Eighteen articles on international and league football: the World Cup and its 1994 and 2026 editions, nine great national teams, Europe's top four leagues, and US legends Abby Wambach and Megan Rapinoe.
Football's biggest stories are written on two stages: the World Cup, where nations meet every four years, and the great domestic leagues, where clubs fight week after week. This collection covers both. It starts with the history of the FIFA World Cup and two memorable editions, the 1994 tournament in the United States and the record-breaking 48-team World Cup of 2026, which Spain won. Then come nine of the most famous national teams, from Brazil and Argentina to England, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal and the USA.
The national-team stories are full of drama. Brazil are the only team to have played in every World Cup and kept the original Jules Rimet trophy for good, England's 1966 trophy was found by a dog named Pickles after it was stolen, and Germany once beat Brazil 7-1 in a World Cup semi-final. A team of American amateurs humiliated England in 1950, while the Netherlands are often called the greatest team never to win the World Cup.
Europe's top leagues have their own legends. Only seven clubs have won the Premier League since 1992, Perugia once went a whole Serie A season unbeaten and still finished second, the Bundesliga trophy is nicknamed the "salad bowl", and La Liga's top scorer award is named after a player whose career was cut short. Records range from Manchester City's 100 points to Derby County's 11.
Two American icons complete the list: Abby Wambach, once the highest-scoring international player of any gender, and Megan Rapinoe, a two-time world champion and Ballon d'Or winner. Pick an article below to read fifteen facts.
Every item on this page, with the one fact most people get wrong about it.
| Name | Where you'll meet it | The fact worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| FIFA World Cup | Since 1930 | A mongrel dog found the stolen trophy before the 1966 tournament. |
| 2026 World Cup | USA, Canada and Mexico | Spain won the first 48-team men's World Cup, beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time. |
| 1994 World Cup | United States | Diana Ross missed a penalty during the opening ceremony. |
| Argentina | La Albiceleste | They hold the record for the most World Cup penalty-shootout wins. |
| Brazil | A Seleção | They are the only team to have played in every World Cup. |
| England | The Three Lions | England played the world's first official international match. |
| France | Les Bleus | A Frenchman invented the World Cup. |
| Germany | Die Mannschaft | They beat Brazil 7-1 in a World Cup semi-final. |
| Netherlands | Oranje | Their only major trophy is the 1988 European Championship. |
| Portugal | A Seleção das Quinas | They won Euro 2016 after Cristiano Ronaldo went off injured in the final. |
| Spain | La Roja | Their national anthem has no lyrics. |
| USA | US Men's National Team | They finished third at the very first World Cup in 1930. |
| La Liga | Spain, since 1929 | Only three clubs have never been relegated from La Liga. |
| Premier League | England, since 1992 | Arsenal received a unique gold trophy for their unbeaten season. |
| Serie A | Italy, since 1898 | Perugia went a whole season unbeaten and still finished second. |
| Bundesliga | Germany, since 1963 | Robert Lewandowski scored five goals in nine minutes. |
| Abby Wambach | USA women's team | Her 122nd-minute goal in 2011 is the latest ever scored in a World Cup match. |
| Megan Rapinoe | USA women's team | She was the first soccer player to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. |
Biggest World Cup
6.8 million admissions
The 48-team, 104-match 2026 World Cup set a men's World Cup attendance record. 2026 World Cup
Most Goals in One Tournament
13
Just Fontaine scored 13 goals in six matches for France at the 1958 World Cup. FIFA World Cup
Longest Unbeaten Run
58 matches
AC Milan set a European record by going 58 Serie A matches unbeaten. Serie A
Most International Goals
184
Abby Wambach scored 184 goals in 255 international matches, a record for any player at the time. Abby Wambach
Since 1930
European nations boycotted the first World Cup over the long sea voyage to Uruguay. Just Fontaine's 13 goals in 1958 remain a single-tournament record, Miroslav Klose is the all-time top scorer, and Hakan Şükür scored eleven seconds after kick-off. Champions never keep the solid-gold original trophy.
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USA, Canada and Mexico
The 2026 tournament featured 104 matches over 39 days in sixteen metropolitan areas across three countries. Mexico City's stadium hosted a third World Cup and the final was played in New Jersey. FIFA reported a record 6.8 million admissions.
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United States
The 1994 World Cup averaged nearly 69,000 fans per game, and its final was the first decided by a penalty shootout, ending in heartbreak for Roberto Baggio. Oleg Salenko scored five goals in one match and Roger Milla became the oldest World Cup scorer. Hosting the tournament directly created Major League Soccer.
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La Albiceleste
Argentina played in the very first World Cup final and won their first title on home soil in 1978. Maradona's Hand of God and Goal of the Century came in a single match, and Messi finally led them to glory in 2022. Guillermo Stábile won the first World Cup Golden Boot.
