All football lovers..............
World Cup 1930
Winners : Uruguay
Teams : 13
Teams in qualifiers : N/A
Notable absentees : Of the major European countries, only France took part
Surprises : USA, who finished third
Golden Boot Guillermo Stábile (Argentina) - 8
Stats : A total of 70 goals were scored (3.89 per match); Argentina (18) scored the most
Format : One group of four and three groups of three in the qualifying stage, with the top from each group going into the semi-finals
Number of matches : 18
World Cup 1934
Winners : Italy
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 32
Notable absentees : Holders Uruguay, England
Surprises : Egypt
Golden Boot Oldrich Nejedlý (Czechoslovakia) - 5
Stats : A total of 70 goals were scored (4.12 per match); Italy (12) scored the most
Format : Straight knockout, replays for drawn matches
Number of matches : 17
World Cup 1938
Winners : Italy
Teams : 15
Teams in qualifiers : 37
Notable absentees : Argentina, England, Spain, Uruguay
Surprises : Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), Cuba
Golden Boot Leônidas (Brazil) - 7
Stats : A total of 84 goals were scored (4.67 per match); Hungary (15) scored the most
Format : Straight knockout, replays for drawn matches
Number of matches : 18
World Cup 1950
Winners : Uruguay
Teams : 13
Teams in qualifiers : 34
Notable absentees : France, Germany, Hungary
Surprises : Bolivia
Golden Boot Ademir (Brazil) - 9
Stats : A total of 88 goals were scored (4.00 per match); Brazil (22) scored the most
Format : Four groups, with the winners of each progressing to a four-team round-robin final group. Withdrawals meant there were two groups of four, one of three and one of two
Number of matches : 22
World Cup 1954
Winners : West Germany
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 45
Notable absentees : Spain
Surprises : Korean Republic
Golden Boot Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) - 11
Stats : A total of 140 goals were scored (5.38 per match); Hungary (27) scored the most
Format : Four groups of four with two seeded and two unseeded teams in each group. However, the teams played just two matches per group rather than the usual three, with the seeded sides facing unseeded sides. Where teams ended up tied for the second qualifying position by points, they required a play-off. The two teams finishing at the top of their group went through to the quarter-finals
Number of matches : 26
World Cup 1958
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 45
Notable absentees : Italy, Uruguay
Surprises : Wales, Northern Ireland
Golden Boot Just Fontaine (France) - 13
Stats : A total of 126 goals were scored (3.60 per match); France (23) scored the most
Format : Four groups of four, with the top two progressing to the quarter-finals
Number of matches : 35
World Cup 1962
Winners : Brazil
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 56
Notable absentees : Sweden
Surprises : Colombia
Golden Boot Garrincha, Vavá (Brazil), Leonel Sánchez (Chile), Drazan Jerkovic (Yugoslavia) , Flórián Albert (Hungary), Valentin Ivanov (USSR) - 4
Stats A total of 89 goals were scored (2.78 per match); Brazil (14) scored the most
Format : Four groups of four, with the top two progressing to the quarter-finals
Number of matches : 32
World Cup 1966
Winners : England
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 70
Notable absentees : None
Surprises : North Korea
Golden Boot Eusébio (Portugal) - 9
Stats : A total of 89 goals were scored (2.78 per match); Portugal (17) scored the most
Format : Four groups of four, with the top two progressing to the quarter-finals
Number of matches : 32
World Cup 1970
Winners : Brazil
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 75
Number of matches : 32
Notable absentees : Argentina, France, Portugal, Spain
Surprises : Morocco, the first African qualifiers since World War II
Golden Boot Gerd Muller (Germany) - 10
World Cup 1974
Winners : West Germany
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 99
Notable absentees : England, France, Hungary, Spain, USSR
Surprises : Australia, Haiti and Zaire
Golden Boot Grzegorz Lato (Poland) - 7
Stats : A total of 97 goals were scored (2.55 per match); Poland (16) scored the most
Format : Four groups of four in the qualifying stage, with the top two from each group going into a second round of two four-team groups and the winners facing each other in the final
Number of matches : 38
World Cup 1978
Winners : Argentina
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 107
Notable absentees : England, Czechoslovakia, USSR
Surprises : Iran, Tunisia
Golden Boot Mario Kempes (Argentina) - 6
Stats : A total of 102 goals were scored (2.68 per match); Argentina and Netherlands (15) scored the most
Format Four groups of four in the qualifying stage, with the top two from each group into a second round of two groups of four, the top side in each progressing into the final
Number of matches : 38
World Cup 1982
Winners : Italy
Teams : 24
Teams in qualifiers : 109
Notable absentees : Netherlands, Mexico
Surprises : Algeria, Cameroon, Honduras, Kuwait, New Zealand
Golden Boot Paolo Rossi (Italy) - 6
Stats : A total of 146 goals were scored (2.81 per match); France (16) scored the most
