150 Facts about World Cup: From Records to Legends

Facts about World Cup: The World Cup is the biggest stage in international football, where countries come together to battle for the coveted trophy. With decades of history and countless legendary moments, it's no surprise that the World Cup has an abundance of fascinating facts and figures to explore. In this article, we've compiled a list of 150 interesting and little-known facts about the World Cup, from records and stats to legends and unforgettable moments.

Unveiling the Fascinating 150 Facts of the World Cup

The first FIFA World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay.
The World Cup is held every four years, except for the period between 1938 and 1950, due to World War II.
Brazil has won the World Cup the most times, with five victories.
The World Cup trophy is called the Jules Rimet Trophy.
The current World Cup trophy is called the FIFA World Cup Trophy.
The World Cup is the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world.
The World Cup is organized by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association).
The tournament features 32 teams from around the world.
The World Cup consists of two stages: the group stage and the knockout stage.
The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage.
The knockout stage consists of single-elimination matches.
The World Cup final is held at the end of the tournament, with the winner crowned the world champion.
The World Cup final is the most watched sporting event in the world, with over one billion people tuning in to watch the 2018 final.
The World Cup has been held in 17 different countries, with Brazil and Germany hosting the tournament the most times (twice each).
The 2022 World Cup will be held in Qatar, the first time the tournament will be held in the Middle East.
The World Cup has been held in every continent except Antarctica.
The World Cup has been won by eight different countries: Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Uruguay, France, England, and Spain.
The World Cup has been won by South American teams nine times and European teams eleven times.
The World Cup has been won by a host country six times, with Brazil being the only country to win the tournament as host twice.
The World Cup has been won by a team from the same continent as the host country on six occasions.
The fastest goal in World Cup history was scored by Hakan Şükür of Turkey, who scored just 11 seconds into a match against South Korea in the 2002 World Cup.
The most goals scored by a team in a single World Cup tournament is 27, a record set by Hungary in the 1954 World Cup.
The most goals scored by a player in a single World Cup tournament is 13, a record set by Just Fontaine of France in the 1958 World Cup.
The most goals scored by a team in a single World Cup match is 10, a record set by Hungary in a match against El Salvador in the 1982 World Cup.
The biggest win in World Cup history was Germany's 7-1 victory over Brazil in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup.
The most attended World Cup match was the final of the 1950 World Cup, which was watched by an estimated 200,000 people at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
The highest-scoring World Cup match was Austria's 7-5 victory over Switzerland in the quarter-finals of the 1954 World Cup.
The youngest player to ever appear in a World Cup match was Norman Whiteside of Northern Ireland, who was just 17 years and 41 days old when he played in the 1982 World Cup.
The oldest player to ever appear in a World Cup match was Faryd Mondragon of Colombia, who was 43 years and 3 days old when he played in the 2014 World Cup.
The most successful World Cup coach is Vittorio Pozzo of Italy, who led Italy to victory in the 1934 and 1938 World Cups.
The most successful World Cup player is Pelé of Brazil, who won three World Cups in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
The World Cup has been won by a team outside of South America and Europe only once, by Mexico in the 1999 U-17 World Cup.
The first World Cup match was played on July 13, 1930, between France and Mexico.
The first World Cup goal was scored by Lucien Laurent of France in the match against Mexico.
The World Cup was not held in 1942 and 1946 due to World War II.
The World Cup has been won by a team from Europe in every tournament held in Europe.
The World Cup has been won by a team from South America in every tournament held in South America.
The first World Cup held outside of Europe and South America was in 1970 in Mexico.
The World Cup has been held 21 times, with the next one scheduled for 2022.
The World Cup has been played in 12 different cities in Brazil, the most of any host country.
The most successful team in World Cup qualifying is Brazil, with 22 appearances and only one failure to qualify (in 1970).
The most successful team in World Cup qualifying in terms of percentage of matches won is Spain, with a record of 84 wins, 16 draws, and 6 losses (a win percentage of 80.00%).
The fastest hat-trick in World Cup history was scored by Laszlo Kiss of Hungary, who scored three goals in just seven minutes in a match against El Salvador in the 1982 World Cup.
The most successful team in World Cup penalty shootouts is Argentina, with a record of four wins and one loss.
