World Cup Finals - Connecting The World Through Football
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Travel Notes: Connect The World Through Football.
World Cup Finals reports from Uruguay 1930 through to United 2026 and beyond; including in-depth coverage of European and world football (soccer) in general.
Euro 2024 - Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final:
Contested between
England,
France,
Germany,
Netherlands,
Portugal,
Spain,
Switzerland and
Türkiye.
Extra-time, penalties, tears and triumph.
Euro 2024 - European Championship Finals in Germany
Euro 2024 - European Championship Finals in Germany: (14th June to 14th July)
Euro 2024 Host Cities
Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich, Stuttgart.
World Cup Finals
The Greatest Game on Earth
Our coverage of world football brings fans closer together for a greater understanding of people, places, countries and cultures considered foreign to many.
Uruguay 1930:
Uruguay trailed Argentina at half-time (1:2) but replied with three goals in the second half; to win the first ever World Cup Final (4-2)
on July 30th, 1930.
Italy 1934:
Italy were one of the countries who missed out on the vote to host the first World Cup but managed to win the prestigious golden trophy
for the home fans.
France 1938:
The third World Cup was held in Europe for a second time, although Germany had annexed Austria, and Spain was in civil turmoil.
Brazil 1950:
Although no cup-final as such, Uruguay and Brazil went into their final game with the winner guaranteed to be champions; a draw would be enough for Brazil.
Switzerland 1954:
The fifth World Cup tournament produced a record number of goals, including a 7:5 encounter between Austria and Switzerland in Lausanne.
Sweden 1958:
Brazil presented a 17 year-old Pele to the world; who went on to claim a hat-trick in Brazil's 5:2 semi-final win over France and bag another two in the final.
Chile 1962:
Czechoslovakia overcame Hungary in the quarter-finals and Yugoslavia in the semis, while Brazil took care of England and the host nation, Chile.
England 1966:
Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick, in the final against West Germany, as England triumphed in a thrilling game watched by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
Mexico 1970:
1970 belonged to Pelé, who earned his third World Cup winners' medal when Brazil got their hands on the Jules Rimet Cup.... for keeps.
W. Germany 1974:
Johan Cruyff was the player of the tournament as total football became the buzzword of the day, even though Holland lost to West Germany in the 1974 final.
Argentina 1978:
Holland contested the 1978 World Cup Final, in Argentina, for the second time in a row. As in West Germany,
they again finished runners-up; to the hosts.
Spain 1982:
The Spain 82 World Cup finals increased to 24 teams and the format was changed to have two group stages, with four second-round groups of three.
Mexico 1986:
In 1986, Mexico became the first nation to stage the World Cup Finals for a second time; having only staged the competition sixteen years previously.
Italy 1990:
In 1990, Italy became the World Cup of stalemates. Both semi-finals were drawn out through penalty kicks. In the final itself, the only goal came from the spot.
USA 1994:
Once Team US had played a few games most of the nation began to understand they were hosting the greatest show on earth and how the game was played.
France 1998:
France became the sixth nation to win the World Cup on home soil. Thirty-two teams competed in the 16th World Cup; better known as France 98.
Korea-Japan 2002:
The 17th World Cup, held in Korea and Japan, was the first World Cup finals to be shared by two hosts and the first to be held in Asia.
Germany 2006:
The 2006 World Cup Finals ran from 9th June to 9th July; the opening
match in Munich and the final in Berlin. Munich and Dortmund hosted the
semi-finals.
South Africa 2010:
Eighty years after the First World Cup Finals in Uruguay, the world's most prestigious football competition was finally hosted on the African continent.
Brazil 2014:
Five times World Cup Champions, Brazil, get a second chance to hold the prestigious World Cup Finals; 64 years after they last hosted the tournament.
Russia 2018:
VAR made its World Cup debut and set out to change the course of a game with some crucial rule infringement watching and vital on the spot decisions.
Qatar 2022:
When FIFA executives met in Zurich to decide on who would host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup Finals, Qatar was probably the biggest surprise to many.
United 2026:
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Finals will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico
and the United States. The United Bid won the hosting rights ahead of
Morocco.
Centenary 2030:
To celebrate one hundred years of World Cup football, Uruguay, Argentina
and Paraguay will each stage one game before the main event moves on to
Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
Saudi Arabia 2034:
FIFA restricted the hosting eligibility for the 2034 World Cup to Asia
or Oceania after deciding to host the 2030 World Cup on three continents
(Africa, Europe, and South America). Saudi Arabia's bid succeeded due to
the absence of any other expressions of interest before FIFA's deadline.
Saudi Arabia has previously qualified for seven FIFA World Cup tournaments, having participated in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, and 2022.
World Cup History
World Cup Hosts and Winners
| Year | Host Country | No. of Teams | Winner |
| 1930 | Uruguay | 13 |  |
| 1934 | Italy | 16 |  |
| 1938 | France | 15 | |
| 1950 | Brazil | 13 | |
| 1954 | Switzerland | 16 |  |
| 1958 | Sweden | 16 |  |
| 1962 | Chile | 16 | |
| 1966 | England | 16 |  |
| 1970 | Mexico | 16 | |
| 1974 | West Germany | 16 | |
| 1978 | Argentina | 16 |  |
| 1982 | Spain | 24 | |
| 1986 | Mexico | 24 | |
| 1990 | Italy | 24 | |
| 1994 | USA | 24 | |
| 1998 | France | 32 |  |
| 2002 | Korea-Japan | 32 | |
| 2006 | Germany | 32 | |
| 2010 | South Africa | 32 |  |
| 2014 | Brazil | 32 | |
| 2018 | Russia | 32 | |
| 2022 | Qatar | 32 | |
| 2026 | United Bid | 48 | |
| 2030 | Morocco, Portugal and Spain | 48 | |
| 2034 | Saudi Arabia | 48 |
5.
Brazil.
4.
Germany.
4.
Italy.
3.
Argentina.
2.
France.
2.
Uruguay.
1.
England.
1.
Spain.
World Cup Match Archives
France 98:
France win the World Cup on home soil.
Korea-Japan 2002:
Brazil win the World Cup for the 5th time.
Germany 2006:
Zidane ends it all in a final head-but.
South Africa 2010:
Spain win the trophy hunt at the Soccer Safari.
Brazil 2014:
Putting the Samba back into football; German style.
Russia 2018:
Played out across multiple time zones from Kaliningrad to Ekaterinburg.
Qatar 2022:
Probably the best World Cup Final ever, with
the winner decided on penalties.
Nomadic Gatherings - Travels in Asia and Australia
Nomadic Gatherings by Michel Guntern.
European Leagues
Follow the football from the major leagues around Europe.
English Premier League - German Bundesliga - Italian Serie A - French Championnat - Spanish Primera Liga.
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