Editing FIFA World Cup (section)

== History ==
{{Main|History of the FIFA World Cup}}

=== Previous international competitions ===
The world's first international football match was a challenge match played in [[Glasgow]] in 1872 between [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]] and [[England national football team|England]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/Seas1872-00/1872-73/M0001Sco1872.html |title=England National Football Team Match No. 1 |publisher=England Football Online |access-date=19 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030314074901/http://www.englandfootballonline.com/Seas1872-00/1872-73/M0001Sco1872.html |archive-date=14 March 2003 |url-status=live}}</ref> The first international tournament for nations, the inaugural [[British Home Championship]], took place in 1884 and included games between England, Scotland, [[Wales national football team|Wales]], and [[Ireland national football team (1882–1950)|Ireland]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://int.soccerway.com/news/2007/November/22/british-pm-backs-return-of-home-nations-championship |title=British PM backs return of Home Nations championship |publisher=Agence France-Presse |access-date=16 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619053845/http://int.soccerway.com/news/2007/November/22/british-pm-backs-return-of-home-nations-championship/ |archive-date=19 June 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> As football grew in popularity in other parts of the world at the start of the 20th century, it was held as a [[demonstration sport]] with no medals awarded at the [[Football at the 1900 Summer Olympics|1900]] and [[Football at the 1904 Summer Olympics|1904 Summer Olympics]]; however, the [[International Olympic Committee]] has retroactively upgraded their status to official events, as well as the [[Football at the 1906 Summer Olympics|1906 Intercalated Games]].<ref>{{cite web |first1=Søren |last1=Elbech |first2=Karel |last2=Stokkermans |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/ol1906f.html |title=Intermediate Games of the IV. Olympiad |website=[[RSSSF]] |date=26 June 2008 |access-date=3 February 2023 |archive-date=11 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220711203917/https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/ol1906f.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

After [[FIFA]] was founded in 1904, it tried to arrange an international football tournament between nations outside the Olympic framework in Switzerland in 1906. These were very early days for international football, and the official history of FIFA describes the competition as having been unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/history/fifa/fifa-takes-shape.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329051342/http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/history/fifa/fifa-takes-shape.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 March 2013 |title=History of FIFA – FIFA takes shape |work=FIFA.com |publisher=Fédération Internationale de Football Association |access-date=12 July 2014}}</ref>

[[File:London 1908 English Amateur Football National Team.jpg|thumb|Team of Great Britain that won the Olympic tournament in 1908]]
At the [[Football at the 1908 Summer Olympics|1908 Summer Olympics]] in [[London]], football became an official Olympic sport. Planned by [[the Football Association]] (the FA), England's football governing body, the event was for [[amateurism|amateur]] players only and was regarded suspiciously as a show rather than a competition. Great Britain (represented by the [[England national amateur football team]]) won the [[gold medal]]s. They repeated the feat at the [[Football at the 1912 Summer Olympics|1912 Summer Olympics]] in [[Stockholm]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Butler |first=Bryon |author-link=Bryon Butler |title=The Official History of The Football Association |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=[[London]] |year=1991 |isbn=0-356-19145-1 |page=54}}</ref>

