cup was born in 1904 but was rejected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) fearing it would outmatch the Olympic Games.
However, then FIFA President Jules Rimet was the driving force that made the FIFA Congress, which met in Amsterdam on May 28, 1928, to stage a world championship.
Uruguay, which was a two-time Olympic football champions, hosted the first World Cup in 1930, which also coincided with the Latin American country's independence. Uruguay won the first World Cup after beating Argentina 4-2.
The next World Cup was held in Europe. Sixteen national teams appeared at the Italian-hosted championship, and the host nation won the trophy after beating Czechoslovakia 2-1.
France hosted the 1938 World Cup but Uruguay and Argentina did not participate in protest against failure to hold the championship in Latin America.
Italy won the World Cup but the Second World War erupted a year after, forcing halt of the championship for 12 years. Italy, by default, held the title for 12 years.
The World Cup resumed in 1950 and it was Uruguay that won the trophy after beating the host nation Brazil 2-1 in the Maracana Stadium. The final match was attended by 200,000 people, a record still unbeaten. The stadium's capacity was later reduced for safety reasons.
Switzerland hosted the 1954 World Cup, which witnessed the highest scoring average, 5.38 goals per game. Germany won this World Cup after beating Hungary 3-2, the very team that beat the Mannschaft in the first round 8-3.
The next World Cup, held in Sweden in 1958, saw the start of domination of Brazil of the international championship. It is the only World Cup where a team from South America to win the trophy in a European country. Brazil beat Sweden 5-2 in the final clash.
The Brazilians defended their title and won the next World Cup in Chile, beating Czechoslovakia 3-1.
England used the home advantage in the 1966 World Cup and won the country's sole FIFA championship, beating West Germany 4-2 in an exciting final.
Perhaps the most interesting World Cup was between Brazil and Italy, held in Mexico's Azteca Stadium in 1970. The Brazilians, with Pele at the helm of the squad, beat the Italians 4-1 to win the trophy for the third time and get to keep the Jules Remit Trophy, which was later replaced by the FIFA Cup.
West Germany, hosting the 1974 World Cup, won the FIFA Cup after beating a remarkable Netherlands 2-1, thus declaring Germany's dominance on Europe and World Cup finals.
Netherlands reached the 1978 World Cup final in Argentina, but the host diminished hopes of the Europeans to win the cup by 3-1.
FIFA World Cup 1982 saw first and only participation of State of Kuwait. Italy won its third World Cup after defeating West Germany 3-1. This was the first championship, which featured number of teams increasing from 16 to 24.
Mexico hosted the 1986 World Cup after Columbia withdrew due to financial strains. Argentina, led by Diego Maradona, won the cup after beating West Germany 3-2.
However, Germany, unified following collapse of Berlin Wall, took revenge in 1990 World Cup in Italy. The Mannschaft won the final after beating Argentina 1-0 to win its third World Cup, equaling Italy and Brazil.
The 1994 World Cup in the US saw a strong comeback by Brazil, which won the trophy for the first time in 24 years, beating Italy in dramatic penalty shoot-outs.
Brazil could not repeat the 1994 achievement four years later, when France hosted the World Cup and met Brazil in the final match to win by three clean goals.
The year 2002 was different because it was the first time two nations co-hosted the World Cup. Japan and South Korea co-organized a successful World Cup. Brazil beat Germany 2-0 to win the fifth FIFA Cup, exceeding Germany and Italy who have three titles each.
Italy won its fourth cup in 2006 in Germany. The Italians and the French reached the final match but the Italians won the encounter in a penalty shoot-out.
The World Cup was held for the first time in the African continent. South Africa hosted the championship in 2010 and Spain won its first cup after a solo against the Netherlands.
Brazil could not capitalize the home advantage when it hosted the World Cup on 2014. They suffered a humiliating 7-1 defeat against Germany who met Argentina in the final and won the trophy and their fourth cup.
Since the Second World Cup in 1934, qualification for the championship was held within FIFA's six continental zones: Africa, Asia, North and Central America and Caribbean, South America, Oceania and Europe.
Africa and Asia have five teams each, North and Central America and Caribbean will have three teams, South American five teams, Oceania none and Europe 13 teams. Russia, the host nation, is the 32nd team.
By Roger Ziadeh
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