The top 10 World Cup football facts

It is the much-awaited World Cup season! Are you ready for the 10 most amazing facts about this legendary game? Then, read on!

17:27 13 June 2014

1.Did you know that the Brits were actually the first ones to call the game soccer? However, in 1863, when the rules of the game were first established, the game was called Association Football to separate it from Rugby Football. It was then shortened and was simply called Football. 

 

2.When Australia beat American Samoa in April 2001, they made a history in football. The game, which ended 31-0, is the largest scoreline in the history of the game.

 

3.Believe it or not, Football, was not first played in the UK nor in the USA. It was actually in China around 200 BC. 

 

4.It was in 1954 that numbered shirts were used in Association Football. They were used to indicate field location. 

 

5.The first World Cup was staged in 1930 in Uruguay with 13 teams from around the world taking part. Host nation Uruguay beat neighbours Argentina 4-2 in the final, becoming the first country to win the trophy. 

 

6.Among all of the World Cup football teams, Brazil’s is the most expensive with a value of around £400 million. 

 

7.Brazil hosted the first post-war Cup in 1950. Following the events of the second world war, Japan and Germany were excluded as part of the international sanctions while Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Soviet Union all declined to participate. 

 

8.The classic black and white checkered ball design was first used in the 1970 World Cup. The ball was painted to make it more visible on black and white televisions. 

 

9.Scientists from the University of Helsinki, who scanned the brains of football players, found that the sport is bad for the brain due to elevated number of scar tissues as a result of harsh tackles and headers. 

 

10.The World Cup trophy has been stolen not just once but twice. First, it happened in 1966 while it was on public exhibition in London. The second time was in 1983 when it was stolen from the Brazilian Football Confederation’s headquarters. It was never returned.