With the Olympic event continuing to be a contest between amateur teams only, [[Thomas Lipton|Sir Thomas Lipton]] organised the [[Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy]] tournament in [[Turin]] in 1909. The Lipton tournament was a championship between individual clubs (not national teams) from different nations, each of which represented an entire nation. The competition is sometimes described as ''The First World Cup'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shrewsbury.gov.uk/Public/news/thomaslipton.htm |title='The First World Cup'. The Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy |publisher=[[Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council]] |date=10 October 2003 |access-date=11 April 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031129221811/http://www.shrewsbury.gov.uk/Public/news/thomaslipton.htm |archive-date=29 November 2003}}</ref> and featured the most prestigious professional club sides from Italy, Germany and Switzerland, but the FA of England refused to be associated with the competition and declined the offer to send a professional team. Lipton invited [[West Auckland Town F.C.|West Auckland]], an amateur side from [[County Durham]], to represent England instead. West Auckland won the tournament and returned in 1911 to successfully defend their title.<ref>{{cite news |title=West Auckland's World Cup Rematch |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/tees/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8173000/8173881.stm|access-date=1 October 2020 |agency=BBC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002204445/http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/tees/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8173000/8173881.stm |archive-date=2 October 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Prior to the Lipton competition, from 1876 to 1904, games that were considered to be the "[[Football World Championship|football world championship]]" were meetings between leading English and Scottish clubs, such as the [[1895 World Championship (football)|1895 game]] between [[Sunderland A.F.C.]] and the [[Heart of Midlothian F.C.]], which Sunderland won.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/apr/25/even-when-sunderland-ruled-the-globe-club-world-cups-were-controversial |title=Sunderland's Victorian all-stars blazed trail for money's rule of football |work=The Guardian |author=Jonathan Wilson |date=25 April 2020|access-date=9 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425193627/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/apr/25/even-when-sunderland-ruled-the-globe-club-world-cups-were-controversial|archive-date=25 April 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1914, FIFA agreed to recognise the [[Football at the Summer Olympics|Olympic tournament]] as a "world football championship for amateurs", and took responsibility for managing the event.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/history/fifa/more-associations-follow.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329051320/http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/history/fifa/more-associations-follow.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 March 2013 |title=History of FIFA – More associations follow |work=FIFA.com |publisher=Fédération Internationale de Football Association |access-date=12 July 2014}}</ref> This paved the way for the world's first intercontinental football competition for nations, at the [[Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics|1920 Summer Olympics]], contested by [[Egypt national football team|Egypt]] and 13 European teams, and won by [[Belgium national football team|Belgium]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Reyes |first=Macario |date=18 October 1999 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/ol1920f-det.html |title=VII. Olympiad Antwerp 1920 Football Tournament |publisher=rec.sport.soccer Statistics Foundation |access-date=10 June 2006 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922145329/https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/ol1920f-det.html |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]] won the next two Olympic football tournaments in [[Football at the 1924 Summer Olympics|1924]] and [[Football at the 1928 Summer Olympics|1928]]. Those were also the first two [[Open (sport)|open]] world championships, as 1924 was the start of FIFA's professional era, and is the reason why [[Four stars above Uruguay's football crest|Uruguay is allowed to wear 4 stars]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Olympic Football Tournament Paris 1924 |url=https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/mensolympic/paris1924/match-center|access-date=1 October 2020 |agency=FIFA|archive-date=17 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717042750/https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/mensolympic/paris1924/match-center|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fourfourtwo.premiumtv.co.uk/page/BigRead/0,,11442~1034860,00.html |title=Uruguay 1930|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715011817/http://www.fourfourtwo.premiumtv.co.uk/page/BigRead/0%2C%2C11442~1034860%2C00.html|archive-date=15 July 2007 |magazine=Four Four Two|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== World Cups before World War II ===
[[File:Jules Rimet 1933.jpg|thumb|left|upright|FIFA president [[Jules Rimet]] convinced the [[FIFA#Six confederations and 211 national associations|confederations]] to promote an international football tournament]]
Due to the success of the Olympic football tournaments, FIFA, with [[List of Presidents of FIFA|President]] [[Jules Rimet]] as the driving force, again started looking at staging its own international tournament outside of the Olympics. On 28 May 1928, the FIFA Congress in [[Amsterdam]] decided to stage a world championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/history/fifa/first-fifa-world-cup.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329051339/http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/history/fifa/first-fifa-world-cup.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 March 2013 |title=History of FIFA – The first FIFA World Cup |work=FIFA.com |publisher=Fédération Internationale de Football Association |access-date=12 July 2014}}</ref> With Uruguay now two-time official football world champions and to celebrate their [[centenary]] of [[treaty of Montevideo (1828)|independence]] in 1930, FIFA named [[Uruguay]] as the host country of the [[1930 FIFA World Cup|inaugural World Cup tournament]].<ref name="WC origin">{{Cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/mm/document/fifafacts/mcwc/ip-201_02e_fwc-origin_8816.pdf |title=FIFA World Cup Origin |website=FIFA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615195236/http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/fifafacts/mcwc/ip-201_02e_fwc-origin_8816.pdf |archive-date=15 June 2010 |url-status=dead |access-date=1 October 2020}}</ref>

