One of the world's most popular sports is the game of soccer (or football, fútbol, fußball, voetbal, futebol, or calcio based on your region of the world), and it also possesses one of the richest histories in all of sports. Indeed, the very origin of soccer dates back as Chinese people were kicking a ball around over 2,000 years ago. The modern game of soccer was evolved from village contests in England, which later became schoolyard games as the 19th Century progressed and then the game itself was established when The Cambridge Rules were written in 1863. FIFA, the organization that promotes soccer, would be founded in the year 1904, and governs all rules for the World Cup and Women's World Cup. In fact, soccer is considered the most popular sport in the world. It is estimated that World Cup matches are watched by over 700 million people worldwide, that's one out of every nine people in the world.

In fact, FIFA's World Cup is a highly anticipated event globally as fans get together with the best soccer players from all over the world. Why not give this game a chance if you haven't done so beforehand? Fans who like to see the players earn their money will not be disappointed in the game of soccer. Much like hockey, the action is continuous as the ball is moved up and down the field by the teams in 90 minutes of continuous action! Play consists of two 45-minute halves where the clock does not stop for anything. Injuries and other considerations are instead added at the end of the period. The game is played with a total of eleven players on each side, one is the goaltender and the other ten play on each team, which can be divided up into either attacking, defending or midfield players.

The FIFA World Cup is held once every four years with the first one having happened in 1930. Only 32 teams can compete, even though there are over 200 teams that try to earn a spot. So how do these teams qualify? Well, the only team that is given a pass is the team of the country that hosts the tournament. The other 31 teams play against each other in qualifying matches, with the 31 best teams moving on to eight groups of four. One notable exception was the 2002 FIFA World Cup when Japan and South Korea both hosted part of the tournament. In this case, both of the host countries got an automatic spot in the tournament.

How does a country get to host a FIFA tournament? When a country decides it wants to host a tournament, their football assocation will get a form and a "Hosting Agreement" which lists all the things that need to be done for them to be considered a serious contender. After the form is filled out and the steps are taken, a group of inspectors go to make sure all the requirements are made. Finally, FIFA's executive committee uses a single transferrable vote system among the top candidates that qualify. Since decisions are usually made 6-7 years in advance, many countries vie for this honor.

Until 1998, FIFA alternated between the Americas and Europe for hosting the World Cup. For the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, the country has to be in a chosen confederation (Africa for 2010, South America for 2014), After 2014, the rule is that any country can host unless they belong to a confederation that has hosted one of the two previous World Cups.

Right now the biggest powerhouse is Brazil, who has won 5 World Cups to date, while Italy has four titles to date, while Germany has three, and Argentina has won twice. The United States has yet to do better than third place overall, but the women have won 2 World Cups, in '91 and '99.

In conclusion, FIFA's World Cup is a sporting event that the entire world can watch and enjoy. Many people will be lucky enough to watch the FIFA World Cup online and live. So if you've never watched a soccer game before, why not take the time and enjoy the largest soccer event in the world? The world will be watching with you.