The biggest sporting event in the Universe started today.The 2014 FIFA World Cup is the 20th itineration of the FIFA World Cup, an international men’s football tournament that is taking place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014.
It is the second time that Brazil has hosted the competition, the previous being in 1950. Brazil was elected unchallenged as host nation in 2007 after the international football federation, FIFA, decreed that the tournament would be staged in South America for the first time since 1978 in Argentina, and the fifth time overall.
The national teams of 31 countries advanced through qualification competitions that began in June 2011 to participate with the host nation Brazil in the final tournament. A total of 64 matches are to be played in twelve cities across Brazil in either new or redeveloped stadiums, with the tournament beginning with a group stage. For the first time at a World Cup Finals, the matches will use goal-line technology. After testing several systems over two years, FIFA awarded German company GoalControl GmbH the contract to provide GLT technology for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is an association governed by Swiss law founded in 1904 and based in Zurich. It has 209 member associations and its goal, enshrined in its Statutes, is the constant improvement of football. FIFA employs some 310 people from over 35 nations and is composed of a Congress (legislative body), Executive Committee (executive body), General Secretariat (administrative body) and committees.
With the host country, all world champion teams since the first World Cup in 1930 (Argentina, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Uruguay) have qualified for this competition. Spain is the defending champion, having defeated the Netherlands 1–0 in the 2010 World Cup final to win its first World title. The previous four World Cups staged in South America were all won by South American teams.
We have collected all the information you need to watch, cheer and celebrate your teams journey. Some may argue What about the Olympics?, well there is nothing as huge as the football world cup. The last world cup had an audience of 3.2 billion people watching from their homes. That is almost half the world population. Football is appropriately titled The World Game.
Official Website: http://www.fifa.com
Total Countries: 31
Total Matches: 64
Total Player: 736
Hostin Country: Brazil
Itration: 2oth
Duration: 12 June to 13 July 2014
Last (2010) Winner: Spain
Oldest Player: Faryd Mondragon (GK), Colombia – 43 yrs
Youngest Player: Fabrice Olinga (FW), Cameroon –18 yrs
Average age of World Cup player : 26.9 yrs
Total prize money: US$576 million
For everyone’s benefit, the FIFA World Cup website provides a full schedule of the games and kick off times locally.