The national associations of selected nations were invited to send a team, but the choice of Uruguay as a venue for the competition meant a long and costly trip across the Atlantic Ocean for European sides, especially in the midst of the [[Great Depression]]. As such, no European country pledged to send a team until two months before the start of the competition. Rimet eventually persuaded teams from [[Belgium national football team|Belgium]], [[France national football team|France]], [[Romania national football team|Romania]], and [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]] to make the trip.<ref name="WC origin" /> In total, 13 nations took part: seven from South America, four from Europe, and two from North America.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/uruguay1930/awards/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180516082100/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/uruguay1930/awards/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 May 2018 |title=Final Tournament Standings |publisher=FIFA |work=1930 FIFA World Cup Uruguay |access-date=14 June 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Estadio Centenario (vista aérea).jpg|thumb|[[Centenario Stadium|Estadio Centenario]], the location of the first World Cup final in 1930 in [[Montevideo]], Uruguay]]
The first two World Cup matches took place simultaneously on 13 July 1930, and were won by France and the [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]], who defeated [[Mexico national football team|Mexico]] 4–1 and Belgium 3–0 respectively. The first goal in World Cup history was scored by [[Lucien Laurent]] of France.<ref>{{cite news |first=John F |last=Molinaro |title=The World Cup's 1st goal scorer |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/the-world-cup-s-1st-goal-scorer-1.825335 |access-date=12 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402100933/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/the-world-cup-s-1st-goal-scorer-1.825335 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the [[1930 FIFA World Cup final|final]], [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]] defeated [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]] 4–2 in front of 93,000 spectators in [[Montevideo]], and became the first nation to win the World Cup.<ref name="origin">{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/mm/document/fifafacts/mcwc/ip-201_02e_fwc-origin_8816.pdf |title=FIFA World Cup Origin |work=FIFA.com |publisher=Fédération Internationale de Football Association |access-date=19 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614212717/http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/fifafacts/mcwc/ip-201_02e_fwc-origin_8816.pdf |archive-date=14 June 2010}}</ref> After the creation of the World Cup, FIFA and the [[International Olympic Committee|IOC]] disagreed over the status of amateur players; football was dropped from the [[1932 Summer Olympics]].<ref name="SR">{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1936/FTB/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417041849/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1936/FTB/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Football at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games |work=Sports Reference |access-date=7 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/mensolympic/athens2004/news/newsid=92851/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715174431/http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/mensolympic/athens2004/news/newsid=92851/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 July 2014 |title=The Olympic Odyssey so far&nbsp;... (Part 1: 1908–1964) |work=FIFA.com |publisher=Fédération Internationale de Football Association |date=9 June 2004 |access-date=12 July 2014}}</ref> After the IOC and FIFA worked out their differences, Olympic football returned at the [[Football at the 1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Summer Olympics]], but was now overshadowed by the more prestigious World Cup.<ref name="SR" />