The most successful team in World Cup shootouts is Brazil, with a record of three wins and one loss.
The most successful team in World Cup extra time matches is Germany, with a record of six wins, two draws, and one loss.
The fastest red card in World Cup history was shown to Jose Batista of Uruguay, who was sent off just 56 seconds into a match against Scotland in the 1986 World Cup.
The most red cards in a single World Cup match is three, a record set in a match between Portugal and the Netherlands in the 2006 World Cup.
The World Cup match with the most yellow cards is a match between Portugal and Mexico in the 2006 World Cup, with 16 yellow cards shown.
The World Cup match with the most total cards is a match between Portugal and the Netherlands in the 2006 World Cup, with 20 total cards shown (including four red cards).
The World Cup has been held in 11 different months, with May being the least common and June being the most common.
The World Cup has been won by a team outside of the host continent only once, by Brazil in the 1958 World Cup held in Sweden.
The most successful World Cup referee is Ravshan Irmatov of Uzbekistan, who has officiated in three World Cups (in 2010, 2014, and 2018).
The World Cup final has been decided by a penalty shootout three times, in 1994, 2006, and 2018.
The World Cup has been won by a team from outside the top eight ranked teams only once, by Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup.
The first World Cup match was played on July 13, 1930, between France and Mexico in Uruguay.
The largest winning margin in a World Cup match is 9 goals, a record set by Hungary in a match against South Korea in the 1954 World Cup.
The most goals scored in a single World Cup tournament is 13, a record set by Just Fontaine of France in the 1958 World Cup.
The most goals scored in a single World Cup match is 10, a record set in the match between Hungary and El Salvador in the 1982 World Cup.
The World Cup has been won by a team playing on home soil on six occasions: Uruguay in 1930, Italy in 1934, England in 1966, West Germany in 1974, Argentina in 1978, and France in 1998.
The World Cup trophy is named the Jules Rimet Trophy, in honor of the former FIFA president who initiated the tournament.
The current World Cup trophy is called the FIFA World Cup Trophy, and it has been awarded to the winning team since 1974.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is made of 18 carat gold and weighs 6.175 kg.
The World Cup has been hosted by 17 different countries.
The youngest player to ever appear in a World Cup match was Norman Whiteside of Northern Ireland, who was just 17 years and 41 days old when he played in the 1982 World Cup.
The oldest player to ever appear in a World Cup match was Faryd Mondragon of Colombia, who was 43 years and three days old when he played in the 2014 World Cup.
The World Cup has been won by a team from outside the continent hosting the tournament only once, by Brazil in the 2002 World Cup held in South Korea and Japan.
The most goals scored by a team in a single World Cup tournament is 27, a record set by Hungary in the 1954 World Cup.
The most goals scored by a team in a single World Cup match is 7, a record shared by Hungary (in a match against South Korea in 1954) and Yugoslavia (in a match against Zaire in 1974).
The World Cup has been won by a team wearing blue jerseys on 10 occasions, more than any other color.
The World Cup has been won by a team wearing white jerseys on eight occasions.
The World Cup has been won by a team wearing black jerseys on two occasions.
The World Cup has been won by a team wearing yellow jerseys on two occasions.
The World Cup has been won by a team wearing green jerseys on one occasion.
The World Cup has been won by a team wearing red jerseys on one occasion.
The most goals scored by a team in a single World Cup match without reply is 10, a record set by Hungary in the match against El Salvador in 1982.
The World Cup has seen several instances of teams forfeiting matches due to political or logistical reasons.
The 1978 World Cup in Argentina was marred by controversy, with allegations of corruption and political interference in the tournament.
The 1990 World Cup in Italy saw a record number of red cards shown, with 16 players sent off during the tournament.
The World Cup has been the subject of many memorable moments and controversies over the years, including the "Hand of God" goal scored by Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup, the headbutt incident involving Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final, and the biting incident involving Luis Suarez in the 2014 World Cup.
The 2018 World Cup held in Russia had the highest number of penalties awarded in the history of the tournament, with 29 penalties given across the tournament.
The fastest goal in World Cup history was scored by Hakan Şükür of Turkey, who scored just 11 seconds into their match against South Korea in the 2002 World Cup.
