The 2014 FIFA World Cup, hosted in Brazil, is the 20th in tournament history. Brazil also hosted in 1950.
The first World Cup tournament was held in Uruguay in 1930. There were 13 teams representing Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, France, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, United States, Uruguay, and Yugoslavia. France defeated Mexico to win the World Cup.
Number of times host team won World Cup: 6
Top winners of the World Cup:
Brazil: 5
Italy: 4
West Germany: 3
Uruguay: 2
Argentina: 2
There is at least one first-time participant at every World Cup. In 2014 the first-time participant is Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Force of a professional player’s kick: 1,000 pounds of force
Speed of soccer ball after kick: average speed is 60 mph; highest speed ranges from 75-98 mph
Number of miles that the average soccer player runs during a game: 7 to 9.5 miles
Total number of miles (aggregate) that all players ran at the last World Cup: approximately 8,245 miles
Country to make it into every finals match at every tournament: Brazil
Consecutive World Cup Winners: 2, Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962)
Longest winning streak: Brazil with 11 victories from 2002 to 2006
Longest losing streak: Mexico, with 9 losses from 1930 to 1958
Number of goals scored in world cup history (as of last World Cup): 2,208
Number of yellow cards issued (as of last World Cup): 1,971
Most goals scored by one player in one game: 5 by striker Oleg Salenko (Russia) in game against Cameroon in 1994.
Oldest player: Roger Milla (Cameroon, 1994), 42 years old
Youngest player: Norman Whiteside (Northern Ireland, 1982), 17 years old
Highest attendance: 199,854 (Uruguay vs. Brazil, 1950 held in Rio de Janerio)
Most common surname of World Cup players: Gonzales or Gonzalez
Name of soccer ball for 2014 World Cup: Brazuca, designed by Adidas. It is made up of 6 panels, has dimples to help with aerodynamics, and has an internal camera.
Most common score in World Cup finals match: 1 – 0
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For further reading: slate.com/blogs/the_spot/2014/06/11/world_cup_2014_statistics_and_trivia_video_of_records_at_stake_in_the_brazil.html
soccerlens.com/world-cup-facts-longest-streaks/46735/
gizmodo.com/5992583/how-far-do-you-run-in-different-sports
livestrong.com/article/441962-how-much-force-does-an-average-soccer-player-kick-the-ball-with/
cbc.ca/sports/soccer/brazil2014/brazuca-world-cup-ball-is-round-can-be-kicked-1.2673555
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