The issues facing the early World Cup tournaments were the difficulties of intercontinental travel and war. Few South American teams were willing to travel to Europe for the [[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934 World Cup]] and all North and South American nations except [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] and [[Cuba national football team|Cuba]] boycotted the [[1938 FIFA World Cup|1938]] tournament. Brazil was the only South American team to compete in both. The 1942 and 1946 competitions, which [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] and [[Brazil]] sought to host,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cristal.com.pe/articulo/los-datos-mas-curiosos-de-la-fiesta-del-futbol-brasil-1950 |title=Los datos más curiosos de la Fiesta del Fútbol – Brasil 1950 |access-date=17 April 2012 |language=es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701133216/http://www.cristal.com.pe/articulo/los-datos-mas-curiosos-de-la-fiesta-del-futbol-brasil-1950 |archive-date=1 July 2012}}</ref> were cancelled due to [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Braswell |first=Sean |title=How Brazil Saved The World Cup In The Aftermatch Of World War II |publisher=NPR |date=11 June 2014 |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/06/11/320727176/how-brazil-saved-the-world-cup-in-the-aftermath-of-world-war-ii |access-date=6 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921132543/https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/06/11/320727176/how-brazil-saved-the-world-cup-in-the-aftermath-of-world-war-ii |archive-date=21 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== World Cups after World War II ===
[[File:Jogo no Estádio do Maracanã, antes da Copa do Mundo de 1950.tif|thumb|The opening game of the [[Maracanã Stadium]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil, shortly before the [[1950 FIFA World Cup]]]]
The [[1950 FIFA World Cup|1950 World Cup]], held in [[Brazil]], was the first to include British football associations. [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]], [[England national football team|England]], [[Wales national football team|Wales]], and [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]] had withdrawn from FIFA in 1920, partly out of unwillingness to play against the countries they had been at war with, and partly as a protest against foreign influence on football.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0001/index.shtml |title=Scotland and the 1950 World Cup |publisher=BBC |access-date=13 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216135901/http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0001/index.shtml |archive-date=16 December 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> The teams rejoined in 1946 following FIFA's invitation.{{sfn|Glanville|2005}} The tournament also saw the return of 1930 champions [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]], who had boycotted the previous two World Cups. Uruguay won the tournament again after defeating the host nation Brazil, in the match called "[[Uruguay v Brazil (1950 FIFA World Cup)|Maracanazo]]" (Portuguese: ''Maracanaço'').<ref>{{cite news |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/soccer/world-cup-2010/writers/jonathan_wilson/07/04/uruguay.history/index.html |publisher=CNN |title=Uruguay's 1950 World Cup triumph a testament to the spirit of garra |date=4 July 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100707110332/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/soccer/world-cup-2010/writers/jonathan_wilson/07/04/uruguay.history/index.html | archive-date=7 July 2010 | url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the tournaments between 1934 and [[1978 FIFA World Cup|1978]], 16 teams competed in each tournament, except in 1938, when [[Austria national football team|Austria]] was [[Anschluss|absorbed]] into [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] after qualifying, leaving the tournament with 15 teams, and in 1950, when [[India men's national football team|India]], Scotland, and [[Turkey national football team|Turkey]] withdrew, leaving the tournament with 13 teams.{{sfn|Glanville|2005|p=45}} Most of the participating nations were from Europe and South America, with a small minority from North America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. These teams were usually defeated easily by the European and South American teams. Until 1982, the only teams from outside Europe and South America to advance out of the first round were: [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]], semi-finalists in 1930; [[Cuba national football team|Cuba]], quarter-finalists in 1938; [[North Korea national football team|North Korea]], quarter-finalists in [[1966 FIFA World Cup|1966]]; and [[Mexico national football team|Mexico]], quarter-finalists in [[1970 FIFA World Cup|1970]].

