20 Facts about FIFA World Cup Football

This is a compilation of 20 facts about FIFA World Cup Football which is updated on FIFA website. The process started by FIFA when it was 100 days left for World Cup 2014. Lets just read them one after another. You'll definitely find something interesting here.

1.Attendances of 100,000-plus have been recorded at 17 different FIFA World Cup™ matches – and all 17 have taken place in either Rio de Janeiro or Mexico City.

The tournament record was set in 1950, when a staggering crowd of 173,850 packed in to the Maracana to witness Uruguay’s shock defeat of Brazil in that year’s final.

There will not, however, be an 18th 100,000-plus attendance at Brazil 2014, with the new, all-seater Maracana – though still Brazil’s biggest stadium – operating at a capacity of ‘just’ 73,531.

2.Germany have played 99 matches at the FIFA World Cup™, more than any other nation. Brazil, with 97, follow in second place.

The Germans’ supremacy in this respect is all the more impressive as they have competed in 17 editions, two fewer than the Brazilians.

Match number 100 for Die Nationalmannschaft will come on 16 June, when they take on Portugal in their Brazil 2014 opener in Salvador.

3.France won their first and, to date, only FIFA World Cup™ in 1998.

Les Bleus’ long-awaited victory came on home soil, in the Stade de France, with Brazil - the most successful team in the tournament’s history, and the then holders - beaten 3-0 in a one-sided Final.

The hero of the hour was, of course, Zinedine Zidane, who headed home two first-half goals to spark delirious scenes in the French capital and throughout the country.

4.Over the course of 97 matches, spread across 19 FIFA World Cups™, Brazil have established themselves as the tournament’s most successive side. 

Their tally of five world titles is, of course, unmatched and there are other areas in which A Seleção reign supreme. 

Most notable is the all-time FIFA World Cup scoring chart, which Brazil lead with 210, followed by Germany (206), with Italy (126) and Argentina (123) a distant third and fourth.

5.FIFA World Cup™ winner Berti Vogts made 96 appearances for West Germany, making him one of the most capped players in his country’s history.

Known as Der Terrier for his dogged determination and tenacity, Vogts was at his best when up against one of the game’s most skilful players, Johan Cruyff, in the 1974  Final.

For all Cruyff's ability - ability which earned the Dutch an early penalty - it was Vogts who ultimately came out on top in the duel as West Germany lifted the trophy on home soil.

6.The late, great Sir Bobby Robson took charge of 95 matches as England manager, more than any of the 11 others who have followed in the footsteps of fellow Knight of the Realm, Sir Alf Ramsey.

Robson’s greatest achievement with the Three Lions came at the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™, when he led them to the semi-finals – the nation’s best performance to date on foreign soil.

Predictably, penalties cost the English on that occasion, with West Germany going on from their shootout success to beat Argentina 1-0 in the final, while Robson moved on to PSV Eindhoven.

7.USA 1994 took the FIFA World Cup™ into new territory both on and off the field.

Crucial rule changes were implemented, with three points for a win instead of two, the introduction of a fourth official to support the refereeing trio and the permitting of all squad players to sit on the bench and be considered as potential substitutes.

The 1994 edition also witnessed the first-ever indoor World Cup match, with the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit, Michigan playing host to a 1-1 draw between Switzerland and hosts USA.

8.A crowd of 93,000 packed into London’s Wembley Stadium for the 1966 FIFA World Cup™ Final.

The match they witnessed remains one of the most famous in the history of the game’s greatest tournament, with England beating West Germany 4-2 after extra time.

The Three Lions’ hero was Geoff Hurst, who became the first and, to date, only player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final.

9.Pele won 92 caps during a truly extraordinary international career.

That appearance tally tells only a fraction of the story of a man who won three FIFA World Cups™ - the only player to do so – in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

Having scored 77 times in those 92 matches, Pele also remains Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer, with Ronaldo, his closest challenger, 15 behind.

10.Diego Maradona made 91 appearances for Argentina during an unforgettable international career.

Undoubtedly, the highlight of that career came in 1986, when he illuminated the FIFA World Cup™ in Mexico, captaining La Albiceleste to glory with a series of inspirational performances.

More recently, Maradona returned to the World Cup as Argentina coach and, while unable to emulate in the dugout his success on the field, he remains one of the tournament’s all-time greats.

11.Just 90 seconds were on the Munich Olympiastadion clock when Netherlands midfielder Johan Neeskens scored against West Germany on 7 July 1974.

