Founded in 1904, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, FIFA had a goal of organizing an international football competition. The faltering beginning of the World Cup was no indication of how this event would one day become one of the most popular sporting events in the world. As of 2010, FIFA has 208 member associations engaged in competition for the glistening gold trophy named after the "Father of the World Cup," Jules Rimet.
Background
Under the leadership of FIFA's third president, Jules Rimet, FIFA organized the 1924 Olympic Tournament in Paris, which helped in building support and interest for this relatively new sport of soccer, or European football. FIFA organized the competition for the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam as well. Uruguay won the gold medal at both of these events, demonstrating its ability to compete on an international level. The success of these two events strengthened FIFA's desire to have its own world championship.
Inaugural Event
In 1928, FIFA decided to host its own international competition. Uruguay's proposal stood out above five European nations' so FIFA selected them to host the first FIFA World Cup in 1930. Though Uruguay offered to cover all the costs for travel and accommodations, only four European teams -- France, Belgium, Romania and Yugoslavia -- made the long sea journey to the event. Other European teams broke their promise to participate, angering Uruguay. Uruguay won the first World Cup, but their resentment because of poor turnout led them to boycott the second World Cup even though it meant not defending their title as world champions.
Momentum Builds
Differences between FIFA and the International Olympic Committee caused FIFA to abandon plans to organize an Olympic Football Tournament for the 1932 Olympic Games. This may have helped momentum for FIFA's World Cup.
Italy hosted the second World Cup in 1934. After qualifying matches, 16 teams made it to the finals. The home team again won the Cup. For the first time, fans unable to attend the event in person could hear the final match on the radio.
France hosted the World Cup in 1938, where Italy successfully defended their title and returned home with the Cup. The outbreak of World War II interrupted the four-year interval schedule of the FIFA World Cup. Competition resumed in 1950, when the Cup was held in Brazil.
Further Expansion
Between 1975 and 2002, more than 60 associations joined FIFA. As global participation in FIFA increased, so did the number of teams competing in the World Cup. In 1982, FIFA's president at the time, João Havelange, increased the number of competing teams from 16 to 24. Then in 1998 the World Cup finals expanded to include 32 teams.
A growing FIFA organization also considered World Cup host sites beyond Europe and the Americas. In 2002, the World Cup went to Asia as Korea and Japan won the bid to co-host the event, and in 2010, South Africa was the first African country to host.
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