=== Expansion to 24 and 32 teams ===
[[File:FIFA World Cup 2010 Uruguay Ghana.jpg|thumb|Inside [[Soccer City]] in [[Johannesburg]], South Africa, during a match at the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]]]]
The tournament was expanded to 24 teams in [[1982 FIFA World Cup|1982]],{{sfn|Glanville|2005|p=238}} and then to 32 in [[1998 FIFA World Cup|1998]],{{sfn|Glanville|2005|p=359}} allowing more teams from Africa, Asia and North America to take part. Since then, teams from these regions have enjoyed more success, with several having reached the quarter-finals: [[Mexico national football team|Mexico]], quarter-finalists in [[1986 FIFA World Cup|1986]]; [[Cameroon national football team|Cameroon]], quarter-finalists in [[1990 FIFA World Cup|1990]]; [[South Korea national football team|South Korea]], finishing in fourth place in [[2002 FIFA World Cup|2002]]; [[Senegal national football team|Senegal]], along with [[United States men's national soccer team|USA]], both quarter-finalists in 2002; [[Ghana national football team|Ghana]], quarter-finalists in 2010; [[Costa Rica national football team|Costa Rica]], quarter-finalists in 2014; and [[Morocco national football team|Morocco]], finishing in fourth place in 2022. European and South American teams continue to dominate, e.g., the quarter-finalists in 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2018 were all from Europe or South America and so were the finalists of all tournaments so far.

Two hundred teams entered the [[2002 FIFA World Cup]] qualification rounds. 198 nations attempted to qualify for the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]]. A record 204 countries entered qualification for the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/worldcup/southafrica2010/news/newsid=122766/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419065837/http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/worldcup/southafrica2010/news/newsid=122766/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 April 2014 |title=Record number of 204 teams enter preliminary competition |work=FIFA.com |publisher=Fédération Internationale de Football Association |access-date=12 July 2014}}</ref>

=== Expansion to 48 teams ===
In October 2013, Sepp Blatter spoke of guaranteeing the [[Caribbean Football Union]]'s region a position in the World Cup.<ref>{{cite web |last=Whittaker |first=James |title=Caribbean pro league can work |url=http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2013/10/23/Caribbean-pro-league-can-work/ |publisher=CompassCayman.com|access-date=28 October 2013 |location=Cayman Islands |date=23 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200646/http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2013/10/23/Caribbean-pro-league-can-work/|archive-date=29 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the edition of 25 October 2013 of the ''FIFA Weekly'' Blatter wrote that: "From a purely sporting perspective, I would like to see globalisation finally taken seriously, and the African and Asian national associations accorded the status they deserve at the FIFA World Cup. It cannot be that the European and South American confederations lay claim to the majority of the berths at the World Cup."<ref>{{cite web |last=Blatter |first=Sepp |title=A level playing field for Africa! |url=https://www.fifa.com/mm//Document/AF-Magazine/FIFAWeekly/02/20/44/47/TheFIFAWeekly1_EN_Neutral.PDF|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029204231/http://www.fifa.com/mm//Document/AF-Magazine/FIFAWeekly/02/20/44/47/TheFIFAWeekly1_EN_Neutral.PDF|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 October 2013 |publisher=FIFA Weekly|access-date=28 October 2013 |page=29 |date=25 October 2013}}</ref> Those two remarks suggested to commentators that Blatter could be putting himself forward for re-election to the FIFA Presidency.<ref>{{cite web |last=Morley |first=Gary |title=Sepp Blatter calls for more African nations at World Cup finals |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/25/sport/football/sepp-blatter-fifa-africa-football/index.html |publisher=CNN|access-date=28 October 2013 |date=25 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026184524/http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/25/sport/football/sepp-blatter-fifa-africa-football/index.html|archive-date=26 October 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following the magazine's publication, Blatter's would-be opponent for the FIFA Presidency, [[UEFA]] President [[Michel Platini]], responded that he intended to extend the World Cup to 40 national associations, increasing the number of participants by eight. Platini said that he would allocate an additional berth to UEFA, two each to the [[Asian Football Confederation]] and the [[Confederation of African Football]], two shared between [[CONCACAF]] and [[CONMEBOL]], and a guaranteed place for the [[Oceania Football Confederation]].<ref name="times-28-oct-2013">{{cite news |last=Dickinson |first=Matt |title=Michel Platini sets out his plan for the new world order |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/africa-travel/south-africa/michel-platini-sets-out-his-plan-for-the-new-world-order-jbqwlf3787t |newspaper=The Times|access-date=28 October 2013 |date=28 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131028060920/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/international/article3906279.ece |archive-date=28 October 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Platini was clear about why he wanted to expand the World Cup. He said: "[The World Cup is] not based on the quality of the teams because you don't have the best 32 at the World Cup&nbsp;... but it's a good compromise.&nbsp;... It's a political matter so why not have more Africans? The competition is to bring all the people of all the world. If you don't give the possibility to participate, they don't improve."<ref name="times-28-oct-2013" />

