92 years ago, the World Cup was headed to Uruguay. Since then, 21 competitions have been held and the records have been constantly improved. From Lucien Laurent (the first goalscorer in history) to the eras of Pele, Cruyff, Maradona, Zidane, the two Ronaldos and Messi, the final tournament has continued to rise in glory.

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Records, curiosities and statistics for the entire history of world championships

During the 92 years of its existence, the FIFA World Cup has seen a lot and visited many places.

This will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the first final tournament was held in 1930 in Uruguay. The current champion is France (4-2 in the final against Croatia in 2018).

Europe hosted the football championship the most, 11 times (for the first time in Italy – 1934, the last time in Russia – 2018).

Next in the hierarchy is South America: it has been the host five times (the last time in Brazil – 2014).

The team with the most titles: Brazil, 5 times champion (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002).

Photo source: AA/ABACA / Abaca Press / Profimedia

• The national team with the most second places: Germany (1966, 1982, 1986, 2002).

• Longest distance between two World Cup titles won: Italy, 44 years (1938 – 1982).

• Host countries of the World Cup: Uruguay (1930), Italy (1934), England (1966), Germany (1974), Argentina (1978), France (1998).

Photo credit: Hahn Lionel/ABACA/Abaca Press/Profimedia

• The worst results of the world champions: Italy (1950), Brazil (1966), France (2002), Italy (2010), Spain (2014) and Germany (2018) – did not pass the group stage.

• Confederation with most titles: Europe with 12 (1934, 1938, 1954, 1966, 1974, 1982, 1990, 1998, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018).

• The team with the most finals, but never won the World Cup title: Netherlands (1974, 1978, 2010).

• Most unbeaten semi-finals: Argentina (1930, 1978, 1986, 1990, 2014).

• National countries with the most matches at the World Cup without a win: Bolivia (1930, 1950, 1994), Honduras (1982, 2010, 2014) and Egypt (1934, 1990, 2018).

• First goal scored in World Cup history: Lucien Laurent (France), against Mexico in the 1930 World Cup (from July 13).

• The final that took place the most times in the history of the football World Cup: Argentina – Germany (1986, 1990, 2014). The overall score is 2-1 in favor of the Germans.

• The last act of the World Cup 1990: Germany – Argentina 1-0

• The fiercest match at the final tournament of the world: Argentina – Germany 7 times (1958, 1966, 1986, 1990, 2006, 2010, 2014) and Brazil – Sweden (1938, 1950, 1958, 1978, 1990, 1994 – twice).

• Most appearances at the World Cup: Brazil. The Seleção have so far participated in all editions of the World Cup Finals: 22 times.

• Scotland are the team with the most group stage exits: 1954, 1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998.

• Countries that have performed the least but reached the quarter-finals: Cuba (1938), Germany (1974) and Ukraine (2006).

• The player with the most world titles: the legendary Pele (1958, 1962, 1970).

Photo source: PA / PA Images / Profimedia

• Football players with the most matches at the World Cup: Antonio Carbajal (Mexico, 1950-1966), Lothar Matthaus (Germany, 1982-1998), Rafael Marquez (Mexico, 2002-2018).

• The most performances in the perfect World Cup team: three each – Jalma Santos (Brazil, 1954-1962), Franz Beckenbauer (Germany, 1966-1974), Philipp Lahm (Germany, 2006-2014).

• Football player with the most matches played at the World Cup: Lothar Matthaus: 25 (between 1982-1998).

Photo source: SVEN SIMON / DPA / Profimedia

• Paolo Maldini remained, among others, in the history of the final world tournament with the most minutes played: 2217 in the period 1990-2002.

• Most matches played in World Cup qualification: Ivan Hurtado (Ecuador): 68 matches (1994-2010).

• Cafu is the player with the most appearances in the World Cup finals: 3 (1994, 1998, 2002).

• Rafael Marquez is the football player who scored the most goals in World Cup football matches as a captain (Mexico): 17. In the period 2002-2018.

• The youngest football player who participated in the World Cup: Norman Whiteside (Northern Ireland) in the match against Yugoslavia at the 1982 World Cup – 17 years and 41 days.

Photo source: WCSCC AP / AP / Profimedia

• Pele is the youngest footballer to play in the World Cup final: against Sweden on June 29, 1958. At that time, the legendary Pele was 17 years and 249 days old.

• Suleiman Mamam (Togo) is the youngest player who participated in World Cup qualifiers. May 6, 2001, 13 years and 310 days.

• Essam El-Hadary (Egypt) is the oldest player to have participated in the World Cup. In a match against Saudi Arabia on 25 June 2018, Essam was 45 years and 339 days old at the time.

• Dino Zoff (Italy) is the oldest footballer who played in the World Cup final. Against West Germany on July 11, 1982. Zoff was 40 years and 133 days old.