The World Cup has been won by a team with a perfect record (winning all of their matches) on three occasions: Brazil in 1970, Italy in 1938, and West Germany in 1974.
The World Cup has been won by a team without winning their opening match on four occasions: Italy in 1982, Argentina in 1986, Germany in 1990, and Spain in 2010.
The World Cup has been won by a team without conceding a single goal in the knockout stage on two occasions: Brazil in 1994 and Italy in 2006.
The World Cup has been won by a team with the fewest goals scored in the tournament on two occasions: England in 1966 and Spain in 2010.
The World Cup has been won by a team with the most goals scored in the tournament on six occasions: Uruguay in 1930, Hungary in 1954, Brazil in 1970, Italy in 1982, Brazil in 2002, and Germany in 2014.
The World Cup has been won by a team with the fewest goals conceded in the tournament on five occasions: Italy in 1938, England in 1966, Brazil in 1994, Italy in 2006, and Spain in 2010.
The World Cup has been won by a team with the most goals conceded in the tournament on one occasion: West Germany in 1954.
The World Cup has been won by a team scoring the most goals in the group stage on three occasions: Italy in 1982, Brazil in 2002, and Germany in 2014.
The World Cup has been won by a team without conceding a single goal in the group stage on two occasions: Italy in 1990 and Brazil in 2002.
The World Cup has been won by a team playing their first tournament on two occasions: Uruguay in 1930 and Italy in 1934.
The World Cup has been won by a team playing their final tournament on two occasions: West Germany in 1990 and Spain in 2010.
The World Cup has been won by a team without a home-based player on two occasions: Brazil in 1994 and France in 2018.
The World Cup has been won by a team with the most players from a single club on two occasions: Inter Milan in 1968 (Italy) and Barcelona in 2010 (Spain).
The World Cup has been won by a team with the most players from a single domestic league on four occasions: Italy in 1938 (Serie A), Italy in 1982 (Serie A), Brazil in 1994 (Serie A), and Spain in 2010 (La Liga).
The World Cup has been won by a team with a non-European coach on five occasions: Argentina in 1986 (César Luis Menotti), Brazil in 1994 (Carlos Alberto Parreira), Brazil in 2002 (Luiz Felipe Scolari), Brazil in 2006 (Carlos Alberto Parreira), and Spain in 2010 (Vicente del Bosque).
The 1970 World Cup final between Brazil and Italy is often regarded as one of the greatest matches in football history.
The World Cup has been won by a team with a captain who didn't play in the final on two occasions: Italy in 1934 (Giampiero Combi) and Argentina in 1978 (Daniel Passarella).
The 1974 World Cup final was the first-ever to feature two teams wearing different colors. West Germany wore white, while the Netherlands wore orange.
The 1978 World Cup final was the first-ever to be decided by a penalty shootout. Argentina beat the Netherlands 3-1 on penalties after the game finished 1-1.
The 1994 World Cup final was the first-ever to be decided by a goal scored in extra time. Brazil beat Italy 1-0 thanks to a goal from Romario in the 94th minute.
The 2006 World Cup final was the first-ever to be decided by a red card. France's Zinedine Zidane was sent off in extra time for headbutting Marco Materazzi of Italy, and Italy went on to win 5-3 on penalties.
The World Cup has been won by a team with a captain who was not the team's regular captain on two occasions: West Germany in 1954 (Fritz Walter) and Italy in 2006 (Fabio Cannavaro).
The 1954 World Cup was the first-ever to be televised, though only a small number of viewers in Europe were able to watch the games.
The 1982 World Cup in Spain was the first-ever to feature 24 teams, an increase from the previous 16.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be the first-ever to be held in November and December, due to concerns over extreme heat during the summer months in Qatar.
The World Cup trophy is named the FIFA World Cup Trophy, but is also commonly referred to as the Jules Rimet Trophy, after the former FIFA president who first introduced the tournament in 1930.
The current World Cup trophy, introduced in 1974, is made of 18-carat gold and weighs 6.175 kilograms.
The World Cup trophy was stolen in 1966 while on display in London, but was found by a dog named Pickles a few days later.
The World Cup trophy has been won outright by Brazil on three occasions, and they were awarded a replica trophy in 1970 after their third win.
The World Cup trophy has been won by teams from Europe on 12 occasions, and by teams from South America on 9 occasions.