In October 2016, FIFA president [[Gianni Infantino]] stated his support for a 48-team World Cup in 2026.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/oct/03/world-cup-expand-48-teams-fifa-gianni-infantino-suggests World Cup could expand to 48 teams, Fifa's Gianni Infantino suggests] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161004005336/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/oct/03/world-cup-expand-48-teams-fifa-gianni-infantino-suggests |date=4 October 2016 }} – The Guardian, 3 October 2016</ref> On 10 January 2017, FIFA confirmed the 2026 World Cup will have 48 finalist teams.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/fifa-beschliesst-fussball-wm-mit-48-mannschaften-a-1129295.html |title=Ab 2026: 48 Teams – Fifa vergrößert die WM |newspaper=Der Spiegel |date=10 January 2017 |publisher=SPIEGEL ONLINE |language=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110124409/http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/fifa-beschliesst-fussball-wm-mit-48-mannschaften-a-1129295.html |archive-date=10 January 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2015 FIFA corruption case ===
{{Main|2015 FIFA corruption case}}

By May 2015, the games were under a particularly dark cloud because of the 2015 FIFA corruption case, allegations and criminal charges of bribery, fraud and money laundering to corrupt the issuing of media and marketing rights (rigged bids) for FIFA games,<ref>{{cite news |last=No byline |date=3 December 2015 |title=The FIFA Investigation, Explained |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/sports/soccer/fifa-investigation.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220102/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/sports/soccer/fifa-investigation.html |archive-date=2 January 2022 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |newspaper=New York Times |location=New York, NY, USA |access-date=3 December 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> with FIFA officials accused of taking bribes totaling more than $150&nbsp;million over 24 years. In late May, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a 47-count indictment with charges of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy against 14 people. Arrests of over a dozen FIFA officials were made since that time, particularly on 29 May and 3 December.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/27/football/fifa-corruption-charges-justice-department/ |title=FIFA corruption probe targets 'World Cup of fraud,' IRS chief says |last1=McLaughlin |first1=Eliott C. |last2=Botelho |first2=Greg |date=28 May 2015 |website=CNN |publisher=Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. |access-date=3 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527160034/http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/27/football/fifa-corruption-charges-justice-department/ |archive-date=27 May 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> By the end of May 2015, a total of nine FIFA officials and five executives of sports and broadcasting markets had already been charged on corruption. At the time, FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced he would relinquish his position in February 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34991874 |title=Fifa crisis: US charges 16 more officials after earlier Zurich arrests |date=4 December 2015 |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151203195200/https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34991874 |archive-date=3 December 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 4 June 2015, [[Chuck Blazer]] while co-operating with the [[FBI]] and the Swiss authorities admitted that he and the other members of FIFA's then-executive committee were bribed in order to promote the 1998 and 2010 World Cups.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/sepp-blatter/11647665/Sepp-Blatter-FBI-investigation-live.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/sepp-blatter/11647665/Sepp-Blatter-FBI-investigation-live.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Blazer: Bribes accepted for 1998 and 2010 World Cups – Telegraph |date=3 June 2015 |work=Telegraph.co.uk}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On 10 June 2015, Swiss authorities seized computer data from the offices of [[Sepp Blatter]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33088747 "Swiss police seize IT data from Fifa headquarters", ''The BBC'', 10 June 2015]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610194510/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33088747 |date=10 June 2015 }}. Retrieved 10 June 2015</ref> The same day, FIFA postponed the bidding process for the [[2026 FIFA World Cup]] in light of the [[Garcia Report|allegations surrounding bribery]] in the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. Then-secretary general [[Jérôme Valcke]] stated, "Due to the situation, I think it's nonsense to start any bidding process for the time being."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33078284 |title=Fifa World Cup 2026 bidding process delayed |work=[[BBC Sport]] |date=10 June 2015 | access-date=10 June 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610144829/http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/33078284 | archive-date=10 June 2015 | url-status=live}}</ref> On 28 October 2015, Blatter and FIFA VP Michel Platini, a potential candidate for presidency, were suspended for 90 days; both maintained their innocence in statements made to the news media.