Biographic - Sunday June 11, 2006 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

Soccer's first world cup tournament was held in 1930 in Urguay. Thirteen countries including the U.S.A. entered to compete for a solid-gold trophy that stood 12 inches high, weighed 9 pounds and was named after the tournament's founding father, frenchman Jules Rimet, president of FIFA, the sports governing body. The tournament has been held every four years since then, with the exception of 1942 and 1946, during the years that world war raged, the trophy was actually hidden under Rimet's bed! A total of 197 national teams entered the qualifying rounds of the 2006 soccer world cup, competing for one of the 32 berths at the month-long final phase, which is being held in Germany. The world cup is the most widely viewed sports tournament on earth, dwarfing the Olympics. It's estimated that a cumulative audience of more than 38 billion will tune in to see such superstars as England's David Beckham and Ronaldinho of Brazil in action. Only seven nations have actually won the world cup. Brazil notched up a record fifth win in 2002. Defeating three-time winner Germany in the final. Italy has won the world cup three times, Argentina and Uruguay twice, and France and England have one victory each. In 1970, Brazil's third victory won the jules rimet trophy outright. The new Fifa trophy was introduced in 1974. It stands 20 inches tall, weighs 11 pounds, and is cast in gold. Some of the most legendary figures in the game's history have graced the tournament. The great pele was only 17 years old when he took the 1958 finals by storm, scoring six goals and earning the first of his three winner's medals. Diego Madonna was at the peak of his powers when he inspired Argentina to victory in Mexico in 1986. The 32 competing countries at the 2006 world cup are: Angola, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Holland, Iran, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Mexico, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Serbia & Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisa, Ukraine, and The United States.

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