The origin of the World Cup: how football's biggest event began
Where the World Cup came from, who drove its creation, why the first tournament was held in Uruguay, and how it grew into the sport's greatest competition.
An idea takes shape
By the 1920s football had become hugely popular around the world, but there was no single tournament to crown a true world champion. Football's world governing body, FIFA, set out to create one, driven in particular by its president Jules Rimet, whose name would later be given to the original trophy. The plan was for a competition open to nations from every continent, held regularly, to decide the best team on earth.
Uruguay 1930
The first World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay. The host was chosen partly because the country was celebrating a major anniversary and partly because its team were the reigning Olympic champions. Only a handful of European sides made the long sea journey to South America, but the tournament went ahead, and the hosts themselves triumphed, becoming the first nation ever to be crowned world champions of football.
Every four years
From the start the plan was to stage the World Cup every four years, alternating with the rhythm of other great sporting events. That schedule has held ever since, with the notable exception of the 1940s, when the tournament was suspended for over a decade because of the Second World War. When it resumed, it quickly regained its place at the very centre of the football calendar.
Growing into a giant
From those modest beginnings the World Cup grew steadily, expanding the number of qualifying nations and finalists until it became the most watched sporting event on the planet. What started as a small gathering of teams willing to make a long voyage is now a global spectacle followed by billions. Its origins, though, lie in a simple ambition: to bring the whole footballing world together to find a single champion.