It doesn’t matter what country you live in or represent, the only thing anyone is talking about right now is the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It’s a football tournament that only comes once every four years and draws more global viewers than the Olympics – both the summer and winter. Some might say it’s a big deal.
There have been 21 World Cup tournaments since 1930 – this year being the 22nd – and while 79 nations have had an opportunity at being named world champions, only eight of those nations have done so. A majority of that history includes Brazil, who are winners of five World Cups – the most all-time.
Behind Brazil stands Italy and Germany, each with four titles. Argentina, Uruguay, and France have two titles each, while England and Spain have each won one World Cup final. With the 2022 Group Stage complete and the knockout stage underway, only time will tell who will be crowned champions in 2022.
The 2022 World Cup Group Stage was one of the most exciting and shocking group stages in World Cup history – both fans and experts agree. It featured 32 teams (8 groups with 4 teams each) for the final time before increasing the field to 48 teams – which will only shake things up even more in future World Cups.
The group stage came to an end on December 2 with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage. Those teams were the Netherlands, Senegal, England, United States, Spain, Japan, Argentina, Poland, France, Australia, Morocco, Croatia, Brazil, Switzerland, Portugal, and South Korea.
With the knockout stage set to feature plenty of World Cup moments of its own, let’s take a quick look back at some of the most memorable and exciting moments from the group stage. With 48 games to sift through, we’re going to narrow it down to our top 15 moments that we’ll remember for quite some time.
15. Saudi Arabia Defeats Argentina
Saudi Arabia have declared tomorrow a national holiday after their 2-1 win against Argentina 🥳 pic.twitter.com/sTShJZF0HV
On November 22nd, Saudi Arabia shocked the world when they defeated Argentina 2-1 in the first Group C match of the week. With more than 88,000 fans in attendance at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, Saudi Arabia overcame a 0-1 deficit after LionelMessi scored the opening goal off a PK in the 10th minute.
It was Saleh Al-Shehri who opened up the scoring for Saudi Arabia, a goal that came in the 48th minute – just a few minutes after halftime. Five minutes later, Salem Al-Dawsari scored to give Saudi Arabia a 2-1 lead, which they ran away with. It was Saudi Arabia’s only win of the World Cup, but it was a shocker.
On November 23rd, with everyone still in shock after Saudi Arabia’s victory over Argentina, Japan decided to join in on the fun with a 2-1 upset of their own – this one over Germany. It was a thriller, with Germany taking a 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute and holding that 1-0 lead all the way up to the 75th minute.
Then Japan came alive. RitsuDoan knotted the game at 1-1 in the 75th minute and TakumaAsano followed it up with a goal of his own in the 83rd minute – giving Japan the 2-1 lead. Germany being one of the favorites heading into the World Cup, no one expected Japan to do what they did, especially so late.
13. Japan Defeats Spain
Japan beat Spain with just 17.7% possession, the lowest figure 𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙍 recorded in World Cup history 🤯 pic.twitter.com/q55lKljyq4
Japan went on to lose their second match, but returned with another stunner in Game 3 – a 2-1 win over Spain. They, once again, overcame an early 0-1 deficit with Spain drawing first blood in the 11th minute of the game. Japan would go the rest of the first half without registering a goal, looking to make a comeback.
And they did exactly that. RitsuDoan again acted as the stimulant, knotting the game at 1-1 with a goal in the 48th minute – just minutes after the second half began. Much like their win against Germany, Japan followed Doan’s goal with a second goal just minutes after, this one coming in the 51st minute.
On November 27th, Morocco was searching for a Cinderella win of their own against Belgium, one of the best teams this year. Morocco was coming off a tie with Croatia, while Belgium was fresh off a win vs. Canada. The game was scoreless for 73 minutes, but then Morocco ended the silence to take a 1-0 lead.
Morocco scored a dagger in the 92nd minute to complete the upset. It was the country’s first win at the World Cup since 1998 and it gave them the momentum to win their second straight a few days later vs. Canada. Their two wins in the group stage were enough to advance to the knockout stage.
