World Cup draws attention of millions of people worldwide
KUWAIT: The World Cup is the most popular tournament worldwide drawing attention of millions of fans across the globe. Diwanyas, malls and cafes in Kuwait have been drawing large numbers of sports fans to watch World Cup games since the 2022 Qatar championship kicked off on November 20, amid even higher attraction in the final rounds of the event. With football fans showing much enthusiasm during the live broadcast of FIFA matches, malls and cafes seek to provide better visual services including big screens, and very attractive food and drinks menus.
The tournament, held once every four years, groups 32 national teams from all continents and is run by the international football federation, FIFA. The final of Qatar 2022 is due on December 18 at Lusail stadium, pitting France against Argentina, a showdown forecast to engage a wide enthusiastic audience across the globe. The first tournament at this level was held in Uruguay in 1930 when the host country beat Argentina 4-2. In 1934, Italy, the host country, won the tournament, beating Czechoslovakia 2-1. Italy won the title again in 1938 beating Hungary 4-2 at a match held in Paris.
Following World War II, the mondial was held in 1950 and Uruguay beat the host country, Brazil, 2-1. In the 1954 mondial, West Germany won the gold trophy overcoming Hungary with a 3-2 result in a match held in Switzerland and Brazil won the first title in the 1959 mondial, beating the host country, Sweden 5-2. It took the gold medal for the second consecutive time in 1962 beating Czechoslovakia in Chile. England, the host country, won the title for the first time in 1966 beating West Germany 4-2 in London.
In the 1970 mondial, Brazil won the title against in a 4-1 match in Mexico. In 1974, West Germany, the host country, won it overcoming the Dutch with a 2-1 score. The Argentines won the championship for the second time in 1986, with a 3-2 score vis a vis West Germany in a match played in Mexico. In 1990, the tournament was held in Italy where West Germany emerged as the top winner after playing against Argentina with a 1-0 result.
Argentina, the host nation, won the tournament for the first time in the 1978 Mondial beating Holland 3-1. In 1982, Italy won it, thrashing Germany 3-1 in the championship hosted by Spain. The Argentines won it again in the 1986 mondial against Germany (3-2). In the Mexico-hosted tournament in 1990, held in Italy, West German was crowned again beating Argentina with a single goal score. In the 1994 US-hosted mondial, Brazil won the title beating Italy with penalty kicks 3-2. In the 1998 competition, it was the French who took the cup after crushing Brazil 3-0.
In the 2002 mondial, organized for the first time in Asia, namely in South Korea and Japan, the top winner was Brazil after hitting Germany with two goals without reply. In the 2006 mondial, the Italians emerged as the winners after a heated match with the French with a 5-3 score made in penalty kicks. In the 2014 mondial held in Brazil, the Germans beat the Argentines 1-0 and France won the title another time in the competition hosted by Russia in 2018, beating Croatia 4-2.
Brazil is on top of the list of teams of most wins, taking the title five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002), followed by Germany four times (1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014) and Italy also four times (1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006). France grabbed the cup twice (1998-2018), Argentina also two times (1978-1986) and Uruguay followed their steps taking it in 1930 and 1950. – KUNA
The post World Cup draws attention of millions of people worldwide appeared first on Kuwait Times.