A lot of people can’t remember a time when there wasn’t football on the television. That is because the game has been around a long time! When it comes to international football, we have all heard of the FIFA World Cup; but, did you know that the first ever international football match was played way back in 1872? This took place between Scotland and England in Glasgow, with the game watched by 4,000 spectators as the rivals drew 0-0.
Of course, now we see the FIFA World Cup watched by millions around the world and it remains one of the biggest events in football, particularly for national teams. So, let’s have a look at the history of the competition and see how it has progressed over the years!
How it Began
This famous tournament was first held way back in 1930, when FIFA decided it was time to host an international football competition where countries could compete against each other for the cup. This would take place every four years and be hosted in different countries along the way and Jules Rimet was instrumental in its creation.
The first World Cup was won by Uruguay, after they defeated Argentina 4-2 in the final. In the next few years, Italy won the competition twice in a row! But, the tournament came to a 12 year stop due to the Second World War, as there were no financial resources or players to keep the competition running.
The FIFA World Cup finally resumed in 1950 and now British teams decided they wanted to join in with the tournament. Previously, they had not competed as they did not want to play against teams they were at war with. But, this had now changed.
In 1966, we saw the FIFA World Cup hosted by England and this was the first time that the official logo for the competition was used, alongside marketing. In fact, this was an eventful year since the trophy itself was stolen! This year saw England lift the crown and beat Germany in the final.
The competition first started with only 13 teams playing against each other. Over the years, we can see this has expanded and there are now 32 national teams in the FIFA World Cup battling it out for the crown, not to mention a two-year qualifying process before the final stages of the tournament. This allows over 200 national teams from across the world to have a shot at joining the big stage. The first expanded competition took place in 1998, which saw France beat Brazil 3-0 in the final.
Of course, there are plenty of records that have been set in the FIFA World Cup. The country that has won the FIFA World Cup the most times since its creation is Brazil. They have won the cup five times and with a team of top class players, this national team are always one to watch in the competition and they have played in every single tournament over the years. You definitely see lots of Brazilian football flags waving around during the World Cup every year!
FIFA World Cup 2018
In 2018, we will see the return of the final stages of the FIFA World Cup, which will take place in Russia. This is the 21st World Cup to take place since its creation and is sure to attraction millions of views from around the globe, with top class players taking part! This will take place over the months of June and July.
At the Flag Shop, we are celebrating the 2018 FIFA World Cup with special flags to mark the occasion! This includes having flag packs for every Group in the competition, which means you can decorate your event with your favourite nations. For example, in the Group B World Cup Flag Pack, you can enjoy having the country flags of Portugal, Spain, Morocco and Iran. All of the flags are made from quality polyester material, with vivid colours to brighten up any room. In addition, the Group G World Cup Flag Pack contains all four of the national team flags of Belgium, Panama, Tunisia and England. These are all made from durable polyester for indoor and outdoor use. Who will win the groups? We will have to wait and see!
If you want to support the 2018 World Cup and hold celebrations during the tournament, we also recommend the World Cup Flags 5ft x 3ft 32 Flag Pack! This is an incredible pack that contains every one of the 32 national team flags that are competing in the competition. This includes countries such as Switzerland, England, France and Germany! All of the flags are printed on quality polyester with vivid colours. Now you can decorate for the occasion and make sure every country has their flag on show.