The World Cup trophy has been won by a team from outside Europe or South America on one occasion, when Mexico hosted the tournament in 1970.
The World Cup has been hosted by South American countries on six occasions, and by European countries on ten occasions.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first-ever to be co-hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The World Cup has never been hosted by an African or Asian country.
The 2014 World Cup in Brazil was the most expensive ever, with an estimated cost of $15 billion.
The 2018 World Cup in Russia was the first-ever to use video assistant referees (VAR) to help make decisions on the field.
The most goals scored by a team in a single World Cup match is 10, by Hungary in their 10-1 win over El Salvador in 1982.
The most goals scored by a team in a single World Cup tournament is 27, by Hungary in 1954.
The most goals scored by a player in a single World Cup tournament is 13, by Just Fontaine of France in 1958.
The fastest goal in World Cup history was scored by Hakan Şükür of Turkey, who found the back of the net just 11 seconds into a game against South Korea in the 2002 World Cup.
The most goals scored in a single World Cup is 171, in the 1998 tournament in France.
The most goals scored in a single World Cup match by one player is 5, by Oleg Salenko of Russia in a 6-1 win over Cameroon in 1994.
The highest-scoring game in World Cup history was the 1982 match between Hungary and El Salvador, which ended 10-1 in favor of Hungary.
The most goals scored in a single World Cup final is 7, in the 1958 final between Brazil and Sweden, which Brazil won 5-2.
The World Cup has been won by a team who did not concede a single goal in the tournament on three occasions: Italy in 1938, England in 1966, and France in 1998.
The oldest player to ever play in a World Cup match was Faryd Mondragón of Colombia, who was 43 years old when he played in the 2014 tournament.
The youngest player to ever play in a World Cup match was Norman Whiteside of Northern Ireland, who was just 17 years and 41 days old when he played in the 1982 tournament.
The most capped player in World Cup history is Lothar Matthäus of Germany, who played in 25 World Cup matches over five tournaments.
The most goals scored by a player in World Cup history is 16, by Miroslav Klose of Germany.
The most assists in World Cup history is 10, by Lionel Messi of Argentina.
The most clean sheets in World Cup history is 10, by Fabien Barthez of France.
The most yellow cards received by a player in World Cup history is 6, by two players: Zinedine Zidane of France and Cafu of Brazil.
The most red cards received by a player in World Cup history is 2, by three players: Rigobert Song of Cameroon, Zinedine Zidane of France, and Gianluigi Buffon of Italy.
The most World Cup appearances by a player is 5, by two players: Lothar Matthäus of Germany and Antonio Carbajal of Mexico.
The most World Cup goals scored by a team is 226, by Brazil.
The most World Cup wins by a team is 5, by Brazil.
The most World Cup finals appearances by a team is 8, by Brazil.
The most World Cup matches played by a team is 112, by Germany.
The most World Cup goals scored by a player for a single team is 14, by Miroslav Klose for Germany.
The most World Cup matches played by a player for a single team is 25, by Philipp Lahm for Germany.
The fastest hat-trick in World Cup history was scored by Laszlo Kiss of Hungary, who scored three goals in just seven minutes in a game against El Salvador in 1982.
The most consecutive clean sheets in World Cup history is 5, by Walter Zenga of Italy in the 1990 tournament.
The most penalties saved in a single World Cup match is 3, by Harald Schumacher of Germany in a 1982 game against France.
The most own goals scored in a single World Cup tournament is 6, in the 1998 tournament in France.
The most goals scored in extra time in a single World Cup tournament is 15, in the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
The most hat-tricks scored in a single World Cup tournament is 2, in the 1998 tournament in France.
The most consecutive wins in World Cup history is 11, by Brazil between the 2002 and 2006 tournaments.
The most consecutive World Cup matches without a defeat is 25, by Brazil between the 1990 and 2006 tournaments.

From the earliest beginnings of the tournament to the modern-day competition, the World Cup has produced an array of unforgettable moments and iconic players. We hope this list of 150 facts about the World Cup has helped shed light on some of the lesser-known stories and statistics of the tournament. Whether you're a casual fan or a die-hard enthusiast, there's always something new to learn about the beautiful game and the history of the World Cup.