World Cup Corner

Scotland and England played the first football match that would eventually lead to the International FIFA World Cup. However, there was no way of knowing this at this first game played in 1872. During this time frame the sport was not popular worldwide as it is today.

Instead, Ireland and Great Britain were basically the only two countries that frequently played football. Its popularity saw a turning point in the early 1900s when it was played in the 1900 and 1904 Summer Olympics. Medals were not awarded as it was simply a demonstration game. However, its exposure in these early Olympic games led football, also called soccer, being included in the 1908 Summer Olympics. At this point in time football did not receive national acclaim like it enjoys today. Instead, most spectators thought the sport was all for show and not really a competitive sport. Things began to change however. In the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics Great Britain was the winner.

The FIFA, founded in 1904 to arrange the international competition at the Olympics, began to try and create a larger tournament international in scale that was not related to the Olympics. The tournament was played in Switzerland in 1906. This competition was not like World Cup competitions today and it actually did not work out as planned.

The Olympics remained the only place where football was really played on an international level, however the teams were amateur. So, the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy tournament was established in Turin in 1909 by Sir Thomas Lipton. Club teams from different countries rather than national teams played in the tournament. This tournament is frequently referred to as the first World Cup as it was the first time club teams from Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and England played together. England’s Football Association declined to participate or send a team to participate, but this did not stop Sir Thomas Lipton. Instead he invited the amateur team West Auckland from County Durham. They won the tournament in 1909 and then again in 1911 and were given the trophy for life.

The Olympics were recognized by FIFA in 1914 as a an amateur would football championship and took control of the event. For several Olympics FIFA managed the event, but then made a decision in 1928 to hold a tournament in addition to the Olympics. This is when the FIFA World Cup tournament really began as it is known today.