FIFA World Cup

Publication date: 21 July 2025

The Football World Cup (FIFA World Cup, World Cup, Mundial) is the main international football competition in which the national teams of FIFA member countries of all continents can participate. Once every 4 years the final tournaments of the championships are held.

The Women’s World Cup has also been held every four years since 1991, and always takes place one year after the Men’s World Cup.

2026 FIFA World Cup

The 23rd FIFA World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19. The final match will take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is already known that 48 teams will take part in the final stage of the championship (usually 32).

 Official FIFA World Cup website 

History of the FIFA World Cup

The first World Cup was held in 1930 with 13 teams participating. The winning team at the time was Uruguay, as a result beating Argentina by a score of 4-2. In 2010, Argentina’s last player to take part in the competition, forward Francisco Varallo, died. He once shared his impressions of the momentous event: “We went to the final with Uruguay like we were going to war. I still can’t get over the loss”.

Interesting facts about the championship:

1. The tournament that united the continent

The 2026 World Cup will be the first to be hosted by three countries at once: the USA, Canada and Mexico. This scale is a first in history. Plus, instead of the usual 32 teams, there will be 48. The matches will be spread across the continent, from Vancouver to Mexico City.

2. Pele is one of a kind

Three championship titles. No one else has this. And he won his first World Cup at the age of 17, becoming the youngest champion and scorer of the goal in the final.

3. Klose is forever at the top

German Miroslav Klose is the top scorer of all time at the World Cup. He has 16 goals. This is more than Ronaldo, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

4. One in a million — Oleg Salenko

In 1994, Russian Salenko scored 5 goals in one match against Cameroon. No one has ever done anything like this before or since. It is still a record.

5. A cup that goes away, but not forever

Winning team gets only a copy of World Cup. Original gold trophy stays with FIFA. Last time trophy was permanently awarded to Brazil was after third victory in 1970.

6. A match that is still remembered

In 1954, Austria and Switzerland produced a real football heat — 7:5. This is the highest-scoring match in the history of the tournament. They played under the scorching sun, the players lost consciousness from the heat.

7. Yugoslavia, which no longer existed

The Yugoslavia national team played in the 1998 World Cup — although the country itself essentially no longer existed. The team gathered football players from the future Serbia and Montenegro. And even made it to the playoffs.

8. Sci-fi football

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, referees used a “smart” offside system for the first time — cameras, sensors, algorithms. Decisions were made almost instantly. Something from the future — and without the usual disputes.

Previous FIFA World Cup results

FIFA World Cup 2030

According to preliminary information, the next World Cup will be held in three countries – Spain, Portugal, Morocco. This year will be an anniversary – exactly 100 years since the history of the first championship. It is also known that 48 teams will take part in the competition, as in the previous championship.

We look forward to hosting one of the most significant events in the world of football!

Keep an eye on the dates of the FIFA World Cup and other events in our Sports events calendar.