FIFA's first World Cup trophy, the Jules Rimet Trophy, was permanently awarded to Brazil after they won their third world title in 1970. It was later stolen and was never seen again.The trophy had already been stolen before when it was taken from an exhibition prior to the 1966 World cup final in England. A dog called Pickles later found it under a bush.
The current FIFA World Cup trophy remains in the permanent possession of FIFA. The winning association receives a replica until the next tournament but this is “only” gold plated.
Red and yellow cards were not introduced until 1970, although cautions and dismissals were previously listed in reports. The first player to be sent off was Peru’s Placido Galindo in the match against Romania in 1930.
Since 1990 only one team has defeated Brazil in the World Cup Finals tournament— France.
Shirt numbers were first used at the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
In 1978 France became the only team so far to play a match in the World Cup Finals tournament wearing another team’s strip. The French had arrived in Mar Del Plata to play Hungary without a change of strip, only to find that both teams planned to play in white. France had to quickly borrow some tops from the local side Atletico Kimberley.
To date the host country has always made it through the group stage to qualify for the second round.
More than 100,000 spectators have been recorded at 17 World Cup Finals matches—all of them played in either Mexico City or Rio de Janeiro.
Telstar was the first official FIFA World Cup ball and was introduced by Adidas for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
The most successful teams in World Cup Finals history are those which have participated the highest number of times: Brazil (all 19), Italy and Germany (17 each) and Argentina (15).
All in all 154 goals have been scored from the penalty spot in World Cup Finals tournaments.
There has been 34 own goals!
Finally think on this - a foreign coach has never managed a World Cup winning team -- which implies another penalty shootout heartache for England somewhere along the line!