11. Tunisia Defeats France
Tunisia are going home, but they ended France’s six-game World Cup winning streak on the way.
We’re not done with the upsets. On November 30th, Tunisia stunned France with a 1-0 win in Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan with more than 41,000 fans in attendance. It was the final game of the Group D stage, giving Tunisia their first and only win of the 2022 World Cup – failing to advance to the KO round.
It was a goal by WahbiKhazri in the 58th minute that gave Tunisia the victory. And while some people are discrediting the win since France was playing their backups – they had already secured their ticket to the next round, even with a loss – it was still a shocking and stunning win for a team not expected to prevail.
Alright, we have one more upset, this one occurring on December 2nd in the Group G stage. It was Cameroon who came away with an upset over Brazil, one of the greatest teams in World Cup history. Brazil was coming off back-to-back wins to start the 2022 World Cup, while Cameroon had a loss and tie.
The two teams were at a standstill the entire match – until extra time, that is. In the 92nd minute of the match, VincentAboubakar scored a goal to give Cameroon the 1-0 lead. Brazil didn’t have an answer, giving Cameroon their first win since 2002. Unfortunately, the win wasn’t enough for Cameroon to advance.
9. Guardado, Ronaldo, and Messi Make History
Antonio Carbajal 🇲🇽 Lothar Matthäus 🇩🇪 Rafa Márquez 🇲🇽 Lionel Messi 🇦🇷 Cristiano Ronaldo 🇵🇹 Andrés Guardado 🇲🇽
Guardado becomes the sixth player and third Mexican to play in five World Cups 💪 pic.twitter.com/bvqZTtMvjZ
The 2022 World Cup has already proven to be special in a variety of ways, but we’d be wrong to not highlight three players that made history when they took to the field for their first games of the tournament. Those players are CristianoRonaldo (Portugal), LionelMessi (Argentina), and AndresGuardado (Mexico).
So, what did they do, exactly? These men are making their fifth appearance at a World Cup – something that has only been done by five other players in World Cup History. They join AntonioCarbajal (Mexico), LotharMatthaus (Germany), RafaelMarquez (Mexico), GuillermoOchoa (Mexico), and GianluigiBuffon (Italy).
8. Gavi Becomes Youngest Spaniard to Score a Goal in World Cup
Pablo Martín Páez Gavira, also known as Gavi, is an 18-year-old Spanish footballer who made his debut for Spain on October 6, 2021 – becoming the youngest player to represent Spain at the senior level. He scored his first goal with the team in June 2022, becoming the youngest to score for Spain at the senior level.
When Gavi was announced as a starter for the World Cup, he knew he had an opportunity to make more Spanish history – which he did. During a 7-0 rout of Costa Rica on November 23rd, Gavi scored a goal in the 74th minute, making him the youngest Spainiard to ever score a goal for Spain in the World Cup.
7. Giroud Ties Henry’s Record for Most Goals in French History
Olivier Giroud has equalled Thierry Henry’s record for the most goals scored in the history of the French Men’s national team (51).
Entering the 2022 World Cup, one of the biggest storylines was OlivierGiroud being just two goals away from tying ThierryHenry for most international goals in French history. At the tournament’s start, Giroud had 49 career goals for France and Henry (who retired in 2010) had 51 career goals for France.
In his team’s first game, Giroud didn’t waste any time in tying the record. He scored a goal in the 32nd minute and 71st minute of their game against Australia, bringing him to 51 career goals. While he failed to score in the next two games, he now has an opportunity to score his 52nd goal in the knockout stage.
6. Poland’s Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny Has Been Dominant
FIRST HALF SAVES: 8 WORLD CUP SAVES: 17 PENALTY SAVES: 2
There were several players that stood out in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup – including OlivierGiroud, KylianMbappe, CodyGakpo, and MarcusRashford. With that said, no one had a more impressive group stage than Poland’s goalkeeper WojciechSzczęsny. He was by far the best player.
