Once every four years the whole football world stops for one tournament: the FIFA World Cup. It's the biggest single event in the sport, and winning it is the highest prize a country can lift.
What it is, and who runs it
FIFA is football's world governing body — the organisation that makes the global rules and runs the World Cup. The tournament has been held every four years since 1930, missing only 1942 and 1946 because of the Second World War.
How it works
Getting there takes years. National teams play qualifying matches across their own continents, and the ones who make it through travel to a single host country for the finals. There the teams are drawn into groups, and after the group stage it becomes a straight knockout all the way to the final.
The finals used to bring thirty-two teams together. From 2026 that grows to forty-eight, so more countries than ever get their shot.
Facts every fan knows
The Women's World Cup
There's a Women's World Cup too, also held every four years, and it's one of the fastest-growing events in all of sport — bigger crowds and bigger audiences with every tournament.