May 1928 FIFA votes for a world championship
Amsterdam
13 Jul 1930 – 25 Jun 1978 Up to 16 teams
≈ 47 years, 11 months
13 Jul 1930 – 30 Jul 1930, 17:00 Uruguay 1930
≈ 17 days, 5 hours · Uruguay (outline approximate)
30 Jul 1930, 16:15 Final: Uruguay 4–2 Argentina
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
27 May 1934 – 10 Jun 1934, 15:00 Italy 1934
≈ 14 days · Italy (outline approximate)
10 Jun 1934, 14:30 Final: Italy 2–1 Czechoslovakia
Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome (the Stadio Flaminio now stands on the site)
4 Jun 1938 – 19 Jun 1938, 17:00 France 1938
≈ 15 days, 5 hours · France (outline approximate)
19 Jun 1938, 16:00 Final: Italy 4–2 Hungary
Stade Olympique, Colombes
1942 – 1946 No World Cup in 1942 or 1946
4 years
24 Jun 1950 – 16 Jul 1950, 19:00 Brazil 1950
≈ 22 days, 7 hours · Brazil (outline approximate)
29 Jun 1950 USA 1–0 England
Estádio Independência, Belo Horizonte
16 Jul 1950, 18:00 The Maracanazo: Uruguay 2–1 Brazil
Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro
16 Jun 1954 – 4 Jul 1954, 17:00 Switzerland 1954
≈ 18 days, 5 hours · Switzerland (outline approximate)
4 Jul 1954, 16:00 The Miracle of Bern: West Germany 3–2 Hungary
Wankdorf Stadium, Bern
8 Jun 1958 – 29 Jun 1958, 15:00 Sweden 1958
≈ 21 days · Sweden (outline approximate)
29 Jun 1958, 14:00 Final: Brazil 5–2 Sweden
Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Stockholm
30 May 1962 – 17 Jun 1962, 19:00 Chile 1962
≈ 18 days, 7 hours · Chile (outline approximate)
17 Jun 1962, 18:30 Final: Brazil 3–1 Czechoslovakia
Estadio Nacional, Santiago
27 Mar 1966 Pickles the dog finds the stolen trophy
Beulah Hill, Upper Norwood, London
11 Jul 1966 – 30 Jul 1966, 15:00 England 1966
≈ 19 days · England (outline approximate)
19 Jul 1966 North Korea 1–0 Italy
Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough
30 Jul 1966, 14:00 Final: England 4–2 West Germany
Wembley Stadium, London
14 Jul 1969 – 18 Jul 1969 The Football War
4 days · El Salvador and Honduras (outline approximate)
31 May 1970 – 21 Jun 1970, 19:00 Mexico 1970
≈ 21 days, 7 hours · Mexico (outline approximate)
17 Jun 1970 The Game of the Century: Italy 4–3 West Germany
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
21 Jun 1970, 18:00 Final: Brazil 4–1 Italy
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
21 Nov 1973 The Soviet Union refuses to play in Santiago
Estadio Nacional, Santiago
13 Jun 1974 – 7 Jul 1974, 16:00 West Germany 1974
≈ 24 days · West Germany and West Berlin (outline approximate)
22 Jun 1974 East Germany 1–0 West Germany
Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
7 Jul 1974, 15:00 Final: West Germany 2–1 Netherlands
Olympiastadion, Munich
1 Jun 1978 – 25 Jun 1978, 19:00 Argentina 1978
≈ 24 days, 7 hours · Argentina (outline approximate)
21 Jun 1978 Argentina 6–0 Peru
Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario
25 Jun 1978, 18:00 Final: Argentina 3–1 Netherlands
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires
13 Jun 1982 – 17 Jul 1994 24 teams
≈ 12 years
13 Jun 1982 – 11 Jul 1982, 19:00 Spain 1982
≈ 28 days, 7 hours · Spain (outline approximate)
25 Jun 1982 The Disgrace of Gijón: West Germany 1–0 Austria
El Molinón, Gijón
11 Jul 1982, 18:00 Final: Italy 3–1 West Germany
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid
19 Dec 1983 The Jules Rimet trophy is stolen again
Brazilian football confederation, Centro, Rio de Janeiro
31 May 1986 – 29 Jun 1986, 19:00 Mexico 1986
≈ 29 days · Mexico (outline approximate)
22 Jun 1986, 18:00 Argentina 2–1 England: the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
29 Jun 1986, 18:00 Final: Argentina 3–2 West Germany
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
8 Jun 1990 – 8 Jul 1990, 19:00 Italy 1990
≈ 1 month · Italy (outline approximate)
8 Jun 1990 Cameroon 1–0 Argentina
San Siro, Milan
8 Jul 1990, 18:00 Final: West Germany 1–0 Argentina
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
16 Nov 1991 – 30 Nov 1991 The first Women’s World Cup
14 days · Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou
17 Jun 1994 – 17 Jul 1994, 20:00 USA 1994
≈ 1 month, 8 hours · The contiguous United States (outline approximate)
2 Jul 1994 Andrés Escobar is shot dead
Medellín
17 Jul 1994, 19:30 Final: Brazil 0–0 Italy, Brazil win 3–2 on penalties
Rose Bowl, Pasadena
10 Jun 1998 – 18 Dec 2022 32 teams
≈ 24 years, 6 months
10 Jun 1998 – 12 Jul 1998, 20:00 France 1998
≈ 1 month, 2 days · France (outline approximate)
12 Jul 1998, 19:00 Final: France 3–0 Brazil
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
31 May 2002 – 30 Jun 2002, 12:00 South Korea and Japan 2002
≈ 1 month · South Korea and Japan (outlines approximate)
30 Jun 2002, 11:00 Final: Brazil 2–0 Germany
International Stadium Yokohama
9 Jun 2006 – 9 Jul 2006, 19:00 Germany 2006
≈ 1 month · Germany (outline approximate)
9 Jul 2006, 18:00 Final: Italy 1–1 France, Italy win 5–3 on penalties
Olympiastadion, Berlin
11 Jun 2010 – 11 Jul 2010, 19:00 South Africa 2010
≈ 1 month · South Africa (outline approximate)
2 Jul 2010 Uruguay 1–1 Ghana, Uruguay win 4–2 on penalties
Soccer City, Johannesburg
11 Jul 2010, 18:30 Final: Spain 1–0 Netherlands
Soccer City, Johannesburg
2 Dec 2010 – 20 Nov 2022 Building for Qatar 2022
≈ 11 years, 11 months · Qatar (outline approximate)
12 Jun 2014 – 13 Jul 2014, 20:00 Brazil 2014
≈ 1 month, 1 day · Brazil (outline approximate)
8 Jul 2014 Brazil 1–7 Germany
Mineirão, Belo Horizonte
13 Jul 2014, 19:00 Final: Germany 1–0 Argentina
Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro
27 May 2015 FIFA officials arrested in Zürich
Hotel Baur au Lac, Zürich
14 Jun 2018 – 15 Jul 2018, 16:00 Russia 2018
≈ 1 month, 1 day · Russia from Kaliningrad to the Urals, where all eleven host cities lay (approximate)
15 Jul 2018, 15:00 Final: France 4–2 Croatia
Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
20 Nov 2022 – 18 Dec 2022, 16:00 Qatar 2022
≈ 28 days · Qatar (outline approximate)
22 Nov 2022 Saudi Arabia 2–1 Argentina
Lusail Stadium
18 Dec 2022, 15:00 Final: Argentina 3–3 France, Argentina win 4–2 on penalties
Lusail Stadium