He played an instrumental role in the team finishing the group stage 1-1-1 and advancing to the knockout stage. He had two clean sheets, two penalty saves (one coming against Lionel Messi), and finished the stage with 18 total saves – the most in the tournament so far. He is putting his team on his back.
5. Qatar Breaks a 92-Year World Cup Streak
Qatar become the first host nation to lose all three of their World Cup group games 📉 pic.twitter.com/bHRp5UARZ6
With Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup, expectations were high from the very beginning – not because they’re a good team that was expected to do well, but because of the long-standing history of host teams playing well at the World Cup. For example, no host nation has ever lost their first game of the tourney.
It was a streak that stood for 92 years until Qatar ruined it on November 20th with a 2-0 loss to Ecuador. Qatar followed that up with a 3-1 loss to Senegal on November 25th and 2-0 loss to Netherlands on November 29th. Unfortunately, their exit was the earliest exit by a host team in World Cup history.
4. Spain Defeats Costa Rica 7-0
Spain's 7-0 win against Costa Rica is their largest victory in World Cup history.
Earlier, we talked about Gavi becoming the youngest Spainiard to score a World Cup goal. The goal came in a 7-0 rout of Costa Rica, which is incredible in its own right – being the biggest blowout of the 2022 World Cup Group Stage. Their seven goals was also the most scored by one team in a single game.
Six different players scored for Spain – DaniOlmo (11′), MarcoAsensio (21′), FerranTorres (31′ PEN, 54′), Gavi (74′), CarlosSoler (90′), and ÁlvaroMorata (90’+2′). Torres led the way with two goals as Spain started the group stage off with a win. Two days before this game, England had a 6-2 win vs. Iran.
Senegal opened their 2022 World Cup with a 2-0 loss to Netherlands, but that was their only loss of the group stage. They followed that up with a 3-1 win vs. Qatar and 2-1 win over Ecuador as they emerged as Africa’s best shot at a World Cup title – albeit slim – as they punched their ticket to the knockout stage.
It was a historic ticket, too. Senegal became the first African nation to advance to the Round of 16 since 2014. It’s Senegal’s third World Cup appearance – first appearing in 2002, when they reached the quarterfinals. They went 16 years without a World Cup appearance, but have now played two World Cups in a row.
2. Bale Scores Wales’ First World Cup Goal Since 1958
🏴 First World Cup appearance in 64 years 🏴 Second smallest country at the World Cup 🏴 Gareth Bale's long-awaited World Cup goal 🏴 Some of the best support in Qatar
The 2022 World Cup was bound to be historic for the country of Wales. The nation was making just their second World Cup appearance – their first coming back in 1958. That’s right, this was a Wales team that hasn’t been in the World Cup in 64 years! In the 1958 World Cup, Wales made it to the quarterfinals.
They didn’t have that type of success in this year’s World Cup, finishing the Group Stage with a 0-1-2 record. While they were outscored 0-5 in the final two games, it was a goal by GarethBale in the first game that sent Wales into a frenzy. His PK goal in the 82nd minute was the first World Cup goal for the country in 64 years!
That brings us to the final moment worth talking about from the 2022 World Cup Group Stage and what better way to bring this list to an end than with one of the most impressive goals scored in the group stage. It was a goal by Richarlison of Brazil on November 24th in their first game against Serbia.
It was a 2-0 win for Brazil, both goals coming from Richarlison. His first goal came in the 62nd minute, but he didn’t wait long to notch his second – a beauty of a goal that came in the 71st minute. After receiving a pass from the side, Richarlison props the ball up to himself and completes a bicycle kick into the net.
There’s Plenty More World Cup Moments to Come!
I don’t know about you, but I think this knockout stage is going to be off the chain. The field has already been narrowed down to 16 teams and by the time the knockout stage is complete – December 6 – that field will be down to just eight. Before you know it, we’ll be crowning the newest World Cup champion.
The knockout stage begins with the United States vs. Netherlands, followed by Argentina vs. Australia, Japan vs. Croatia, Brazil vs. South Korea, England vs. Senegal, France vs. Poland, Morocco vs. Spain, and Portugal vs. Switzerland. Fans will get to watch two games per day for the next four days – woo!