The goal remains the fastest ever seen in a FIFA World Cup™ Final, although it was not, of course, sufficient to inspire this great Dutch team to take the Trophy.

Instead, their hosts battled back in time-honoured style, with first-half strikes from Paul Breitner and Gerd Muller securing West Germany’s second World Cup crown.

12.Marcelo Trobbiani made just one solitary FIFA World Cup™ appearance, and it came as an 89th-minute substitute. 

Yet despite enjoying the joint-shortest World Cup career in the tournament’s history, Trobbiani’s one-minute outing enabled him to become a world champion. 

After all, the game the veteran midfielder was thrown into was the 1986 Final, and his team, Argentina, were within seconds of clinching a 3-2 victory.

Not a bad time to make your World Cup debut!

13.The 2013/14 FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola is currently in the process of visiting 88 countries during a 267-day trip around the world.

Today, Wales will become the latest to get an up-close view of the beautiful game’s most coveted prize, with England, the Netherlands and Belgium next in line.

This is the third edition of the Trophy Tour, which began ahead of Germany 2006 and has proved a huge success with fans across the globe.

14.Roberto Carlos scored his first and only FIFA World Cup™ goal while winning his 87th cap against China PR on 8 June 2002.

It was a trademark strike, too, with the Brazil left-back opening the scoring in a 4-0 group stage win with a ferociously struck free-kick.

The victory, which also included goals from Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, would prove to be the most resounding of A Seleção’s triumphant 2002 campaign.

15.Mexico 1986 was an unforgettable FIFA World Cup™ for all sorts of reasons, not least the electrifying performances of a certain Diego Armando Maradona.

But just as historic and significant as Argentina’s triumph was the less-heralded success enjoyed by Morocco earlier in the competition.

After all, in drawing with England and Poland and beating Portugal 3-1, the Atlas Lions not only became the first African team to qualify for the second stage of a World Cup – they topped their group.

A narrow 1-0 defeat to eventual finalists West Germany followed in the last 16, but a barrier had been broken and, since then, African teams have become regular participants in the tournament’s knockout rounds.

16.Although Gerd Muller scored ten times at Mexico 1970 to finish as the tournament’s top scorer, his most productive year came two years later, with 85 goals in all competitions for West Germany and Bayern Munich.

That remarkable haul set a new world record for goals in a calendar year, one which stood almost unchallenged for the next four decades.

The man who broke it is a player who will hope to be vying for the adidas Golden Boot at Brazil 2014, with Lionel Messi’s extraordinary 91-goal tally in 2012 having set a new standard for marksmen the world over.

17.With 42 goals from 84 appearances, Alexander Frei is Switzerland’s all-time leading goalscorer.

The striker’s impressive record of a goal every two international games underpinned Swiss successes during a period between 2004 and 2010 when they qualified for four successive major tournaments.

After missing out on UEFA EURO 2012, the Swiss will be back on the big stage at Brazil 2014. But they will, of course, be without their greatest ever marksman, who brought down the curtain on his distinguished international career in 2011.

18.Ferenc Puskas scored an incredible 83 goals in 84 appearances for Hungary.

The former army man, nicknamed 'The Galloping Major', was the jewel in the crown of a legendary Magyars team that earned fame throughout the world in 1953 by becoming the first overseas side to beat England at Wembley.

Puskas also played in two FIFA World Cups™ and came close to glory in 1954. Indeed, he scored the opener in the Final against West Germany only to eventually lose out 3-2 to a team the Hungarians had thrashed 8-3 earlier in the tournament.

19.France full-back Manuel Amoros, who was voted as the best young player of the 1982 FIFA World Cup Spain™, won 82 caps for his country.

The former Monaco and Marseille star, who also appeared at Mexico 1986, found himself in some esteemed company in this respect. After all, others voted best young player at previous World Cups include Florian Albert (1962), Franz Beckenbauer (1966), Teofilo Cubillas (1970) and, of course, the one and only Pele (1958).

Thomas Muller picked up the award at South Africa 2010, and there are sure to be plenty of worthy contenders to succeed him on show during Brazil 2014.

20.Teofilo Cubillas, who was voted Peru’s greatest ever player, won 81 caps during an outstanding career. 

Nicknamed ‘El Nene’ (The Kid), he remains his country’s all-time leading goalscorer, having scored 26 times across those 81 appearances.

Cubillas was one of the stars of the 1970 and ’78 FIFA World Cups™, leading his team to the last eight on both occasions and being voted as the former edition's best young player.