Last updated on November 12th, 2020
Ever since the FIFA World Cup 2018 kicked-off last month, people from every walks of life and age groups seem to have clutched by the fever of the greatest soccer event. You can see the football logo are all around, be it sports accessories or any garments. The tournament has been awarded every four years since it was first played in 1930 in Uruguay, except 1942 and 1946 as it wasn’t held due to the World War II. The ongoing world cup is the 21st in number and is hosted by Russia, with 32 best national teams from the world participating.
If you’re engrossed in soccer, then you might know the important facts and figures about the sport. However, we’re trying to put in-depth information in form of infographics which will illustrate the various aspects of soccer such as history, facts, legends, statistics, and many more that might interest you. These insights will surely provide you with the ammunition you need, while discussing this beautiful sports with your friends.
Here Are Key Info About Fifa World Cup Russia 2018
01. History
The FIFA World Cup is probably the most popular event for soccer in the world, drawing billions of viewers every tournament. Inspired by the success of Olympic football tournaments, Jules Rimet – then president of FIFA – felt the need of its own international tournament outside of the Olympic. FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) – the global governing body for soccer – organized the first football World Cup in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930 in which top 13 football nations participated.
The host Uruguay won the title defeating Argentina by 4-2.
Until 1978, the championship was played between 16 teams, then in 1982, the number increased to 24, and then in 1998, it was increased to the present level of 32 participants. In 2017, FIFA decided to increase the number of teams to 48 from 2026 onwards.
Brazil has the unique record to have participated in every World Cup finals series and the most successful team with five victories.
Fun Facts
- The FIFA World Cup 2018 has been marked the first time Russia has ever hosted soccer world cup.
- Approximately 3.2 billion people (almost half of the world’s population) watched the World Cup 2014.
- Brazil has won five times – the most titles. Germany and Italy are close behind with four titles each.
- Mexico has the most losses with 25, though they have 14 wins and 14 draws.
- World Cup 2018 is the 21st championship.
- The planned World Cup 1942 and 1946 were cancelled due to World War-II.
- For the first time in the history of football, World Cup 2002 was hosted by two nations – Japan and South Korea.
- The first World Cup was played between 13 teams. At present, total 32 teams are participating, and from 2026 onwards the number of teams would be increased to 48.
- Oleg Salenko of Russia scored five goals – the most ever by a single player in a World Cup match.
- The average attendance per match in the World Cup 2014 was over 53,000.
- 76 nations have appeared in the World Cup at least once.
- Total number of goals scored so far is 2,208
- World Cup 2014 matches were played in 12 different cities.
02. The Greatest Ever Player
The players listed here are the all-time legends of soccer who made their fans crazy. They’re the iconic players, becoming household names even to those not following it. They have transformed and widely expanded the game, and have also seized the imagination of the soccer fans. Diego Maradona of Argentina and Pele of Brazil top the list. These players still rule the logo design meant for garments, especially sportswear.
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03. Established Superstars
There are some players who have been ruling the soccer world for quite some time. With players Christiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Lionel Messi leading the list, these players have all the potentials to become a legend.
04.Timeline
Commenced in 1930, this is the 21st FIFA World Cup with 32 top football nations competing. The first World Cup was won by the host Uruguay. The planned championships for 1942 and 1946 were not held due to the World War-II, and after a gap of 12 odd years, it was held in Brazil in 1950 and since then the FIFA World Cup has been awarded every four years.
The 2022 World Cup is scheduled to take place in Qatar.
Teams at the 2018 World Cup Ranked By Market / Transfer Value of Players
The below stats represent the total market/transfer value of the national teams competing at the World Cup 2018 in Russia. France is leading with a combined market/transfer value of 1.08 billion Euros.
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05. Some More Interesting Facts
- The FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifications started three years back on March 12, 2015.
- Germany – the defending champions- knocked out in the group stage. It’s the first time since 1938 that a German team didn’t advance from the 1st stage of a World Cup championship.
- FIFA – the global governing body for soccer – expelled Zimbabwe from qualification for not paying the outstanding debt to its national team coach.
- AFC banned Indonesia from all international football, including 2018 World Cup Qualifiers, because of government interfering in the country’s domestic league.
- Italy failed to qualify for the first time after 1958. Italy is the only team of eight that have won the competition but not participating in World Cup 2018.
- Total 32 national teams are participating in the ongoing 2018 World Cup, with Iceland and Panama making the debut.
06. World Cup 2018: Stadiums
A total of 64 matches will be played in the 2018 World Cup in 12 venues located in 11 cities. The final match will be played on July 15 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
The Ways in Which the Internet Users Worldwide Witnessing FIFA World Cup 2014 & 2018 (% of respondents)
The data shows how soccer lover around the world watch/listen to the World Cup 2018 and 2014. The data is as per the Ipsos report titled “Attitudes Towards the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia” published in June 2018. A total of 12,207 internet users between the age group of 16-64 from 27 countries surveyed during 20th April-04th May 2018. All the respondents were well aware of the ongoing World Cup 2018.
07. The World Cup Curse
“The Curse of Defending Champions” is an interesting coincidence that has witnessed most title defenders knocking out the tournament in the group stage. It has happened in four of the last five World Cups. Germany is the latest victim of the FIFA World Cup Curse which has crashed out of the World Cup Russia 2018, losing by 1-0 against Mexico.
British Soccer Lovers Strongly Oppose Qatar World Cup 2022.
Soon after the FIFA announced that the World Cup 2022 will be held in Qatar, British soccer fans started opposing to it. Majority of them (79 per cent) say FIFA was wrong to choose the small Gulf country as the host of the biggest sporting event of football. Scheduled to take place in the months of November and December, fans are split mostly because of a winter World Cup.
08. Mascot Design
Zabikara – the wolf – is the official mascot for the ongoing FIFA World Cup Russia -2018. The mascot was rolled out on October 21, 2016. The wolf is seen sporting blue and white colored wool t-shirt with the words – RUSSIA 2018. The shorts are in red color. The wolf also sports a cool pair of orange sports glasses. Identically, the colors – red, white, and blue are the colors of the Russian national football team. Creating sports logos for events like FIFA World Cup were never easy. It needs a higher level of dedication along with skills and ability to imagine.
Ekaterina Bocharova is the designer behind the mascot who’s not yet a professional graphic designer; he’s still a designing student. Over a million of respondents participated in the living voting during September 2016 in FIFA platforms as well as on Channel One. Zabivaka – the wolf– stood out as the most popular choice with 53% votes, with Tiger at 27% and The Cat at 20%.
Conclusion
Football World Cup is one of the most followed sporting events worldwide. Being a football lover you must be looking for the information that provides you with ammunition you require if debating. These infographics discusses the various aspects such as history, facts, legends, statistics, and many more that you might look for.