The quarterfinals will begin on December 9th after a three-day break and conclude on December 10th. The semifinals, which will see the field narrowed down to four teams, will take place on December 13th and 14th. Finally, the third place play-off final and World Cup final is scheduled for December 17th and 18th, respectively.
Argentina Wins First World Cup Final Since 1986 — Which Countries Have Won the FIFA World Cup in the Past?
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was one for the ages. It was the 22nd edition of the event and was unique from the beginning – having started in late-November, opposed to its normal June-July start date. It was also the last time we’ll see a field of 32 teams, with the field increasing to 48 teams for the 2026 World Cup.
And while the tournament featured a number of exciting storylines – for example, all five African teams won at least one game and two of them (Morocco, Tunisia) advanced to the knockout stage – it was LionelMessi and Argentina that stole the show with their first FIFA World Cup victory since 1986.
Argentina bounced back after an upset loss to Saudi Arabia in their first game of the tournament, winning their next two games and advancing to the knockout stage. The team went on to beat Australia, the Netherlands (PKs), and Croatia before facing France in the FIFA World Cup Final – winning it in PKs.
The history of the FIFA World Cup dates back to 1930, when the first tournament final was held in Montevideo, Uruguay. Since then, the World Cup has been held every four years – the only exceptions are 1942 and 1946, due to World War II. Many countries have tried, but only a few have won it all.
Over the past 22 tournaments, a total of 80 countries have had a shot at winning it all. Unfortunately, only nine of those countries – eight if you want to treat Germany and West Germany as the same – have won the FIFA World Cup Final, with six of them winning it more than once. Oh, and the US isn’t one of them.
Since the next men’s FIFA World Cup isn’t for another four years, let’s take a moment to reminisce about the tournament’s rich history since 1930. Since we already discussed Argentina’s run in 2022, we’ll go through the past 21 champions and how they got there – warning: it’s a lot of Brazil, Italy, and Germany.
21. 2018 FIFA World Cup – France
Raphael Varane's international career for France:
◉ 93 appearances ◉ 5 goals ◉ 1x World Cup ◉ 1x Nations League
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was held in Russia between June 14 and July 15. France went unbeaten in the group stage, finishing with two wins and one draw – they beat Australia 2-1 on June 16 and followed that up with a 1-0 win against Peru on June 21st. Their June 26 match against Denmark ended in a 0-0 tie.
In the knockout stage, France beat Argentina 4-3 thanks to two goals by Kylian Mbappé that came in the 64th and 68th minutes. They then beat Uruguay 2-0 and Belgium 1-0 to advance to the World Cup Final, where they defeated Croatia 4-2. Mbappé and AntoineGriezmann each had four goals in the Cup.
20. 2014 FIFA World Cup – Germany
Throwback to World Cup 2014, when Germany made one man wall of Philipp Lahm who was the shortest guy on the Field. However, Ronaldo still managed to hit him😭 pic.twitter.com/6htMFtjGrk
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was held in Brazil between June 12 and July 13. Germany went unbeaten in the group stage, finishing with two wins and one draw – they beat Portugal 4-0 behind a hat-trick by ThomasMüller, tied Ghana 2-2, and defeated the United States 1-0 behind another Müller finish.
In the knockout stage, Germany almost didn’t make it past the first round, but defeated Algeria 2-1 in extra time. They then beat France 1-0 and routed Brazil 7-1 before defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the World Cup Final. Müller finished the tournament with 5 goals – just one away from the Golden Boot.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was held in South Africa between June 11 and July 11. Spain had never won a World Cup prior to 2010. They ended the group stage with two wins and one draw, having lost their first match of the tournament to Switzerland, but bounced back to beat Chile and Honduras to advance.
Spain barely made their way through the knockout stage, beating Portugal, Paraguay, and Germany – all of which were 1-0 finishes – to advance to the World Cup Final, where they defeated Netherlands by a score of, you guessed it, 1-0 (in extra time, no less). DavidVilla (Silver Boot) led the team with 5 goals.
18. 2006 FIFA World Cup – Italy
Gianluigi Buffon turns 44 today, the only active player from Italy's 2006 World Cup winning squad 👴🏆 pic.twitter.com/CFkX3u7MEU
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was held in Germany between June 9 and July 9. Italy had already won three titles before securing their fourth in 2006. They went unbeaten in the group stage with wins against Ghana and the Czech Republic, and a tie to the United States. They really hit their stride in the KO stage.
In their three games leading up to the World Cup Final, Italy outscored Australia, Ukraine, and Germany 6-0 – which included two goals in overtime to secure a 2-0 win over Germany in the semi-finals. They ended up beating France in penalties to win the Cup. Italy had 11 different players score in the tourney.
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was held in South Korea and Japan between May 31 and June 30. Brazil had already won four World Cups before securing their fifth in 2002. The team went a perfect 3-0 in the group stage as their three-headed monster of Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, and Ronaldo combined for seven goals.
In the knockout stage, Brazil outscored their opponent 5-1 in their lead up to the World Cup Final – where they defeated Germany 2-0. Brazil finished the tournament 7-0-0 with 18 goals for and 4 goals against. Ronaldo led all goalscorers with a whopping 8 goals and Rivaldo came in second with 5 goals of his own.
The 1998 FIFA World Cup was held in France between June 10 and July 12. As of today, it’s the most recent World Cup where the host nation won it all. France went a perfect 3-0-0 in the group stage, outscoring their opponents 9-1 behind three goals by ThierryHenry. They were absolutely coasting.
In the knockout stage, France faced a little more resistance with a sudden death victory over Paraguay, a 0-0 victory in penalties against Italy, and a narrow 2-1 win over Croatia to advance to the World Cup Final, where they beat Brazil 3-0. France was led by Henry with 3 goals and had nine total players score.
The 1994 World Cup was held in the United States between June 17 and July 17. It was the fourth title for Brazil, who finished the group stage with two wins and one draw. They outscored opponents 5-0 in their first two games – wins against Cameroon and Russia – but tied 1-1 to Sweden before advancing.
Brazil squeaked out a narrow 1-0 victory over the United States in the knockout stage and followed that up with another close 3-2 win over the Netherlands. They got their revenge with a 1-0 win against Sweden before beating Italy in the Final in penalties. Romário led the team with 5 goals in the tourney.
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was held in Italy between June 8 and July 8. It was the third title for West Germany and final title before appearing as just Germany. They went unbeaten in the group stage, finishing with two wins and one draw – outscoring opponents 10-3 in their first three games.
In the knockout stage, West Germany defeated the Netherlands 2-1, Czechoslovakia 1-0, and England 1-1 (in penalties) before making it to the World Cup Final – where they defeated Argentina 1-0. They were led by LotharMatthäus with four goals, but had three other players score at least three goals in the Cup.
The 1986 FIFA World Cup was held in Mexico between May 31 and June 29. Argentina would win their second title – it would be another 36 years before they win their third (2022). They went unbeaten in the group stage, finishing with two wins and one draw. They outscored opponents 6-2 during that span.
Argentina easily advanced to the knockout stage and defeated Uruguay, England, and Belgium with a combined score of 5-1 – England was the only team to score on them. They defeated West Germany 3-2 in the World Cup Final. DiegoMaradona led the team with 5 goals and was the clear Golden Ball winner.
12. 1982 FIFA World Cup – Italy
Italian football legend Paolo Rossi has died at the age of 64
In 1982, he led Italy to the 1982 FIFA World Cup title, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot as top goalscorer. R.I.P. pic.twitter.com/PSIvwgiHHK
The 1982 FIFA World Cup was held in Spain between June 13 and July 11. Italy went on to win their third World Cup title – it would be another 24 years before they won their fourth. They went unbeaten in the first group stage, but failed to pick up a win with three draws and only scored 2 goals in those games.