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/blatter-platini-suspended-1.3262043 |title=Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini handed 90-day FIFA suspensions |last=Associated Press |date=8 October 2015 |website=CBC Sports |publisher=CBC/Radio Canada |access-date=3 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009040617/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/blatter-platini-suspended-1.3262043 |archive-date=9 October 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 3 December 2015 two FIFA vice-presidents were arrested on suspicion of bribery in the same Zurich hotel where seven FIFA officials had been arrested in May.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ruiz |first=Rebecca |date=3 December 2015 |title=FIFA Corruption: Top Officials Arrested at Zurich Hotel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/sports/fifa-scandal-arrests-in-switzerland.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220102/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/sports/fifa-scandal-arrests-in-switzerland.html |archive-date=2 January 2022 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |newspaper=New York Times |location=New York, USA |access-date=3 December 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> An additional 16 indictments by the US Department of Justice were announced on the same day.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34991874 |title=Fifa crisis: US charges 16 more officials after earlier Zurich arrests |last=no byline |date=3 December 2015 |website=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |access-date=3 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151203195200/https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34991874 |archive-date=3 December 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Biennial World Cup proposition ===
A biennial World Cup plan was first proposed by the [[Saudi Arabian Football Federation]] at the 71st [[FIFA Congress]] on 21 May 2021 and prominently backed by former Arsenal manager [[Arsène Wenger]] and national federations in Africa and Asia.<ref>{{cite news |title=Africa backs two-yearly World Cup despite biennial Nations Cup |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/africa/57873547 |access-date=23 January 2023 |publisher=BBC |archive-date=23 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123014053/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/africa/57873547 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Continental confederations such as UEFA and CONMEBOL are not on board with the plan<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 September 2021 |title=EU opposes biennial World Cup |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-opposes-fifa-world-cup-two-year-plan/|access-date=27 October 2021 |website=POLITICO |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923175302/https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-opposes-fifa-world-cup-two-year-plan/|archive-date=23 September 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=10 September 2021 |title=South America comes out against idea of biennial World Cup |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/south-america-comes-out-against-idea-biennial-world-cup-2021-09-10/|access-date=27 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027031109/https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/south-america-comes-out-against-idea-biennial-world-cup-2021-09-10/|archive-date=27 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> but, in total, the idea is supported by 166 of the 210 member associations of FIFA.<ref>{{cite news |title=Four South Asian nations back FIFA's biennial World Cup push |url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/four-south-asian-nations-back-fifas-biennial-world-cup-push-2021-09-06/ |access-date=23 January 2023 |work=Reuters |archive-date=23 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123014049/https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/four-south-asian-nations-back-fifas-biennial-world-cup-push-2021-09-06/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Other FIFA tournaments ===
[[File:Round of 16 Canada vs Switzerland (18852958960).jpg|thumb|[[BC Place]] in [[Vancouver]] hosting a [[2015 FIFA Women's World Cup|2015 Women's World Cup]] match]]
An equivalent tournament for [[Women's association football|women's football]], the [[FIFA Women's World Cup]], was first held in [[FIFA Women's World Cup 1991|1991]] in [[China]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703220738/http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 July 2008 |title=FIFA Women's World Cup |work=FIFA.com |publisher=Fédération Internationale de Football Association |access-date=22 December 2007}}</ref> The women's tournament is smaller in scale and profile than the men's, but is growing; the number of entrants for the 2007 tournament was 120, more than double that of 1991.<ref>[http://www.chinapost.com.tw/editorial/2010/06/30/262694/we-are.htm "We Are the World ... Cup"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909005900/http://www.chinapost.com.tw/editorial/2010/06/30/262694/we-are.htm |date=9 September 2017}}. China Post. Retrieved 8 September 2017</ref>

