The reigning world power on the soccer field at the time was Uruguay, having won Olympic soccer titles in both the 1924 Paris games and the 1928 Amsterdam games. It was to win another award in 1930, the honor of being the host of the first World Cup. But by virtue of being the first, these games were full of difficulties. Europe was burdened by the depression, and getting from one place to another was an obstacle in itself. Despite the odds, organizer Jules Rimet was able to coax France, Yugoslavia, Romania and Belgium to make the long ocean voyage and show up at the games. Still, the first Cup was mostly an American affair, with Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, and Uruguay representing South America, and Mexico and the United States representing the North. Already its popularity was impressive: 434,500 people followed the games that year!

The final game was held between the weary home team from Uruguay and the fearsome Argentines, in what became known as the "Battle of the Rio de la Plata." Argentine fans were so anxious that a pilgrimage began along the river that forms a boundary between the rival countries, and 15,000 fans stood outside the stadium in anticipation of the out come. Uruguay won that first final; the United States team, the dark horse of the tournament, took third place.

In 1934, the championship was held in Italy. In retribution for Europe's poor representation at the 1930 Cup, Uruguay chose not to play in 1934; the only South American teams, Argentina and Brazil, both lost opening games and were immediately eliminated. Another casualty of the opening round was the United States, which was pitted (perhaps not just by chance) against Italy, losing by a pitiful 7 to 1. In fact, the games reeked of 1 dirty politics-Mussolini was in power,and as Hitler would do later with the Olympic games, the Italian dictator wanted to impress upon his people and the world the fascist government's strength through its domination of a sports spectacle. To no one's surprise, Italy won the Cup in a dramatic overtime playoff with II Duce leading the cheering section. Thus the Italian tournament was the first to be used by a political system for self-aggrandizement; it would prove, unfortunately, not to be the last.

The 1938 World Championship was held in a France overcast by the gathering clouds of war. One highlight of the games was that, for the first time, Brazilian fans at home could follow the Cup on radio. Although the transmissions were blurred and full of static, this was pioneering at its finest, since an intercontinental radio link in those days was a major achievement. Brazil sent a firstclass team and the best goalie of the games-Leonidas da Silva, nicknamed "Rubber Man"-but only took third place, in spite of a good showing. Mussolini's team was again victorious, and took the "Jules Rimet" Cup home. There it stayed while another World War was waged; 12 years would pass before the symbolic battles for the trophy resumed.

1950 - 1962: The Rise of the South American Powerhouses

The 1954 and 1958 Cups were held back to back in Europe. Peaceful and neutral Switzerland hosted the 1954 games. The choice of location was a strategic one, for many of the wounds of World War II had yet to heal, and the competition would serve to steady the participating countries. The '54 Cup would go down in the record books for the most scores in soccer history-140 goals made by 16 teams in only 26 games. The Hungarian team was expected to dominate the games with one of the greatest teams ever assembled, featuring "all-stars" such as Puskas, Czibor and Koksis. The fearsome Hungarians rolled over Brazil and Uruguay to take on the underrated West Germans in the finals, and were ahead 2 to 0 in the last match when the Germans surged ahead, turned the score around and took the title in yet another astonishing outcome.

The 1958 competition in Sweden was notable for two outstanding performances. The French team made it to the semi-finals on the strength of their great "gunner," Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals in 6 matches, an all-time record. Fontaine's achievement was overshadowed, however, by a 17-year-old Brazilian nicknamed "Pele," who would change forever the style of soccer play. Pele is to soccer what Babe Ruth is to baseball or Wayne Gretzky is to hockey-a player so dominant, so skillful as to be the standard by which all others have been measured ever since. The Brazilians descended on Sweden prepared as never before, going so far as to call in a psychologist to help overcome the traumas of the 1950 defeat and other infelicitous outcomes. Pele was backed up by other brilliant players including Djalma Santos, Garrincha, DidI, Vava, and Gilmar. They beat France by a whopping 5 to 2 in the semifinals, and smothered Sweden by the same score to take the title-the only time a South American team has ever won a World Cup held on European soil. Pele worked miracles on the field, dribbling through the entire opposing team to score singlehandedly, performing his signature bicycle kick from which he unleashed awesome goals backwards and in midair 20 feet from the goalmouth. His display of virtuosity was a truly stunning debut for the diminutive "king" of soccer.

