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The finals tournament is held every four years, but the World Cup competition itself takes place over a two-year period. Over 160 national teams compete in regional qualifying tournaments for a place in the finals. The finals tournament now involves 32 national teams (increased from 24 in 1998) competing over a 4-week period in a previously nominated host nation. A recent innovation has allowed more than one country to act as joint hosts.
The next football World Cup will be held in Germany in 2006.
The World Cup was not the first international football competition. Amateur football became a part of the official Olympic programme for the first time in 1908 (See: Football at the 1908 Summer Olympics). In Turin in 1909, in what is sometimes described as The First World Cup, Sir Thomas Lipton organised a football tournament to contest the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy . Italy, Germany and Switzerland sent their most prestigious professional club sides to the competition but The Football Association of England refused to be associated with it and declined the offer to send a team. Not wishing to have Britain unrepresented in the competition, Lipton invited West Auckland FC , an amateur side from the north-east of England and mostly made up of coal miners, to take part. West Auckland won the tournament and returned to Italy in 1911 to defend their title. In the second competition West Auckland beat JuventusJuventus ( Latin for Youth Torino is one of Italy's oldest football clubs, based in Turin. As of 2004, Juventus competes in the Serie A. The team typically plays in black-and-white striped shirts and black shorts (but for decades in white shorts), and is 6-1 in the final and were awarded the trophy outright.
The first FIFA World Cup was held in UruguayThe Eastern Republic of Uruguay (translated from the Spanish Republica Oriental del Uruguay , is a country in southern South America, bordered by Brazil to the north, the Uruguay River to the west, the estuary of the Rio de la Plata (River Plate) to the s and ran from July 13July 13th is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. Events 1500-1799 1558 Battle of Gravelines: In France, Spanish forces led by Count Lamoral of Egmont defeat the French forces of Marshal Paul- 30July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. Events 1608 At Ticonderoga (now Crown Point, New York), Samuel de Champlain shot two Iroquois chiefs to death. This was to set the tone for Fren, 19301930 is the common year starting on Wednesday. see link for calendar) Events January-February January 6 The first diesel-engine automobile trip is completed ( Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York City). January 27 Miguel Primo de Rivera resigns January 30 G. It was organised mainly by Jules RimetJules Rimet (b. October 14, 1873 at Theuley-les Lavoncourt, France, d. October 16, 1956) was president of the French football federation from 1919 to 1945 and of FIFA from 1921 to 1954. On Rimet's intiative, the first Football World Cup was held in 1930 (, the FIFA president at the time. Thirteen nations took part - six from South AmericaSouth America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. South America is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It became attached to North America only recently, geologically speaking, wi, five from EuropeFor the band of the same name, see Europe (band . Europe is a continent forming the westermost part of the Eurasian supercontinent. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Se and two from North America. Uruguay beat Argentina 4-2 in front of crowd of 93,000 in Montevideo to become the first nation to win the trophy.
In 1970, Brazil's third victory in the tournament entitled them to keep the Jules Rimet trophy. A new trophy was then designed. Argentina, Germany (both times as West Germany), and Brazil have all won the second trophy twice. However, the current trophy will not be retired until the name plaque has been entirely filled with the names of winning nations. This will not happen until 2038.
Brazil, by a clear margin, is the most successful World Cup team overall, having won the tournament five times in total and finished as runners-up twice. Germany, three-time winners (as West Germany) and four-time runners-up (three times as West Germany), are next, while Italy have also won three trophies. Argentina and Uruguay are both two-time World Champions, although Uruguay's two successes came rather a long time ago, in the early years of the tournament.
The next World Cup finals will be held in Germany, in 2006. As indicated below, the 2010 finals will be held in South Africa. The 2014 finals, which FIFA has earmarked for South America, is expected to be held in Brazil [1] as CONMEBOL has already backed it as their choice.