The FIFA World Cup is one of the greatest and widely-viewed sporting events in the world where international sports is concerned. This sporting event consists of and involves an elite of 32 teams from almost 100 countries worldwide that emerged from many months of qualifying rounds to play in the World Cup final for the greatest prize in football. This game is a male competition that is played every four years since the first tournament in 1930 except for 1942 and 1946 due to World War II . The game is governed by the organization Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). FIFA World Cup is also popularly called Football World Cup, World Cup Football, World Cup and Soccer World Cup by the US*.

The final tournament usually lasts over a four-week period from June to July in the chosen host nation. It is divided into two stages: a group and a knockout stage. In each group, a round-robin tournament is played, with each team playing three matches. The winner is awarded three points, a draw one point and a loss none.

The two top teams from each group, advance to the knockout stage (first the round of 16 - second round, then quarter-finals, then semi-finals and final) of the game. At these knockout stages, teams play each other until one become the winner of that match. Because this is the knockout stage there has to be a winner. So, if there is no winner because they are tied or no goal is scored, then the game is played in two 15-minute halves of extra-time or sudden-death match where the fist team that scored becomes the winner. If there is still no goal scored then it goes into what is called a penalty shootout where each team member takes alternating turns to kick the ball from the penalty mark in attempt to score a goal. Each team member is given the opportunity to take five kicks at goal to decide the winner. If a team however, has scored more goals than the other opponent could possibly reach, with all of their remaining number of kicks then that team wins the game.

In the round of 16, the winner of each group plays against the runner-up from another group. The eight winners from this group then goes on to the quarter-finals followed by the semi-finals and final. There is also a third place match where the losing semi-finalists then compete for that spot.

*This game is different from the Football game that is played in America. In America it is called soccer while in the rest of the world it is called football. Thus in order for America to differentiate this game from its own football game (which is different from the rest of the world) they call it soccer. It is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each trying to win by scoring more goals than their opponent by kicking or heading a ball into the opponents' goal.

The following list below shows the past World Cup Football tournaments including the winners, runner-ups, score lines and the host countries of the competition from 1930 to date.

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Year: 1930
Winner: Uruguay
Runner-up: Argentine
Score: 4-2
Host Nation: Uruguay

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Year: 1934
Winner: Italy
Runner-up: Czechoslovakia
Score: 2-1
Host Nation: Italy

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Year: 1938
Winner: Italy
Runner-up: Hungary
Score: 4-2
Host Nation: France

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Year: 1942 {WW-II}
Winner: Not held
Runner-up: -
Score: -
Host Nation: -

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Year: 1946 {WW-II}
Winner: Not held
Runner-up: -
Score: -
Host Nation: -

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Year: 1950
Winner: Uruguay
Runner-up: Brazil
Score: 2-1
Host Nation: Brazil

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Year: 1954
Winner: Germany
Runner-up: Hungary
Score: 3-2
Host Nation: Switzerland

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Year: 1958
Winner: Brazil
Runner-up: Sweden
Score: 5-2
Host Nation: Sweden

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Year: 1962
Winner: Brazil
Runner-up: Czechoslovakia
Score: 3-1
Host Nation: Chile

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Year: 1966
Winner: England
Runner-up: Germany
Score: 4-2
Host Nation: England

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Year: 1970
Winner: Brazil
Runner-up: Italy
Score: 4-1
Host Nation: Mexico

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Year: 1974
Winner: West Germany
Runner-up: Holland (Netherlands)
Score: 2-1
Host Nation: West Germany

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Year: 1978
Winner: Argentine
Runner-up: Holland (Netherlands)
Score: 3-1
Host Nation: Argentine

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Year: 1982
Winner: Italy
Runner-up: West Germany
Score: 3-1
Host Nation: Spain

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Year: 1986
Winner: Argentine
Runner-up: West Germany
Score: 3-2
Host Nation: Mexico

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Year: 1990
Winner: West Germany
Runner-up: Argentine
Score: 1-0
Host Nation: Italy

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Year: 1994
Winner: Brazil
Runner-up: Italy
Score: 3-2
Host Nation: USA

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Year: 1998
Winner: France
Runner-up: Brazil
Score: 3-0
Host Nation: France

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Year: 2002
Winner: Brazil
Runner-up: Germany
Score: 2-0
Host Nation: Korea/Japan

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Year: 2006
Winner: Yet to decide
Runner-up: Yet to decide
Score:
Host Nation: Germany

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Summaries Of Countries that have won the World Cup Championship
Since the World Cup Football Championship began in 1930, only seven countries have won the tournament:
Brazil: 5
Italy: 3
West Germany: 3
Argentina: 2
Uruguay: 2
England: 1
France: 1
Brazil holds the most World Cup championships with five while Italy and West Germany/Germany are tied with three World Cup titles.

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