Photo source: WCSCC AP / AP / Profimedia

• The biggest age difference at the World Cup between players of the same national team: 24 years and 42 days. Rigobert Song (17 years and 358 days) and Roger Milla (42 years and 35 days). We are talking about the national team of Cameroon, and it happened at the 1994 World Cup with the USA.

• German Edmund Konen became the 100th scorer of the World Cup. He scored in a match against Belgium on May 27, 1934.

• Dutchman Rob Rensenbrink (June 11, 1978) is the author of the 1000th goal at the final tournament of the world. It happened at the game against Scotland.

• Finally, scorer number 2000 at the World Cup, Markus Allback (Sweden) against England (June 20, 2006).

• The youngest scorer in the history of the World Cup: Pele, 17 years and 239 days. It happened against Wales on 19 June 1958.

• Pele is also the youngest author of the hat-trick: he is 17 years and 244 days old. We are talking about the match against France, from June 24, 1958.

• At the opposite pole, Roger Milla (Cameroon) holds the record for the oldest player to score a goal at the World Cup at 42 years and 39 days. We are talking about the match against Russia, from June 28, 1994.

• Roger Milla – the goals of 1990 and the special joy of the Cameroonian forward.

• Nils Liedholm (Sweden) is the oldest scorer in the World Cup finals: 35 years and 264 days. It happened in a match against Sweden on June 29, 1958.

• Lionel Messi is the only football player who scored at the World Cup under 20 years, after 20 years and even after 30 years (2006, 2014, 2018).

Photo credit: Francesco Pecoraro/AP/Profimedia

• Fastest goal in a World Cup final: Johan Neeskens, Netherlands. In a match against Germany in 1974. It happened after 90 seconds.

• Last goal scored in regular time: Neymar, 97th minute, v Costa Rica, 2018.

• The biggest score difference recorded at the World Cup: Hungary – South Korea 9-0 (1954), Yugoslavia – Zaire 9-0 (1974) and Hungary – El Salvador 10-1 (1982).

• Most goals scored in a World Cup match: Austria – Switzerland 7-5 in 1954.

• Most goals scored in a World Cup final: Brazil – Sweden 5-2 in 1958.

• World Cup final with the fewest goals: Brazil – Italy 0-0, World Cup 1994.

• Hungary is the team with the most goals scored in a single World Cup: 27. This happened in the 1954 tournament.

• Most goals scored at the entire World Cup: 171 in 1998 (France) and 2014 (Brazil).

• The fewest goals scored in the football championship: 70. This happened in 1930 and 1934.

• The greatest distance covered by a player at the World Cup: 84 kilometers. By Thomas Müller, in the 2014 edition.

Photo source: PA Images / Alamy / Alamy / Profimedia

• Most clean sheets: 10. Peter Shilton (England, 1982-1990), Fabien Barthez (France, 1998-2006).

• The goalkeeper with the most missed minutes at the World Cup: Walter Zenga (Italy, 1990) – 517 minutes.

• The most saves by a goalkeeper in one World Cup match: American Tim Howard (USA-Belgium, 2014).

• Helmut Schoen (West Germany) is the coach with the most matches at the World Cup: 25 (between 1966-1978).

• Coach with most championship titles: Vittorio Pozzo, Italy, two titles (1934, 1938).

• Carlos Alberto Parreira is the coach with the most World Cup finals: 6 (1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010).

Photo credit: LOIS BERNSTEIN/AP/Profimedia

• Bora Milutinovic and Carlos Alberto Parreira are the coaches who have participated in the most FIFA World Cups – 5. Milutinovic: Mexico in 1986, Costa Rica in 1990, USA in 1994, Nigeria in 1998, China in 2002. Parreira: Kuwait in 1982, United Arab Emirates in 1990, Brazil in 1994, 2006, Saudi Arabia in 1998 and South Africa in 2010.

• The youngest coach at the World Cup: Juan Jose Tramutola (Argentina, 1930). He was then 27 years and 267 days old.

• The youngest world champion coach: Alberto Suppichi (Uruguay, 1930). He was 31 years and 252 days old.

The oldest coach of the world champion: Otto Rehagel (as part of the Greek national team, at the 2010 World Cup). At that time, he was 71 years and 317 days old.

• Argentina – Germany in 1986 – World Cup final with the largest number of spectators. There were 114,600 spectators at Estadio Azteca.

Photo credit: CARLO FUMAGALLI / AP / Profimedia

• At the opposite pole, the lowest attendance match of the FIFA World Cup is the match between Romania and Peru. This happened at the final tournament in 1930, and the match was attended by 300 spectators.

• The 1994 World Cup had the highest average attendance per match: 68,991.