Reading About Soccer

History of the FIFA World Cup
The History of the FIFA World Cup started in 1928, when FIFA president Jules
Rimet decided to stage an international football tournament. The first
competition, in 1930, consisted of just the final tournament of 13 invited teams.
The competition has subsequently expanded to a 2 year qualifying process
involving almost 200 teams from all over the world.
The first international football match was played in 1872 between England and
Scotland, although at this stage the sport was rarely played outside Great
Britain. An expansion in international football led to FIFA being formed in May
1904, comprised of football associations from seven continental European
countries. As football began to increase in popularity, it was held as a
demonstration sport (with no medals awarded) at the 1900, 1904 and 1906
Summer Olympics before football became an official competition at the 1908
Summer Olympics. Organised by England's Football Association, the event was for
amateur players only and was regarded suspiciously as a show rather than a
competition. The England national amateur football team won the event in both
1908 and 1912.
With the Olympic event continuing to be contested only between amateur teams,
Sir Thomas Lipton organised the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy tournament in Turin in
1909. The competition is often described as The First World Cup, and featured
the most prestigious professional club sides from Italy, Germany and Switzerland.
The first tournament was won by West Auckland, an amateur side from north-
east England that was invited after the Football Association refused to be
associated with the competition. West Auckland returned in 1911 to successfully
defend their title, and were given the trophy to keep forever, as per the rules of
the competition.
In 1914, FIFA agreed to recognise the Olympic tournament as a "world football

championship for amateurs", and took responsibility for organising the event.
This led the way for the world's first intercontinental football competition, at the
1924 Summer Olympics. Uruguay won the tournament, before winning the gold
medal again in 1928, with another South American team, Argentina, taking silver.
In 1928 FIFA made the decision to stage their own international tournament.
With Uruguay now two-time official football world champions and due to
celebrate their centenary of independence in 1930, FIFA named Uruguay as the
host country.
The 1932 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles, did not plan to include football
as part of the programme due to the low popularity of football in the United
States. FIFA and the IOC also disagreed over the status of amateur players, and
so football was dropped from the Games. FIFA president Jules Rimet thus set
about organising the inaugural World Cup tournament to be held in Uruguay in
1930. The national associations of selected nations were invited to send a team,
but the choice of Uruguay as a venue for the competition meant a long and costly
trip across the Atlantic Ocean for European sides. Indeed, no European country
pledged to send a team until two months before the start of the competition.
Rimet eventually persuaded teams from Belgium, France, Romania, and
Yugoslavia to make the trip. In total 13 nations took part — seven from South
America, four from Europe and two from North America.
The first two World Cup matches took place simultaneously, and were won by
France and the USA, who beat Mexico 4-1 and Belgium 3-0, respectively. The first
goal in World Cup history was scored by Lucien Laurent of France. Four days
later, the first World Cup hat-trick was achieved by Bert Patenaude of the USA in
the Americans' 3-0 win against Paraguay. In the final, Uruguay defeated
Argentina 4-2 in front of a crowd of 93,000 people in Montevideo, and became
the first nation to win a World Cup.
Questions about the text
1. The first international football match was played in 1872.

True.
False.
We don't know.
2. FIFA was created in 1904.

True.
False.
We don't know.
3. The first FIFA World Cup was played in Uruguay.

True.
False.
We don't know.
4. Uruguay was the first nation to win the World Cup.

True.
False.
We don't know.

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Reading About Soccer

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History of the FIFA World Cup

In 1914, FIFA agreed to recognise the Olympic tournament as a "world football

Questions about the text

1. The first international football match was played in 1872.

2. FIFA was created in 1904.

3. The first FIFA World Cup was played in Uruguay.

4. Uruguay was the first nation to win the World Cup.

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