50 Quick Facts about the World Cup

Wayne Wheelwright

Description

The World Cup is the world's biggest sporting competition. From it's beginning in Uruguay in 1930 through to this years tournament in Brazil, this book contains facts and trivia that any football fan has to know. Each tournament is covered inside with facts about the top scorers, the trophies, the greatest players to have made names for themselves on the grandest stage of all and much more. So prepare yourself in this World Cup year by making sure you go into the tournament armed with the facts to help you appreciate this spectacular sporting spectacle.

Informations

• Publié par: Andrews UK
• Date de parution: 04 juin 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783337811
• Langue: English

Extrait

Title Page
50 QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE WORLD CUP
Wayne Wheelwright



Publisher Information
50 Quick Facts about the World Cup
Published in 2014 by Andrews UK Limited
www.andrewsuk.com
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Copyright © 2014 Wayne Wheelwright
The right of Wayne Wheelwright to be identified as author of this book has been asserted in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyrights Designs and Patents Act 1988.



The Facts The Jules Rimet Trophy, named for the FIFA president who passed a vote to initiate the first World Cup competition in 1929 was the first trophy awarded to the teams who won the World Cup. Before being named after Jules Rimet in 1946 the trophy was simply known as ‘Victory’. The Jules Rimet Trophy was designed by Abel Lafleur and made of gold plated silver and comprises of a decagonal cup held aloft by Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. During World War II, Italy were holders of the trophy and the then vice-president of FIFA and president of the FIGC kept it hidden in a shoe box under his bed to prevent the Nazis from taking it. During an exhibition at Westminster Central Hall in England in 1966 the Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen only to be found a week later wrapped in newspaper under a garden hedge by a dog named Pickles. After Brazil won the trophy for the third time in 1970 they were rewarded by being able to keep the trophy. It was kept at the Brazilian Football Confederation headquarters in Rio de Janeiro until it was stolen on 20 th December 1983. The Jules Rimet Trophy has never been recovered. After Brazil were allowed to keep the Jules Rimet Trophy, FIFA commissioned a new trophy to be built for the 1974 World Cup. Out of the 53 submissions from seven different countries, the job of designing the trophy went to Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga. The FIFA World Cup Trophy stands 36.5cm tall and is made of 18 carat gold. The trophy weighs 13.6lb and comprises of two figures holding up the earth. Unlike the Jules Rimet Trophy, FIFA have stated that the trophy cannot be won outright. The winners of the trophy have their name engraved on the base of the trophy and there is room to incorporate the winners until 2038. It is unknown if FIFA will retire the trophy at that time. The FIFA World Cup was first held in 1930 in Uruguay. The tournament consisted of 13 teams invited by FIFA to participate. All of the matches were played in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo with most played at the Estadio Centenario which was built specially for the tournament. The team were split into four groups with each group winner going onto the semi finals. The first two World Cup Games happened simultaneously and they were the match between France and Mexico and the match between the United States and Belgium. The first goal scored in World Cup history was by Lucien Laurent of France whilst the American goalkeeper Jimmy Douglas landed the first clean sheet. Argentina, Uruguay, United States and Yugoslavia won the groups. Uruguay won the tournament defeating Argentina 4-2. The second World Cup which was held in 1934 was hosted by Italy. The 1934 World Cup was the first that teams had to qualify to participate in with 32 teams entering the competition of which 16 earned a place in the finals tournament. The group stage used in the first tournament was scrapped with a straight knockout tournament structure taking it’s place. The eight seeded teams were Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. Italy became the second team to win the World Cup and the first European team to do so defeating Czechoslovakia 2-1 in the final. The third World Cup which was held in 1938 was hosted by France. France defeated Argentina and Germany for the right to host the tournament which caused outrage in South America as it was believed the tournament would alternate between the two continents, due to this Uruguay and Argentina chose not to enter. The 1938 World Cup was the last to be held before World War II. The 1938 tournament saw the first time a nation retained the World Cup after italy were successful, defeating Hungary 4-2 in the final. World War II meant there was no World Cup tournament held between 1938 and 1950. The competition returned to South America with Brazil serving as host nation.