FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is an international association football competition among the senior men's national teams of the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has been held every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, with the exception of 1942 and 1946 during and shortly after World War II. The reigning champion is Spain, who won their second title at the 23rd edition of the competition, the 2026 World Cup, by defeating the holders, Argentina. The World Cup is globally regarded as the most prestigious association football competition, as well as the most widely viewed and followed sporting and cultural event in the world. The viewership of the 2018 World Cup was estimated to be 3.57 billion, close to half of the global population, while the engagement with the 2022 World Cup was estimated to be 5 billion, with about 1.5 billion people watching the final match. The contest starts with the qualification phase organized by the respective regional confederations, which takes place over the preceding three years to determine which teams qualify for the tournament phase. In the tournament phase, 48 teams (as of the 2026 World Cup) compete for the title at venues within the host nation(s) over the course of about a month, initially in groups and then in a series of knockout rounds that culminate in the final to determine the overall winner. The host nation(s) automatically qualify for the group stage of the tournament. Nineteen countries have hosted the event, sometimes co-hosting with other nations. As of the 2026 World Cup, 23 tournaments have been held since the event's inception in 1930, and a total of 84 national teams have competed. The trophy has been won by eight national teams. With five wins, Brazil are the only team to have played in every tournament. The other World Cup winners are Germany and Italy, with four titles each; Argentina, with three titles; France, Spain, and inaugural winner Uruguay, each with two titles; and England with one title.