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A Seleção
Brazil changed their shirt colours after the heartbreak of 1950 and have won the World Cup on four continents. Jairzinho scored in every match of a World Cup, and they kept the original Jules Rimet trophy for good. Olympic gold eluded them until 2016.
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The Three Lions
The Three Lions crest dates back to Richard the Lionheart, and England boycotted the first three World Cups. A dog named Pickles saved the 1966 trophy before Geoff Hurst's hat-trick won it. Gary Lineker never received a yellow or red card.
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Les Bleus
France's rooster emblem is a linguistic pun, and Just Fontaine's 13 goals at one World Cup remain a record. Their "Black, Blanc, Beur" generation won in 1998, and Didier Deschamps won the trophy as player and coach. The team also suffered an infamous mutiny in South Africa in 2010.
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Die Mannschaft
There were once three separate German teams, and East and West met in a Cold War grudge match. Germany never fired a head coach until 2023 and were the first nation to win both the men's and women's World Cups. A psychic octopus predicted their results in 2010.
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Oranje
The Netherlands invented Total Football and the Cruyff turn, and are often called the greatest team never to win a World Cup. Marco van Basten's impossible volley won Euro 1988. Their orange shirts honour the Dutch royal family.
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A Seleção das Quinas
Portugal were late bloomers, but at their first World Cup in 1966 Eusébio led them past holders Brazil to a third-place finish. They won the first Nations League, and Ronaldo holds an unbreakable goalscoring record. Their 2006 "Battle of Nuremberg" against the Netherlands is often called the dirtiest match in World Cup history.
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La Roja
Spain won Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 in a row, and won the 2010 title scoring only eight goals. They invented tiki-taka and became the first team to win four European Championships. They once beat Malta 12-1 to qualify for a tournament.
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US Men's National Team
An American scored the first World Cup hat-trick, and the US beat mighty England in the 1950 "Miracle on Grass". Tim Howard set a World Cup save record in 2014. Clint Dempsey once scored after just 29 seconds.
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Spain, since 1929
La Liga's first season had just ten teams, and an Englishman helped pioneer the passing style later called tiki-taka. Athletic Bilbao holds the record for the biggest win. The goalkeeper award is named after Ricardo Zamora, Spanish football's first pop-culture icon.
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England, since 1992
Brian Deane scored the Premier League's first goal, and Shane Long scored its fastest. Manchester City were the first to reach 100 points, while Derby County finished with just 11. Ali Dia's fraudulent career lasted 32 minutes.
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Italy, since 1898
The Scudetto badge was designed by an avant-garde poet, and AC Milan set a European record of 58 unbeaten matches. The Superga air disaster destroyed Italy's greatest team, and the 2006 Calciopoli scandal reshaped the league. Francesco Totti spent 25 seasons with Roma.
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Germany, since 1963
Germany had no unified league until 1963, and the first Bundesliga goal was never filmed. A police dog once bit a player mid-match and a tipsy referee blew for half-time after 32 minutes. FC Köln has kept a live goat mascot since 1950.
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USA women's team
Abby Wambach scored 184 international goals, at least 77 of them headers, and was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2012. She won two Olympic golds and ended her career as a world champion. She is now a co-owner of Angel City FC.
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USA women's team
Megan Rapinoe set up the famous 122nd-minute goal in 2011 and won back-to-back World Cups. In 2019 she swept the Golden Ball and Golden Boot, and won the Ballon d'Or Féminin. She led the fight for equal pay in US soccer.
Read the full article →8 questions, every answer is somewhere above.
1. Who found the stolen World Cup trophy in 1966?
2. Who won the 2026 World Cup?
3. Which singer missed a penalty at the 1994 World Cup opening ceremony?
4. Which team is the only one to have played in every World Cup?
5. What is unusual about the Spanish national anthem?
6. What famous animal predicted Germany's results at the 2010 World Cup?
7. Who scored the first goal in Premier League history?
8. What is the Bundesliga trophy nicknamed?
Brazil, with five titles won on four different continents. Germany has won four, and Spain added a second title at the 2026 World Cup by beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time.
It was the first men's World Cup with 48 teams, shared by three host nations, the United States, Canada and Mexico, and it featured 104 matches including a new round of 32. FIFA reported more than 6.8 million admissions.
A Frenchman, FIFA president Jules Rimet, whose name was given to the original trophy. Brazil kept that trophy permanently after their third title.
Borussia Dortmund has the highest average attendance in world football, helped by the Bundesliga's 50+1 rule that keeps clubs in fans' hands and tickets affordable.
Yes. Hosting the tournament came with a commitment to start a professional league, which led directly to Major League Soccer. The 1994 tournament also set the record for average attendance, at nearly 69,000 fans per game.
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