The 2022 FIFA World Cup is less than a week away, and this will be Qatar’s debut in the limelight as the first Middle Eastern country to serve as tournament host.
The quadrennial men’s international soccer extravaganza will feature 32 of the best teams around the world, all competing to win the title and take home the World Cup trophy.
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WATCH HEREThe competition has been running for almost 100 years, and there have been a plethora of host nations that range in size from the largest (Russia) to the smallest host nation yet (Qatar).
Before the first whistle blows on the pitch, let’s take a look back at which countries have hosted the World Cup ahead of Qatar’s debut as host Sunday:
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SIGN UP What was the first country to host the World Cup?
Uruguay hosted the inaugural World Cup tournament for FIFA, which was held in 1930. This tradition would then go on to be followed every four years for almost a century.
In addition to hosting the first ever World Cup, Uruguay also won the inaugural tournament. Uruguay’s men’s national team defeated Argentina 4-2 in the final.
What countries have hosted the World Cup?
Since the World Cup began in 1930, various nations have hosted the tournament. Here is the full list of host nations, beginning from the inaugural kickoff in Uruguay:
1930: Uruguay
1934: Italy
1938: France
1942: Canceled due to WWII
1946: Canceled due to WWII
1950: Brazil
1954: Switzerland
1958: Sweden
1962: Chile
1966: England
1970: Mexico
1974: West Germany
1978: Argentina
1982: Spain
1986: Mexico
1990: Italy
1994: United States
1998: France
2002: Japan and South Korea
2006: Germany
2010: South Africa
2014: Brazil
2018: Russia
2022: Qatar
Out of these host nations, six have won the World Cup on their own home soil.
Who is hosting the 2022 World Cup?
As mentioned above, the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Qatar.
FIFA’s decision to grant the Middle Eastern nation a host position has been the cause of contention for the past few months, considering the country has been under scrutiny for reasons such as corruption and human rights violations against the LGBTQ+ community.
Which country will host the 2026 World Cup?
A combined North American bid will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including the United States, Canada and Mexico.
