The FIFA World Cup is the most prestigious international football competition in the world. It is contested by the men’s national teams of the member associations of FIFA, the international governing body of football. The championship has been awarded every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 due to World War II. The current champion is France, which won its second title at the 2018 tournament in Russia.
The World Cup is the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world, exceeding even the Olympic Games. The cumulative viewership of all matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup was estimated to be 26.29 billion. The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa was broadcast to 204 countries on 245 different channels. The World Cup is an event that unites the whole world through the common language of football.
Format
Since 1998, the World Cup final tournament has involved 32 national teams competing over the course of a month in the host nation(s). There are two stages: the group stage followed by the knockout stage.
In the group stage, teams compete within eight groups of four teams each. Each group plays a round-robin tournament, in which each team is scheduled for three matches against other teams in the same group. This means that a total of six matches are played in each group. Teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw, and none for a loss. The top two teams in each group advance to the knockout stage.
In the knockout stage, the sixteen remaining teams compete in a single-elimination tournament, which culminates with the World Cup Final match that determines the champions. Matches that are tied after regulation proceed to extra time and if necessary a penalty shootout to determine a winner.
Number of Matches
Given this tournament format, the number of total matches played can be easily calculated. In the group stage, each of the 8 groups plays 6 matches, so there are:
8 groups x 6 matches per group = 48 group stage matches
Then in the knockout stage, there are:
Round of 16: 8 matches
Quarter-finals: 4 matches
Semi-finals: 2 matches
3rd place match: 1 match
Final: 1 match
So there are 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 16 knockout stage matches
Therefore, the total number of matches played at the FIFA World Cup is:
Group stage matches: 48
Knockout stage matches: 16
Total: 64 matches
This number has remained constant since 1998 when the tournament expanded to 32 teams and 64 matches. For perspective, at the first World Cup in 1930 with only 13 teams, there were only 18 total matches played. The growth of the tournament reflects the expansion of the sport’s popularity globally.
Matches Played in Recent Tournaments
To illustrate, here is a breakdown of the total matches played in recent FIFA World Cup tournaments:
| Year | Host Nation(s) | Total Matches |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Russia | 64 |
| 2014 | Brazil | 64 |
| 2010 | South Africa | 64 |
| 2006 | Germany | 64 |
| 2002 | South Korea & Japan | 64 |
As shown above, each World Cup since 1998 has consisted of 64 matches. This will remain the standard total going forward unless FIFA makes changes to the tournament format.
Total Matches Played Historically
Here is the historical breakdown of total matches played at each FIFA World Cup tournament since the inaugural edition in 1930:
| Year | Host Nation(s) | Teams | Total Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Uruguay | 13 | 18 |
| 1934 | Italy | 16 | 17 |
| 1938 | France | 15 | 18 |
| 1950 | Brazil | 13 | 22 |
| 1954 | Switzerland | 16 | 26 |
| 1958 | Sweden | 16 | 35 |
| 1962 | Chile | 16 | 32 |
| 1966 | England | 16 | 32 |
| 1970 | Mexico | 16 | 32 |
| 1974 | West Germany | 16 | 38 |
| 1978 | Argentina | 16 | 38 |
| 1982 | Spain | 24 | 52 |
| 1986 | Mexico | 24 | 52 |
| 1990 | Italy | 24 | 52 |
| 1994 | United States | 24 | 52 |
| 1998 | France | 32 | 64 |
| 2002 | South Korea & Japan | 32 | 64 |
| 2006 | Germany | 32 | 64 |
| 2010 | South Africa | 32 | 64 |
| 2014 | Brazil | 32 | 64 |
| 2018 | Russia | 32 | 64 |
The steady increase in total matches reflects the growth of the World Cup from 13 teams at the first tournament in 1930 to 32 teams since 1998. The expansion allowed more countries to participate and brought the excitement of the World Cup to new audiences. However, the tournament format has now stabilized at 64 matches over the last seven editions.
Total Matches to be Played in 2022
The next edition of the FIFA World Cup will be contested in Qatar in 2022. Following the same standardized tournament format, there will be a total of 64 matches played.
The group stage will feature 48 matches, with 8 groups of 4 teams playing each other once in a round robin format. 16 more matches will then be played in the knockout stage until a champion is crowned.
Unless changes are made to the current World Cup format, 64 matches can be expected at each edition going forward. This balances well the need for matches in a large tournament with reasonable duration and recovery time for players.
Conclusion
In summary, the total number of FIFA World Cup matches played has gradually increased over time as more teams have been included in the tournament. Since the expansion to 32 teams in 1998, there have consistently been 64 matches at each edition. This standard is expected to continue for 2022 in Qatar and future World Cups unless significant format changes occur. The 64-match format allows for a large and inclusive tournament while keeping match count reasonable and preserving the value and excitement of each game. For football fans, it means there will continue to be plenty of action to enjoy every four years when the world’s biggest sporting event returns.
