Home Betting News 12 Awesome Soccer World Cup Facts

12 Awesome Soccer World Cup Facts

June 24, 2018

Hosts Russia will kick off the 2018 World Cup finals against Saudi Arabia in Moscow, while defending champions Germany will start against Mexico.

Here are some interesting facts about the soccer World Cup.

Facts and Trivia of the Soccer World Cup

8 countries have won a World Cup
- Brazil (5 Titles)
- Germany (4 Titles)
- Italy (4 Titles)
- Argentina (2 Titles)
- Uruguay (2 Titles)
- England (1 Title)
- France (1 Title)
- Spain (1 Title)
Winning results in failure
- Occupational hazard to note is that of defending champions tend to exit the next tournament in the group stages.

Team	Won the World Cup	Record in the very next World Cup
Germany	2014	2018 – eliminated at Group Stage
Spain	2010	2014 – eliminated at Group Stage
Italy	2006	2010 – eliminated at Group Stage
Brazil	2002	2006 – eliminated at Quarterfinals
France	1998	2002 – eliminated at Group Stage

First at the Soccer World Cup
- First World Cup hosted by Russia
- Iceland and Panama are both making their World Cup debuts
- Iceland is the smallest nation in population terms to ever achieve qualification to the tournament.
- First tournament that allows an additional, fourth substitution to be made in extra time
- First tournament to feature the use of video assistant referees (VAR).

Brazil remain the only side outside of Europe to have managed a win on European soil.
Germany became the first European side to win in South America with their victory over Lionel Messi’s Argentina 4 years ago.
In 2002 the World Cup was held in two different countries for the first time: South Korea and Japan.
The oldest goal scorer at a World Cup is Roger Milla, who was 42 in 1994 when he scored a goal for Cameroon.
Austria defeated Switzerland 7-5 in 1954 which is the most goals scored in a World Cup match.
South Africa in 2010 was the only host nation to not make it out of the group stages of the competition.
6 out of the 20 World Cups have been won by the host – the last being France in 1998.
25 is the most Soccer World Cup losses which belongs to Mexico.
The Italians were so miffed about being knocked out of the 2002 Football World Cup when Korean player, Ahn Jung-hwan, scored against Italy, that they actually cancelled his contract with Italian club, Perugia, for ‘ruining Italian soccer’.

Soccer World Cup Previews and Predictions