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| What is FIFA? An Introduction... |
For Parents/Educators you are very welcome to download any or all of our
Printable Bee Thematic Units and/or Lesson Plans for use in your homes,
homeschool, classroom or community centres. ►►Our FIFA Home Page.
The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup or Soccer
World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an
international association football competition contested by the men's
national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football
Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body.
The championship has been awarded every four years since the first
tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not contested
because of World War II.
The current format of the tournament involves 32 teams competing for the
title at venues within the host nation(s) over a period of about a month –
this phase is often called the World Cup Finals. A qualification phase, which
currently takes place over the preceding three years, is used to determine
which teams qualify for the tournament together with the host nation(s).
During the 18 tournaments that have been held, seven nations have won
the title. Brazil have won the World Cup a record five times, and they are
the only team to have played in every tournament. Italy, the current
champions, have won four titles, and Germany are next with three titles.
The other former champions are Uruguay, winners of the inaugural
tournament, and Argentina, with two titles each, and England and France,
with one title each.
The World Cup is the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world,
where an estimated 715.1 million people watched the final match of the
2006 World Cup held in Germany. The 2014 World Cup will be held in Brazil.
Expansion to 32 teams
The tournament was expanded to 24 teams in 1982, and then to 32 in 1998,
allowing more teams from Africa, Asia and North America to take part. In
recent years, teams from these regions have enjoyed more success, and
those who have reached the quarter-finals include: Mexico, quarter-
finalists in 1986; Cameroon, quarter-finalists in 1990; Korea Republic, finishing
in fourth place in 2002; and Senegal and USA, both quarter-finalists in 2002.
European and South American teams have remained the stronger forces;
for example, the quarter-finalists in 2006 were all from Europe or South
America.
198 nations attempted to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, while a
record 204 countries entered qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Other FIFA tournaments
An equivalent tournament for women's football, the FIFA Women's World
Cup, was first held in 1991 in the People's Republic of China. The women's
tournament is smaller in scale and profile than the men's, but is growing; the
number of entrants for the 2007 tournament was 120, more than double
that of 1991.
Football has been included in every Summer Olympic Games except 1896
and 1932. Unlike many other sports, the men's football tournament at the
Olympics is not a top-level tournament, and since 1992, an under-23
tournament with each team allowed three over-age players. Women's
football made its Olympic debut in 1996, and is contested between full
national sides with no age restrictions.
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.
FIFA also organises international tournaments for youth football (FIFA U-20
World Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup, FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, FIFA U-17
Women's World Cup), club football (FIFA Club World Cup), and football
variants such as futsal (FIFA Futsal World Cup) and beach soccer (FIFA
Beach Soccer World Cup).
Printable Bee Thematic Units and/or Lesson Plans for use in your homes,
homeschool, classroom or community centres. ►►Our FIFA Home Page.
The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup or Soccer
World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an
international association football competition contested by the men's
national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football
Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body.
The championship has been awarded every four years since the first
tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not contested
because of World War II.
The current format of the tournament involves 32 teams competing for the
title at venues within the host nation(s) over a period of about a month –
this phase is often called the World Cup Finals. A qualification phase, which
currently takes place over the preceding three years, is used to determine
which teams qualify for the tournament together with the host nation(s).
During the 18 tournaments that have been held, seven nations have won
the title. Brazil have won the World Cup a record five times, and they are
the only team to have played in every tournament. Italy, the current
champions, have won four titles, and Germany are next with three titles.
The other former champions are Uruguay, winners of the inaugural
tournament, and Argentina, with two titles each, and England and France,
with one title each.
The World Cup is the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world,
where an estimated 715.1 million people watched the final match of the
2006 World Cup held in Germany. The 2014 World Cup will be held in Brazil.
Expansion to 32 teams
The tournament was expanded to 24 teams in 1982, and then to 32 in 1998,
allowing more teams from Africa, Asia and North America to take part. In
recent years, teams from these regions have enjoyed more success, and
those who have reached the quarter-finals include: Mexico, quarter-
finalists in 1986; Cameroon, quarter-finalists in 1990; Korea Republic, finishing
in fourth place in 2002; and Senegal and USA, both quarter-finalists in 2002.
European and South American teams have remained the stronger forces;
for example, the quarter-finalists in 2006 were all from Europe or South
America.
198 nations attempted to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, while a
record 204 countries entered qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Other FIFA tournaments
An equivalent tournament for women's football, the FIFA Women's World
Cup, was first held in 1991 in the People's Republic of China. The women's
tournament is smaller in scale and profile than the men's, but is growing; the
number of entrants for the 2007 tournament was 120, more than double
that of 1991.
Football has been included in every Summer Olympic Games except 1896
and 1932. Unlike many other sports, the men's football tournament at the
Olympics is not a top-level tournament, and since 1992, an under-23
tournament with each team allowed three over-age players. Women's
football made its Olympic debut in 1996, and is contested between full
national sides with no age restrictions.
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.
FIFA also organises international tournaments for youth football (FIFA U-20
World Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup, FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, FIFA U-17
Women's World Cup), club football (FIFA Club World Cup), and football
variants such as futsal (FIFA Futsal World Cup) and beach soccer (FIFA
Beach Soccer World Cup).
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Africa
Alphabet
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Colour & Activity
Contact
Crafts
Curriculum
Calendar
Dolch Words
Freebies
Gallery
Games
Health
Homeschooling
Kids Fun Pages
Language
Links
Maths
Menus4Moms
Nursery Rhymes
Parents
Phonics
Pre-K
Services
Site Map
South Africa
Spelling
Surfnet Kids
Teens
Themes
WAHM
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| Thanks, references, Further Reading & Resources: http://www.staidenshomeschool.com/activities/FIFA2010/FIFA2010.html http://www.oxfam.org.uk/ http://www.activityvillage.co.uk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup |