From The Magazine | World Cup 2006 The Cup That Cheers It's been stolen twice, hidden in a shoe box during WW II, renamed, replaced and only ever won by seven teams over 72 years. Here are the moments that make the World Cup great By HUGH PORTER subscribe to TIME Printable Version email this story

URUGUAY 1930

JACK GUEZ / AFP-GETTY IMAGES VIVE LA FRANCE: In 1998 over 1 million revelers celebrated France's stunning win on the Champs Elysees

Only four teams made the two-week voyage from Europe, joining nine from the Americas. Tension surrounded the final between host Uruguay and its neighbor Argentina, whose fans, arriving on boats across the River Plate, were searched for weapons. Uruguay won 4-2 in front of 93,000 spectators.

ITALY 1934

The second tournament was at least well-organized—Il Duce saw to that. New stadiums were showcased. The hosts had some help; the referee chosen for the final apparently headed the ball to an Italian player in the semifinal. Italy duly won the trophy in front of a delighted Benito Mussolini, defeating Czechoslovakia 2-1.

FRANCE 1938

The tournament was played under gathering clouds. Spain did not take part because of its civil war. Austria qualified but withdrew after being annexed by Germany—which plundered its best players. Italy retained the trophy that Ottorino Barassi, the Italian FIFA vice president, then kept under his bed in a shoe box until after the war.

BRAZIL 1950

The tournament was marked by upsets, most notably England's 1-0 defeat to the 500-1 shot U.S. team in the first round. Assuming a typo, some British newspapers reported the match as a 10-1 win. More upsetting for the crowd of about 200,000 at the Maracanã stadium in Rio, the host lost the final 2-1 to Uruguay.

SWITZERLAND 1954

This was the tournament of goals—140 of them. Hungary, the free-scoring hot favorites, defeated South Korea 9-0 and West Germany 8-3 in the first round. The Magical Magyars, led by the great Ferenc Puskás, met the West Germans again in the final. They lost 3-2 and were soon dubbed the greatest team never to win the World Cup.

SWEDEN 1958

For the first time the event was broadcast internationally on TV. The world tuned in to see the Brazilian stars, Garrincha, Vavá and, above all, Pelé, samba their way to Brazil's first trophy. Pelé announced his arrival with a hat trick in the 5-2 semifinal victory over France and scored another two as Brazil beat the host in the final.

CHILE 1962

Impoverished Chile, recovering from an earthquake, hosted—and got all the way to the semifinal. There Chile was beaten by Brazil, which then defended the title with a 3-1 victory against a Czechoslovakia side that had been the surprise of the tournament.

ENGLAND 1966

The swinging '60s, a heist and a heroic dog—and that was before a ball was kicked. In March, the Jules Rimet trophy was stolen from central London, then found by a dog. England's wingless wonders beat West Germany 4-2 after extra time in the final. The victors' third goal remains one of the most controversial ever scored.

MEXICO 1970

The gods of TV required that many games kicked off in the sweltering heat of noon, some of them, to compound the felony, in Mexico City's thin air. Color broadcasts brought the event to life, and to the world. In the final, the canary yellow Brazil of Pelé, Gérson and Tostão swept past the azzurri blue of Italy, 4-1.

WEST GERMANY 1974

The 1970s brought long hair and "Total Football" to the field, with players seamlessly interchanging positions. Brazil had lost its touch, and the final in Munich was between two of the finest European teams of all time: the Dutch, led by Johan Cruyff, and the West Germans of Franz (Kaiser) Beckenbauer. The host won.

ARGENTINA 1978

From the decision to award the event to Argentina, then ruled by a brutal military junta, controversy plagued the tournament. On the pitch, the refereeing was much criticized; Peru suspiciously lost 6-0 to Argentina, which needed to win by four goals to progress. The Netherlands, without Cruyff, who refused to take part, lost 3-1 to Argentina in the final.

SPAIN 1982

There were 24 teams and plenty of upsets. Northern Ireland beat the host and Algeria defeated West Germany, and would have progressed if Austria had not conveniently lost 1-0 to the Germans to see both teams through. The real star was Italy's Paolo Rossi, who scored all three goals in a victory over Brazil. Italy went on to hoist the trophy.

MEXICO 1986

Mexico—the heat, the elevation—again. And Diego Maradona. Never before or after did one man so dominate a World Cup as the Argentine star did in 1986. Under his brilliant leadership, Argentina won the trophy for a second time, beating West Germany 3-2 in an exciting final.

ITALY 1990

Argentina opened its defense against Cameroon, but despite having two men sent off, the Africans went on to a historic 1-0 win—and a new, truly global, football era began. It took a nervy England extra time to beat the Africans in the quarterfinal. In a replay of '86, West Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the worst final ever played.

U.S.A. 1994

Cynics who said the U.S. had no business hosting the World Cup were confounded; the tournament was an excellent one, played in front of huge crowds. A packed New York Giants Stadium was the perfect setting for Ireland's 1-0 defeat of Italy in the first round. For the first time, the final was decided by penalties, with Brazil defeating Italy in the shoot-out.

FRANCE 1998

The World Cup returned to the home of Jules Rimet and Henri Delaunay, who originally conceived the tournament, and the timing was perfect. A multiethnic crop of talented French players hit their stride—led by captain Zinédine Zidane. A strangely subdued performance by Brazil's Ronaldo in the final ensured a comfortable 3-0 win for Les Bleus.

KOREA/JAPAN 2002

Ronaldo made an emphatic return, scoring both goals in Brazil's 2-0 final win over Germany. The first tournament in Asia will be remembered for the co-hosts' hospitality, impeccable organization, futuristic stadiums, devoted fans—and football too. South Korea, athletic and skillful, dismissed Italy and Spain on the way to the semifinal.

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