The first FIFA World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay.

It included 13 teams invited by FIFA.

The tournament has since grown to 32 teams,

preceded by a 2-year qualifying period of almost 200 teams.

Germany bid for the World Cup in 1942.

However, with the outbreak of World War II,
the tournament was cancelled.

The aftermath of World War II
also caused the cancellation of the 1946 tournament.

Brazil hosted the World Cup for the first time in 1950.

It was the first World Cup to include British participants.

The 1966 World Cup was hosted in England.

The trophy was stolen prior to the event,
but was recovered by a dog named “Pickles.”

The 2002 World Cup was the first to be held in Asia,
co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.

Prior to this, World Cup hosting rotated between
Europe and the Americas.

In 2010, FIFA introduced a new World Cup bidding process
that involved continental rotation.

Countries from the selected region could bid,
with the winning country elected by FIFA.

Host countries are decided 7 years in advance.

The 2018 World Cup was awarded to Russia and the
2022 World Cup will be in Qatar.

Only 3 teams have ever won a World Cup
outside their home continent:
Brazil, Argentina and Spain

Brazil has won the World Cup a total of 5 times.

Will 2014 be #6?

The winning nation of the 2014 World Cup will win

$35 million.

According to government reports,
Brazil’s World Cup preparations have so far cost $11.1 billion

more than the two previous tournaments combined.

Brazil’s new stadium,
Estadio Nacional de Brasilia Mane Garrincha,
cost $900 million to build: 3x the original estimate

Brazil’s new stadium is the
second most expensive soccer venue on the planet
(after Wembley Stadium).

FIFA projects $4.1 billion in revenue
from the 2014 World Cup.

Surprisingly, the 2018 World Cup in Russia is expected
to surpass Brazil as the most expensive in history,

with initial estimates pegged at $22 billion.