Format : Six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the second round, where they split into four groups of three. The winners of each group advanced to the semi-finals
Number of matches : 52
World Cup 1986
Winners : Argentina
Teams : 24
Teams in qualifiers : 121
Notable absentees : Netherlands
Surprises : Canada, Iraq
Golden Boot Gary Lineker (England) - 6
Stats : A total of 132 goals were scored (2.54 per match); Argentina (14) scored the most
Format : Six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16, plus four best third-place finishers
Number of matches : 52
World Cup 1990
Winners : West Germany
Teams : 24
Teams in qualifiers : 116
Notable absentees : Denmark, France, Portugal
Surprises : Costa Rica, Republic of Ireland, UAE
Golden Boot Salvatore Schillaci (Italy) - 6
Stats : A total of 115 goals were scored (2.21 per match), which was the lowest goals-per-match ratio in World Cup history; West Germany (15) scored the most
Format : Six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16, plus four best third place finishers
Number of matches : 52
World Cup 1994
Winners : Brazil
Teams : 24
Teams in qualifiers : 147
Notable absentees : England, France
Surprises : Greece, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia
Golden Boot Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria), Oleg Salenko (Russia) - 6
Stats : A total of 141 goals were scored (2.71 per match); Sweden (15) scored the most
Format : Six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16, plus four best 3rd place finishers
Number of matches : 52
World Cup 1998
Winners : France
Teams : 32
Teams in qualifiers : 174
Notable absentees : Russia
Surprises : Jamaica, Japan, South Africa
Golden Boot Davor Suker (Croatia) - 6
Stats : A total of 171 goals were scored (2.67 per match); France (15) scored the most
Format : Eight groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16
Number of matches : 64
World Cup 2002
Winners : Brazil
Teams : 32
Teams in qualifiers : 199
Notable absentees : Netherlands
Surprises : Senegal, South Korea, Turkey
Golden Boot Ronaldo (Brazil) - 8
Stats : A total of 161 goals were scored (2.52 per match); Brazil (18) scored the most
Format : Eight groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16
Number of matches : 64
World Cup 2006
Winners : Italy
Teams : 32
Teams in qualifiers : 198
Notable Absentees : Cameroon, Nigeria
Surprises : Angola, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago
Golden Boot Miroslav Klose (Germany) - 5
Stats : A total of 147 goals were scored (2.30 per match); Germany (14) scored the most
Format : Eight groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16
Number of matches : 64
World Cup 1930
Winners : Uruguay
Teams : 13
Teams in qualifiers : N/A
Notable absentees : Of the major European countries, only France took part
Surprises : USA, who finished third
Golden Boot Guillermo Stábile (Argentina) - 8
Stats : A total of 70 goals were scored (3.89 per match); Argentina (18) scored the most
Format : One group of four and three groups of three in the qualifying stage, with the top from each group going into the semi-finals
Number of matches : 18
World Cup 1934
Winners : Italy
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 32
Notable absentees : Holders Uruguay, England
Surprises : Egypt
Golden Boot Oldrich Nejedlý (Czechoslovakia) - 5
Stats : A total of 70 goals were scored (4.12 per match); Italy (12) scored the most
Format : Straight knockout, replays for drawn matches
Number of matches : 17
World Cup 1938
Winners : Italy
Teams : 15
Teams in qualifiers : 37
Notable absentees : Argentina, England, Spain, Uruguay
Surprises : Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), Cuba
Golden Boot Leônidas (Brazil) - 7
Stats : A total of 84 goals were scored (4.67 per match); Hungary (15) scored the most
Format : Straight knockout, replays for drawn matches
Number of matches : 18
World Cup 1950
Winners : Uruguay
Teams : 13
Teams in qualifiers : 34
Notable absentees : France, Germany, Hungary
Surprises : Bolivia
Golden Boot Ademir (Brazil) - 9
Stats : A total of 88 goals were scored (4.00 per match); Brazil (22) scored the most
Format : Four groups, with the winners of each progressing to a four-team round-robin final group. Withdrawals meant there were two groups of four, one of three and one of two
Number of matches : 22
World Cup 1954
Winners : West Germany
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 45
Notable absentees : Spain
Surprises : Korean Republic
Golden Boot Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) - 11
Stats : A total of 140 goals were scored (5.38 per match); Hungary (27) scored the most
Format : Four groups of four with two seeded and two unseeded teams in each group. However, the teams played just two matches per group rather than the usual three, with the seeded sides facing unseeded sides. Where teams ended up tied for the second qualifying position by points, they required a play-off. The two teams finishing at the top of their group went through to the quarter-finals
Number of matches : 26
World Cup 1958
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 45
Notable absentees : Italy, Uruguay
Surprises : Wales, Northern Ireland
Golden Boot Just Fontaine (France) - 13
