as the world's premier sporting extravaganza, the fifa world cup has been thrilling fans for over 80 years by bringing emotion and excitement, joy and agony, for one special month, every four years. as a country that eats and sleeps soccer, brazil has experienced the highs and lows of the game more than any other country - playing in more world cups than any other team, and winning more along the way than any other nation, brasil has put forward some of the greatest players to ever grace the tournament.

the world governing body of soccer, fifa, devised the idea for a global soccer tournament in 1928, after the success of the olympic football modality that year - it was a question of particular importance since there were plans to drop football from the next olympic games as it was in los angeles, and soccer was not popular in the united states.

the first tournament took place in uruguay, in 1930, after much advocating by the fifa president, jules rimet, who supported the idea to host the tournament in uruguay as it was in line with their 100th anniversary of independence - the world cup was a success with thirteen nations taking part - these included nine south american countries and four european countries - for this particular world cup the host nation was the eventual winners.