On
26 May, 1928, the
Congress of the Fédération de Football
Association, held in Amsterdam,
decided by 23 votes for and 5 against,
to organize a competition "open to
teams representing all affiliated
natinal associations". The final
approval of this project was voted at
the Barcelona Congress the following
year. It needed all perseverance of two
French-men, Jules Rimet, elected
President of FIFA in 1921, and Henri
Delaunay, Secretary-General of the
French Football Federation, to turn what
was for a long time a untopian idea into
reality.
When
the whistle blew for
the first World Cup in Montevideo in
July 1930, it was difficult to imagine
that the competition would become the
greatest sporting festival.
In fact, no other international meeting
or event has enjoy such a resounding
success, and this grandiose tournament
has permanently assumed a superlative
dimension (1.5 billion viewers in front
of the small screen just for the 1994
final between Brazil and Italy).
The
Trophy
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The
French sculptor Abel Lafleur was commissioned
by FIFA to create the first
trophy for the World Cup.
This was a gold statuette
weighing about 1.5 kilograms,
representing an allegorical
winged victory on an octogonal
base.
This famous "Jules Rimet
Cup" was first stolen in
London in 1966, then recovered.
It finally went to Brazil, the
first country to have won three
World Cups, before being stolen
again, and this time it was
never found.
the present trophy is the work
of the Italian sculptor Silvio
Gazzaniga |
The 2002
renewal, held in Asia for the first time
by co-hosts Japan and Korea
has attracted 196 entries, a far cry
from the 13 nations that contested the
first World Cup in Uruguay 1930,
where the hosts prevailed in a thrilling
final against neighbours Argentina.
The next
two tournaments were held in Europe,
with Italy winning as hosts in
1934, then retaining the trophy on
foreign soil in 1938 by beating Hungary
in Rimet's home city of Paris, France.
The Second World War and its aftermath
meant that the next tournament was not
held until 1950, where hosts Brazil
suffered a shock defeat by Uruguay.
The
following two tournaments were held in
Europe. West Germany emerged in
1954 to inflict the only defeat Hungary
suffered in six years, while Brazil
finally fulfilled their promise in 1958
with a 5-2 defeat of hosts Sweden.
Brazil
retained the trophy in Chile in
1962, and their third victory in Mexico
in 1970 saw them win the Jules Rimet
trophy for keeps. In between, England
had beaten arch-rivals West Germany
at Wembley in 1966. Holland
emerged as a European rival to the
sublime skills of the Brazilians in the
1970s, but were defeated in successive
finals by hosts West Germany in
1974 and Argentina in 1978.
Spain
failed to make it a "hosts
hat-trick" in 1982, with Italy
beating West Germany. The Germans again
fell at the final hurdle to Argentina in
Mexico in 1986, but it was third time
lucky when they beat Argentina in Italy
in 1990.
The USA,
World Cup minnows since making the
semi-finals back in 1930, put on the
biggest of shows in 1994, where the
final between Brazil and Italy went all
the way to penalties and victory for the
South Americans. Despite the great Ronaldo,
Brazil could not retain their title
against the hosts France in 1998.
The
Legends of the Cup
Unique in the history of
football and the
most famous of all champions in any
other sport, the brazilian Edson Arantes
do Nascimento, affectionately known all
over the world as Pelé,
is the only player to have won three
World Cups, in 1958, 1962 and 1970, with
the brazilians team.
15
Brazil has taken part in
all the final phases since 1930, in
others words, fifteen times. The
brazilians have won 49 out of 73
matches.
13
this is the record of
goals scored during a final phase, held
by the French player Just
Fontaine. It happened in Sweden in
1958.
"The
Great Goalers in History"
The
list of the great goalers is not
unique, but some players have marked
the history with their sens of goaling.
The masters are many, and we'll start
with the King Pelé, the man
with 1285 official goals of which 77
in 92 selection games. A magnificent
player, capable of passing three or
four players in order to confuse the
goalkeeper. However, Pelé is not the
player who's been scoring most goals
in history.
Ferenc Puskas the fabulous
left-forward in the Hungarian team,
allowed himself to score more than
1300 of which 83 was in the 84
selection games (world record). This
fantastic player scored, by himself,
four goals in the Coupe d'Europe in
1960 in the Reals victory against the
Eintracht de Francfort (7-3).
In an other record , it's the German Gerd
Műller who is seen as the best
offensive player. "The fox of the
golie area" did not have any
extodaordinary qualities but he was
always at the right place at the right
time. He is considered to have the
right to the title "the greatest
european goaler of all times"
with a record of goals scored in a
WorldCup (14 in two final phases).
Others, like Uwe Seeler (Germany)
made more than one defense tremble in
the 60's. Not to mention Alfredo Di
Stefano, five times winner of the
C1 and author of 30 goals in 40
selection games (for three countries,
Argentina, Colombia and Spain). A big
name which remindes us of the hard won
game against the Real at the Reims
Stadium.
In the 60's, there was as well a
certain Eusebio who made the
headlines after becoming the best
goaler in the Wold Cup 66 in England
(9 goals). The Portugease managed to
make 313 goals in 219 Championship
games with Portugal.
Closer to our hearts, is players like Johan
Cruyff who proved his talent by
making 321 goals in his carrier(in 548
games).
One of his disciples whofollowed the
same path, Marco Van Basten,
ended his carrier too early after a
serious accident.
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