Stats : A total of 126 goals were scored (3.60 per match); France (23) scored the most
Format : Four groups of four, with the top two progressing to the quarter-finals
Number of matches : 35
World Cup 1962
Winners : Brazil
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 56
Notable absentees : Sweden
Surprises : Colombia
Golden Boot Garrincha, Vavá (Brazil), Leonel Sánchez (Chile), Drazan Jerkovic (Yugoslavia) , Flórián Albert (Hungary), Valentin Ivanov (USSR) - 4
Stats A total of 89 goals were scored (2.78 per match); Brazil (14) scored the most
Format : Four groups of four, with the top two progressing to the quarter-finals
Number of matches : 32
World Cup 1966
Winners : England
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 70
Notable absentees : None
Surprises : North Korea
Golden Boot Eusébio (Portugal) - 9
Stats : A total of 89 goals were scored (2.78 per match); Portugal (17) scored the most
Format : Four groups of four, with the top two progressing to the quarter-finals
Number of matches : 32
World Cup 1970
Winners : Brazil
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 75
Number of matches : 32
Notable absentees : Argentina, France, Portugal, Spain
Surprises : Morocco, the first African qualifiers since World War II
Golden Boot Gerd Muller (Germany) - 10
World Cup 1974
Winners : West Germany
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 99
Notable absentees : England, France, Hungary, Spain, USSR
Surprises : Australia, Haiti and Zaire
Golden Boot Grzegorz Lato (Poland) - 7
Stats : A total of 97 goals were scored (2.55 per match); Poland (16) scored the most
Format : Four groups of four in the qualifying stage, with the top two from each group going into a second round of two four-team groups and the winners facing each other in the final
Number of matches : 38
World Cup 1978
Winners : Argentina
Teams : 16
Teams in qualifiers : 107
Notable absentees : England, Czechoslovakia, USSR
Surprises : Iran, Tunisia
Golden Boot Mario Kempes (Argentina) - 6
Stats : A total of 102 goals were scored (2.68 per match); Argentina and Netherlands (15) scored the most
Format Four groups of four in the qualifying stage, with the top two from each group into a second round of two groups of four, the top side in each progressing into the final
Number of matches : 38
World Cup 1982
Winners : Italy
Teams : 24
Teams in qualifiers : 109
Notable absentees : Netherlands, Mexico
Surprises : Algeria, Cameroon, Honduras, Kuwait, New Zealand
Golden Boot Paolo Rossi (Italy) - 6
Stats : A total of 146 goals were scored (2.81 per match); France (16) scored the most
Format : Six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the second round, where they split into four groups of three. The winners of each group advanced to the semi-finals
Number of matches : 52
World Cup 1986
Winners : Argentina
Teams : 24
Teams in qualifiers : 121
Notable absentees : Netherlands
Surprises : Canada, Iraq
Golden Boot Gary Lineker (England) - 6
Stats : A total of 132 goals were scored (2.54 per match); Argentina (14) scored the most
Format : Six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16, plus four best third-place finishers
Number of matches : 52
World Cup 1990
Winners : West Germany
Teams : 24
Teams in qualifiers : 116
Notable absentees : Denmark, France, Portugal
Surprises : Costa Rica, Republic of Ireland, UAE
Golden Boot Salvatore Schillaci (Italy) - 6
Stats : A total of 115 goals were scored (2.21 per match), which was the lowest goals-per-match ratio in World Cup history; West Germany (15) scored the most
Format : Six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16, plus four best third place finishers
Number of matches : 52
World Cup 1994
Winners : Brazil
Teams : 24
Teams in qualifiers : 147
Notable absentees : England, France
Surprises : Greece, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia
Golden Boot Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria), Oleg Salenko (Russia) - 6
Stats : A total of 141 goals were scored (2.71 per match); Sweden (15) scored the most
Format : Six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16, plus four best 3rd place finishers
Number of matches : 52
World Cup 1998
Winners : France
Teams : 32
Teams in qualifiers : 174
Notable absentees : Russia
Surprises : Jamaica, Japan, South Africa
Golden Boot Davor Suker (Croatia) - 6
Stats : A total of 171 goals were scored (2.67 per match); France (15) scored the most
Format : Eight groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16
Number of matches : 64
World Cup 2002
Winners : Brazil
Teams : 32
Teams in qualifiers : 199
Notable absentees : Netherlands
Surprises : Senegal, South Korea, Turkey
Golden Boot Ronaldo (Brazil) - 8
Stats : A total of 161 goals were scored (2.52 per match); Brazil (18) scored the most
Format : Eight groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16
Number of matches : 64
World Cup 2006
Winners : Italy
Teams : 32
Teams in qualifiers : 198
Notable Absentees : Cameroon, Nigeria
Surprises : Angola, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago
Golden Boot Miroslav Klose (Germany) - 5
Stats : A total of 147 goals were scored (2.30 per match); Germany (14) scored the most
Format : Eight groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16
Number of matches : 64
Last edited:
