Guide Note

The FIFA World Cup is a worldwide soccer competition with a tournament nearly every four years to determine the world champion. The tournament has two parts, with a qualification phase determining the contestants, and a final phase where the qualifying teams compete to be named world champion. The final stage, called the World Cup Finals, is played by the 32 qualifying teams. The World Cup is generally the most viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the 2006 tournament.

Fast Facts

1. Brazil has the most World Cup victories, winning the tournament five times
2. The United States has never won the World Cup
3. The 2006 World Cup Champion was Italy
4. 2010 World Cup will be played in South Africa
5. World Cup is organized by FIFA
6. Played every four years, except in 1942 and 1946 due to World War II

The first World Cup, organized by FIFA, was played in 1930. Only seven nations have won the World Cup, with Brazil having won the most. Other winners include Uruguay, Argentina, Italy, England, France and Germany. The current World Cup trophy was designed in 1970, was the work of Italian designer Silvio Gazzaniga. The trophy is not awarded permanently and is returned to FIFA every four years before the next World Cup, and has the winning team's name engraved on the bottom of the trophy.