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world cup (soccer), two international soccer tournaments, one for men and one for women, each held every four years. both tournaments are the pinnacle of international competition in the sport.
the men's world cup is considered the most popular sporting event in the world and is followed with passionate interest around the globe—the final game of the 1998 tournament was played to a television audience of more than 1 billion viewers. founded in 1930 with just 13 teams, the tournament now attracts entries from more than 140 countries. the teams must participate in elimination games within their own continents before qualifying to become one of the 32 nations participating in the final tournament. the women's world cup was first played in 1991 and has gained popularity steadily since then. more than 90,000 fans attended the finals of the 1999 tournament—one of the largest crowds ever to witness a women's sporting event. nearly 75 nations attempted to qualify for the 1999 event, which was a 16-team elimination tournament.the fifa world cup (often called football world cup, the world cup, or simply world cup) is the most important competition in international football (soccer), and the world's most repreteam sport event.
organised by federation internationale de football association (fifa), the sport's governing body, the world cup is contested by men's national football teams which are fifa members.
the world cup is held every four years, but the qualifying rounds of the competition take place over a three-year period, using regional qualifying tournaments. 197 national teams entered the qualification tournaments for the xx world cup. the final tournament phase involves 32 national teams competing over a four-week period in a previously nominated host nation.
the world cup final competition (often called the finals), which has been held every four years since 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was cancelled due to world war ii, is the most widely-viewed and followed sporting event in the world. it has a global audience of more than 3 billion people (half the world's population) exceeding even the olympic games.
