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The FIFA World Cup is one of the most anticipated sporting events in the world every four years. An estimated 3.2 billion people around the world are expected to tune in to watch this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar. It’s around SGD 560 million less than the cost of the actual Olympic Games.
Many people meet in cafes, bars, and other public places to cheer for and commiserate with their favorite teams from all corners of the globe. We ought to understand even more about the tournament’s history and organization in order to completely grasp what it is and why it attracts so many people.
What is FIFA?
The World Cup is the pinnacle of football, and there is nothing else like it. In spite of its quality, the UEFA Champions League can’t even surpass the status garnered through its long history and the fact that a single team represents an entire nation.
This year’s FIFA World Cup was seen by more than three billion people around the world, while the final was watched by a whopping one billion people. As you might expect, the Singaporean locals are amongst these spectators.
Founded in 1904 by representatives from seven European countries: Belgium, Spain, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, FIFA is established as the Federation Internationale de Football Association.
The regulations of the game were established in international championships and international matches. However, they had no intention of staging a World Cup tournament at the time.
How It All Started
Interest in a worldwide soccer tournament grew after the first international games. As a matter of fact, the Olympic Football tournaments were previously held every four years.
FIFA decided to hold their own international competition, letting national teams recruit players from local, professional football clubs, in the midst of bitter and unresolved discussions between FIFA and the International Olympic Committee.
Thirteen teams competed in Montevideo, Uruguay, for the first FIFA World Cup competition in 1930. As Uruguay won Olympic soccer gold in 1924 and 1928, and also because the country was celebrating its 100th anniversary at the time, this site was chosen.
As a result of Europe’s economic woes and players’ concerns about losing their day jobs as a result of taking so much time off for the games, only four European countries attended. It wasn’t until several years later that other countries such as Singapore and other Asian countries had a shot at qualifying for the tournament.
The First Games
July 13th was the day of the first two World Cup qualifiers, between Mexico and France (with France winning a 4-1 score), and the United States against Belgium (the United States winning 3-0).
Toward the end of the competition, Uruguay had won the first-ever World Cup trophy, measuring the abilities of the 13 competing teams. FIFA president Jules Rimet was honored in a 1946 rite by having this trophy renamed the Rimet Trophy in his honor.
The Jules Rimet trophy was decommissioned after Brazil won their third World Cup in 1974, and a new trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, was introduced in its place. Excluding two scheduled competitions, the games have proceeded every 4 years.
Every avid Singaporean fan knows that the World Cup was suspended by the onset of World War II, resulting in the cancellation of the games scheduled for 1942. There were no World Cup games until 1950 when Uruguay won its second World Cup title.
What Makes It Great
As a general rule, the home club has overachieved in World Cup history. The home team has triumphed multiple times in a row. Apart from that, numerous lesser-known teams have advanced far in the competition when playing on their own turf.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup may be so intense that some players have lost their composure after the games. After a defeat, several players have shown that becoming a good sport isn’t just about winning; it’s also about being empathetic.
The sight of sportsmen expressing gratitude to their fans after a grueling match is also a sweet sight. Even Singaporean fans who are extremely into football and sports betting, in general, treat the World Cup as a grand celebration of the sport.
This World Cup may just be an average football competition to some, but it’s also a great opportunity to form new acquaintances. Fans of all countries have been photographed trading shirts, embracing, and even chanting together while at a sporting event.