The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the entire globe; it’s so big, that almost half the population in the world watched the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa. And it shouldn’t be a surprise, watching your favorite players face off in an international tournament is enticing enough, but the fact that it’s held every four years only make the tensions rise higher every time.
Since we have to wait a while for the next global tournament, which is set to take place in Russia, here’s a list of things you probably didn’t know about the FIFA World Cup.
Winners of the World Cup
#5 There is a tournament (almost) every four years
Starting with the first ever World Cup held in Uruguay in 1930, there has been a tournament every four years. But did you know that in 1942 and 1946 there wasn’t a World Cup? The reason is simple enough, a little thing called World War II was happening so there really wasn’t time for a global sports event.
#4 If your team wins, you get a free TV
When Germany was host to the 2006 World Cup, an Italian electronics retailer made an offer they would later come to regret. Anyone who bought a plasma TV before the games began would stop paying if the Italian selection won… Which ended up happening and costing the company millions in losses.
#3 Saved by the dog
In 1966, a few weeks before the games began in England, a group of hooligans stole the World Cup trophy. This could have ended up very differently if it wasn’t for Pickles, a Border Collie who just happened to find the trophy in a garden in the outskirts of London.
Lionel Messi
#2 The Man with the golden ball
In every World Cup, Adidas gives the golden ball award to the player that proved to be the most outstanding during the tournament, usually a fan favorite, the 2014 winner of the award is Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
#1 Winning can be bad for your health
Sometimes winning a game isn’t filled with joy, in Mexico 1986 the Scottish team got the points it needed to move on to the next round, which would have been great news, but their coach, Jock Stein got too excited because of the team’s win, and suffered a heart attack on the field, and passed away just a few moments after.
There you have it, some good, some tragic, and some funny facts about the FIFA World Cup you probably didn’t know, and that hopefully will give you another way to look at the world’s most popular sport.
