There are various data about this event that many are unaware or do not remember

Only a few hours before the inauguration of the Russia 2018 World Cup in the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, between the Russian and Saudi Arabian teams in Group A, LatinAmerican Post shares several curious and statistical data related to the most popular sports event on the planet.

Leer en español: ¿Cree saberlo todo sobre los Mundiales de Fútbol? Estos 10 datos podrían hacerlo cambiar de opinión

1. Before the World Cup …

The antecedent of the World Cup is made up of the soccer tournaments that were held in the Olympic Games, which were very successful. This changed in May 1928, when FIFA decided to organize a world championship, which would be held for the first time two years later.

2. Latin America, headquarters of the first edition

The headquarters of the first world cup was Uruguay. It was inaugurated in the Centennial State of Montevideo on July 18, 1930. In addition to its victories in the Olympic Games and other factors, this country was chosen as host because it was believed that it was a good opportunity to move the focus away from Europe, where the "Great War" had just ended. In fact, one of the purposes of the event was to promote peace and the union of nations. Spain, Italy, Hungary, Holland, and Sweden submitted their candidacy, but once the venue was chosen, they withdrew their candidature and did not participate in the competition.

3. Many associates

FIFA currently has more than two hundred football federations from different countries, surpassing the UN in the number of affiliated nations, according to its official website.

It may interest you: FIFA 2026 and 2030: Two World Cups for America?

4. The repercussion of the war

The editions planned for 1942 and 1946 had to be suspended due to the Second World War, and it was until 1950 that the event could take place, which had Brazil as its headquarters and was surprised by the low number of participating teams (13 of a total of 34). The Soviet Union did not want to get involved, and with respect to Germany and Japan, FIFA decreed that they could not play due to their participation in the conflict. In this edition, Uruguay defeated the host team on the last day, resulting champion.

5. The busiest Cup …

Futbolete, the site of Colombian soccer, affirms that the edition with greater number of spectators is, until the moment, the one of 1994, celebrated in the United States and which counted with approximately 70 thousand fanatics who attended from the 52 participating countries. Other editions significantly attended were those of Mexico 1970, Germany 2006, and Brazil 2014.

6. The denomination of the trophy

The name of the current award, the World Cup trophy, has been used since 1974. FIFA indicates that it is made of 18-carat gold, weighs more than 6 kg, and has a malachite base and represents two human figures who hold the earth. At the base, there are the names of the countries that have won it, written in each country's own language. The current version replaced the previous one named after Jules Rimet, creator of the World Cup and former FIFA president, which was made of sterling silver plated with gold and represented Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.

7. The most regular

Brazil is the only country that has participated in all editions of the World Cup, and also, with 5 victories, is the one that has been the most successful. However, it did not succeed in the two times it was the host country (1950 and 2014). Argentina, Mexico, and Uruguay are the Latin American countries that have qualified more often after Rio de Janeiro. On the contrary, there are several countries whose teams have never been part of this championship, such as Guatemala, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Syria, Estonia, Luxembourg, among many others. There are also several eternally absent by the continents of Asia and Africa.

Read also: Russia 2018: Teams arm themselves to the teeth with technology to study their rivals

8. Outstanding players

Alfred Lopez points out that the youngest player to have participated in a World Cup is Norman Whiteside, a Northern Irish striker who was only 17 years old when he played his first match with the then Yugoslavian team, in the 1982 edition, which was held in Spain. For its part, the German Lothar Matthaus is the player who has participated in more World Cups (5), along with Mexican goalkeeper Antonio Carvajal, also goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon of Italy, although Matthaeus overcomes them with the most number of matches: a record of 25 meetings.

9. Looser rules

Russia has become the first country that will not require an entry visa for those who go directly to watch a match inside a stadium. The identification needed to enter both the country and the establishments where the event will be held is the "Fan ID", a mandatory document that is obtained through the purchase of an entry, as indicated on the official website of the Fan ID of FIFA 2018.

10. The evolution of the World Cup

Through Collective Culture, Renata Salas reveals the evolution of the World Cup from 1930 to the present. The first was made of leather and had a bladder inside, which, in the third edition was replaced by a valve in order to facilitate inflation. It was until the 1982 edition of Spain that leather was mixed with polyurethane to make the ball waterproof. The use of technology in the development has been constant since then, until it will be the innovative Russian ball 2018, which will have a chip that will allow users to interact with "Telstar" through a tablet or smartphone .

Latin American Post | Mariana Castellanos
Translated from "¿Cree saberlo todo sobre los Mundiales de Fútbol? Estos 10 datos podrían hacerlo cambiar de opinión"