Men's football has been included in every [[Summer Olympic Games]] except 1896 and 1932. Unlike many other sports, the men's [[Football at the Summer Olympics|football tournament at the Olympics]] is not a top-level tournament, and since 1992, an under-23 tournament with each team allowed three over-age players.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/regulations_olympics_beijing_2008_en_6198.pdf |title=Regulations Men's Olympic Football Tournament 2008 |work=FIFA.com |publisher=Fédération Internationale de Football Association |access-date=22 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227032239/http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/regulations_olympics_beijing_2008_en_6198.pdf |archive-date=27 February 2008}}</ref> Women's football made its [[Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Olympic debut in 1996]].

The [[FIFA Confederations Cup]] was a tournament held one year before the World Cup at the World Cup host nation(s) as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming World Cup. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships, along with the FIFA World Cup champion and the host country.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/confederationcup/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609165833/http://www.fifa.com/confederationcup/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 June 2007 |title=FIFA Confederations Cup |work=FIFA.com |access-date=22 December 2007 |publisher=Fédération Internationale de Football Association}}</ref> The first edition took place in [[1992 FIFA Confederations Cup|1992]] and the last edition was played in [[2017 FIFA Confederations Cup|2017]]. In March 2019, FIFA confirmed that the tournament would no longer be active owing to an expansion of the [[FIFA Club World Cup]] in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/who-we-are/news/fifa-council-votes-for-the-introduction-of-a-revamped-fifa-club-world-cup |title=FIFA Council votes for the introduction of a revamped FIFA Club World Cup |website=FIFA.com |date=15 March 2019 |access-date=17 June 2019 |archive-date=16 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716174909/https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/who-we-are/news/fifa-council-votes-for-the-introduction-of-a-revamped-fifa-club-world-cup |url-status=live}}</ref>

FIFA also organises international tournaments for youth football ([[FIFA U-20 World Cup]], [[FIFA U-17 World Cup]], [[FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup]], [[FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup]]), club football (FIFA Club World Cup), and football variants such as [[futsal]] ([[FIFA Futsal World Cup]]) and [[beach soccer]] ([[FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup]]). The latter three do not have a women's version, although a [[FIFA Women's Club World Cup]] has been proposed.<ref>{{cite web |title=FIFA Task Force for Women's Football proposes a FIFA Women's Club World Cup |url=https://www.fifa.com/womens-football/news/y=2015/m=2/news=fifa-task-force-for-women-s-football-proposes-a-fifa-women-s-club-worl-2522725.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511230339/http://www.fifa.com/womens-football/news/y=2015/m=2/news=fifa-task-force-for-women-s-football-proposes-a-fifa-women-s-club-worl-2522725.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 May 2015 |publisher=fifa.com|access-date=8 September 2017}}</ref>

The FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup is held biannually, including the year before each Women's World Cup. Both tournaments were awarded in a single bidding process on three occasions, with the U-20 tournament serving as a dress rehearsal for the larger competition each time ([[2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup|2010]], [[2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup|2014]] and [[2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup|2018]]).<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/m/sports/soccer/fifau20/fifa-women-s-world-cup-next-up-for-canada-in-2015-1.2745557 "FIFA Women's World Cup next up for Canada in 2015"]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916193432/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifau20/fifa-women-s-world-cup-next-up-for-canada-in-2015-1.2745557 |date=16 September 2020 }}. CBC Sports. Retrieved 8 September 2017</ref>