They came alive in the second group stage, scoring 5 goals and winning both of their games before advancing to the knockout stage. There, they defeated Poland 2-0 in the semi-finals and beat West Germany 3-1 in the World Cup Final. Italy’s PaoloRossi led all goalscorers with six goals in the tourney.
11. 1978 FIFA World Cup – Argentina
The teams line up before Scotland v Holland at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Scotland won 3-2. pic.twitter.com/wtmHN6FIfx
The 1978 FIFA World Cup was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25. Argentina not only won their first World Cup title, but became just the fifth country to win it all as the host nation. They started the tourney with two wins and one loss in the first round and were in second place in their group, behind Italy.
Argentina finished the second round with two wins and one draw, outscoring opponents 8-0. In the Final, Argentina was tied 1-1 with the Netherlands until MarioKempes scored his second goal of the game in the 105th minute – Bertoni scored a dagger in the 115th minute. Kempes led all goalscorers with 6 goals.
10. 1974 FIFA World Cup – West Germany
The teams line up before Scotland v Zaire at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany. pic.twitter.com/J6QA2BwjwJ
The 1974 World Cup was held in West Germany between June 13 and July 7. This was the second time West Germany won the cup and the fourth time a country won it as the host nation. West Germany finished the first round with two wins and one loss – they stood just one point behind East Germany.
In the second round, West Germany played lights-out and won all three of their games – outscoring opponents 7-2 in that span, while East Germany failed to record a win. West Germany went on to defeat the Netherlands 2-1 in the World Cup FInal. The team was led by Gerd Müller, who scored four goals.
The 1970 FIFA World Cup was held in Mexico between May 31 and June 21. It was the third time Brazil would win the World Cup in a four-year span as they continued to roll through competition. They finished the group stage a perfect 3-0-0 and outscored opponents 8-3 to easily advance to the knockout stage.
Brazil went on to defeat Peru 4-2 and Uruguay 3-1 before finding themselves in the World Cup Final against Italy, who they defeated 4-1 – they outscored opponents 11-4 in the knockout stage. Jairzinho scored a goal in all three games and had 7 goals in the tourney – Pele had 4 goals in the tourney.
8. 1966 FIFA World Cup – England
England and West Germany line up before the World Cup final at Wembley, July 30th 1966 pic.twitter.com/4qR7MVgNtj
— Historic Sports Pictures (@HistoricSports2) April 27, 2022
The 1966 FIFA World Cup was held in England between July 11 and July 30. It was a special year for the host nation, who won their first ever title and became just the third country to win the Final as the host nation. They had two wins and one draw in the group stage, outscoring opponents 4-0 in those games.
England kept their run going in the knockout stage, defeating Argentina 1-0 and Portugal 2-1 before finding themselves in the Final against West Germany – who they defeated 4-2. Roger Hunt had 3 of the team’s 4 goals in the group stage, while Geoff Hurst had 4 of the team’s 7 goals in the knockout stage – including a hat-trick in the Final.
The 1962 FIFA World Cup was held in Chile between May 30 and June 17. Brazil defended their title from four years prior, becoming the second nation to win back-to-back World Cups. They went unbeaten in the group stage, advancing to the knockout stage with two wins and one draw – they stood atop their group.
Brazil opened up the knockout stage with a 3-1 win over England behind two goals by Garrincha and followed that up with a 4-2 win over Chile – again, Garrincha scored twice. He didn’t score in the Final, but he won 3-1 over Czechoslovakia and – along with teammate Vavá – led all goalscorers with 4 goals.
6. 1958 FIFA World Cup – Brazil
Brazil national team lines up for a photo, in color. 1958 World Cup Photo: Interleaning/Offside pic.twitter.com/6qHlebF9vw
The 1958 FIFA World Cup was held in Sweden between June 8 and June 29. It was the first ever title for Brazil and the first of a back-to-back (see above). They finished the group stage with two wins and one draw, outscoring opponents 5-0 in that span. Altafini and Vavá scored two goals each in the group stage.
