⚽ Football

Association football — soccer — is the world's most popular sport: played in almost every country and watched by more people than any other game. The FIFA World Cup, held every four years, is the single most-watched sporting event on Earth. This page keeps the settled facts of that history and a plain-English guide to how the game is actually played.

The most successful nations

Brazil leads with 5 titles. Two World Cups (1942, 1946) were cancelled during the Second World War.

Where to go next

🏆 Every World Cup final, 1930 to today  ·  📘 The 17 Laws of the Game