Jules Rimet, who took the presidency of the World Football Federation in 1926, planted the seeds for the World Cup. Rimet's famous words, "Soccer could reinforce the ideals of a permanent and real peace," helped to bring organization and understanding among many of the world's nations. Soccer surpassed even the Olympics in terms of its popularity and included nations from around the world.
Soccer was an appealing game way back in 1872 when the first international match was between England and Scotland. By the early 20th century, it was popular in Europe and around the world. It seemed necessary that there should be a single group to oversee this game of worldwide fame, which came to be known as the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Early on, there was some competition that this governance would be shared with the FIFA and the IOC.
In 1920, the concept of the World Cup was discussed and by 1924, the wheels began to turn more rapidly. Rimet's leadership came at a crucial time. International soccer was no longer to be associated with the Olympics but rather it began to stand alone. By 1928, it was decided that the first world championship should be played. Finally, the World Cup took root.
The games were played worldwide, beginning with Uruguay in 1930. The World Cup has taken place once every four years in the following countries: Italy, France, Brazil, Sweden, Chile, England, Mexico, West Germany, Argentina, Spain, Mexico (second time), Italy, the United States, France, South Korea, and Japan.
Uruguay was the home of the first World Cup game. It offered to pay all the travel and hotel expenses of the other countries and would build a new stadium especially for the World Cup.
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