With all the attention in the sports world going to the current World Cup games, it’s only fitting to give you some gems you may not have known about until now!
1. Forbes just released their Highest Paid Athletes of 2013 and 2 of the top 5 are currently playing in the World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo (#2 at $80 million) and Lionel Messi (#4 at 64.7 million).
2. Although it’s known as simply The World Cup, the official name is FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup.
3. Six of the eight champions have won one of their titles while playing in their own homeland.
4. With five titles, Brazil is the most successful World Cup team (But has never won on their homeland) and the only nation to have played in every World Cup (19) to date.
5. Two players share the record for playing in the most World Cups. Mexico’s Antonio Carbajal (1950—1966) and Germany’s Lothar Matthäus (1982—1998) both played in five tournaments.
6. The next two World Cups will be hosted by Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.
7. The FIFA Confederations Cup is a tournament held one year before the World Cup at the World Cup host nation(s) as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming World Cup. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships, along with the FIFA World Cup champion and the host country.
8. The FIFA World Cup Trophy is 14.2Â inches high, made of solid 18 carat (75%) gold and weighs 13.6Â lb. The base contains two layers of semi-precious malachite while the bottom side of the trophy bears the engraved year and name of each FIFA World Cup winner since 1974.
9. South Africa (2010) was the only host nation to fail to advance beyond the first round.
10. World Cup Brazil will generate $4 billion in total revenue for FIFA, or 66% more than the previous tournament in South Africa in 2010.