The team played even better in the knockout stage, which started with a 1-0 win over Wales – the lone goal was scored by Pelé. Brazil went on to beat France 5-2 in the semi-finals – Pelé scored a hat trick – and followed that up with a 5-2 win over Sweden in the Final – Pelé scored two goals for six total.
— The Antique Football (@AntiqueFootball) May 30, 2014
The 1954 FIFA World Cup was held in Switzerland between June 16 and July 4. It was the first ever World Cup title for West Germany, who finished the group stage with just one win and one loss – they beat Turkey 4-1, but lost to Hungary 8-3. West Germany then won a play-off 7-2 against Turkey.
In the knockout stage, they defeated Yugoslavia 2-0 and Austria 6-1 before meeting Hungary in the Final – where they got their revenge in a 3-2 win behind two goals from HelmutRahn (also known as Der Boss). MaxMorlock led the team with six goals in the tourney, while three others finished with four goals.
— The Antique Football (@AntiqueFootball) April 26, 2014
The 1950 World Cup was held in Brazil between June 24 and July 16. It was the first time the World Cup was held in 12 years – World War II resulted in the 1942 and 1946 Cups being canceled. Uruguay would go on to win their second title after beating Bolivia 8-0 in the first round – five different players scored.
Uruguay opened the final stage with a 2-2 draw against Spain and followed that up with a 3-2 win against Sweden to advance to the Final – where they were met by a very good Brazil team. Despite going down 1-0 early in the second half, Uruguay scored in the 66th and 79th minutes to secure the victory. ÓscarMíguez led the team with five goals.
3. 1938 FIFA World Cup – Italy
All the way back in 1938, Italy became the first team to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup. 👀
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was held in France between June 4 and June 19. It was Italy’s second title in as many years, becoming the first nation to win back-to-back titles – it has only been done one other time. Italy opened the Round of 16 with a 2-1 win against Norway in OT thanks to a goal in the 94th minute.
They were matched up against France in the Quarter-Finals, where they won 3-1 behind two goals from SilvioPiola – the same player who scored the game-winner the previous game. A 2-1 win over Brazil sent Italy to the Final, where they defeated Hungary 4-2 – Piola scored twice more and had five total in the tourney.
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was held in Italy between May 27 and June 10. Italy not only became the second country to win a World Cup, but the second country to win it as the host nation – it was also the first of back-to-back titles (see above). It was a special year for Italy, who failed to qualify the year before.
They opened the tournament with a 7-1 win over the United States behind a hat-trick by Angelo Schiavio and two goals by Mumo Orsi. They beat Spain and Austria to advance to the Final. Czechoslovakia took a 1-0 lead in the 71st minute, but Orsi scored in the 81st minute and Schiavio scored in the 95th minute to secure a 2-1 win.
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay between July 13 and July 30. It was the first ever World Cup and only drew around 600,000 total fans in attendance (a little over 30,000 fans per match). For reference, the 2022 World Cup had about 3.5 million fans in attendance (over 50,000 per match).
Uruguay went a perfect 2-0-0 in the group stage and outscored opponents 5-0 in that span. They had no problems against Yugoslavia in the Semi-finals, beating them 6-1 behind a hat-trick by JoseCea and two goals by JuanAnselmo. They then beat Argentina 4-2 in the final and Cea finished with five total goals.
What’s Next for the FIFA World Cup?
The FIFA World Cup is one of the most watched sporting events in the world, drawing billions of viewers every four years. And while we won’t get to see teams take the field for another four years, all is not completely lost. In fact, football (soccer) fans still have the women’s FIFA World Cup to watch this year.
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be the ninth edition of the tournament and will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand – they beat out Colombia as the other potential host nation. Play will begin on July 20, 2023 with a match between host New Zealand and Norway in Eden Park, Auckland.
The United States will be in a group with Vietnam, the Netherlands, and the winners of the Play-off Group A. The Americans will first take the field on July 22, 2023 in Eden Park, Auckland and will play against Vietnam. While the US is a favorite to win, they’re closely followed by England – who are just as good.
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