The Brazilian team arrived in Chile in 1962 virtually intact, but in a tournament marked by fouls and violence, Pele was sidelined with injuries and was unable to play after the third match. Nevertheless, his teammate Garrincha took the lead and came out on top of Czechoslovakia in the finals, 2 to 1.

1966 - 1986: Dubious Triumphs and Satellite TV

The most remarkable performance of the games was that of the Portuguese team, coached by the Brazilian Otto Gloria and led by a black player named Eusebio who originally hailed from Mozambique. No doubt the greatest surprise of the championship was the defeat of all-powerful Italy at the hands (as well as heads, knees and feet) of the relatively inexperienced Koreans. Pele sustained injuries in the match against Portugal, thus eliminating Brazil from serious contention. One curious incident took place at the very outset of the English games-a grave lapse of protocol, during the opening match between home team and Uruguay. When the game resulted in a O to O tie, the British were booed off the field, and half the team headed for the lockers in shame without rendering the traditional bow to Her Majesty the Queen, in attendance at Wembley stadium!

The Mexico City games of 1970 would revolutionize the way the game would be seen, just as Pele's performance in 1958 irreversibly changed the way the game would be played. Prior to 1962, fans who could not attend the matches had to be satisfied with radio and film accounts of the plays. Television was present in a limited way at the '62 World Cup, but European audiences still had to wait several days to view videotapes shipped from Chile. Europeans enjoyed live coverage in 1966, but it was not until 1970 that satellite technology enabled the games to be broadcast to every corner of the earth. With this move, the sport's popularity took off, as soccer lovers from around the world tuned in to watch their favorite teams live and in living color.

And those who watched were treated to fantastic atmosphere, memorable performances, excellent referees, great games, and some real cliff-hangers. West Germany avenged her 1966 defeat at the hands of the British by beating the latter 3 to 2. The semi-final between Italy and Germany was outstanding, ending 4 to 3 in overtime. But once again the Brazilians swept away the competition, emerging unbeaten after five games to win the final, classic match against Italy. Pele retired in glory after four consecutive World Cups, and his name, along with those of teammates Tostao, Carlos Alberto, and Rivelino, would be emblazoned in the history of the game.

From North America the games returned to Europe for the 1974 series, with West Germany hosting the 10th World Cup. All eyes were on Johan Cruyff's Dutch team as they launched a new concept of "total football," in which all ten players participated in offense and defense. Holland made a superb showing, but fell just short of the final title, losing to the home team. Oddly enough, the West German team was beaten 1 to 0 in Berlin by a relatively weak East German opponent. But un fazed by this setback, West German captain Franz Beckenbauer took his team on to conquer the Cup for the second time-equalling the Dutch in stamina, and bettering the play of the astounding Dutch team.

The ball bounced to Argentina in 1978 for a championship noteworthy for the enthusiasm of the home team's fans, the uproar over refereeing decisions, and above all the dubious Argentine victory against Peru which eliminated Brazil. Brazil, undefeated during the entire Cup, would have qualified on the basis of goal average difference had Argentina scored four goals or less. The Argentines scored six goals against a goalie who was born in Argentina but was a nationalized Peruvian. The controversy over the match continues to this day, and caused FIFA authorities to change the format for subsequent World Cups so the circumstances could not be repeated. Argentina ended up with the title after overcoming Holland in the final playoff, thus frustrating the Dutch for the second straight World Cup. The Argentines would rejoice, but disputes would sour the taste of victory.

1982 - 1 986: A Return to Clean Soccer

Four years later in Mexico, the drama was again played out between veteran squads from France and Brazil. In a match which proved to be the last hurrah for two extraordinarily talented teams, France carried the day with penalty kicks after an inconclusive 30minute extra-time. It was the final championship game for such Brazilian stars as Socrates and Zico, who never won the Cup during their tenure on the national team. France was eliminated by West Germany in the next round, and their dreams of a title thwarted for the second time around, the once-in-a-lifetime French team disbanded. France did not even qualify for the 1990 tournament. . . the fruits of victory sometimes elude even the best.

The star of the 1986 championship was Argentina. She brought to Mexico a group of eclectic and talented players including the forward Valdano, the midfielder Burruchaga, and the tough and taciturn fullback, Jose Luis Brown, who played one game with a dislocated shoulder. They were led by the ebullient Diego Maradona, whose goal against England in the quarter-finals will go down in the annals of soccer history. Hidden from the referee, Maradona scored a goal with his hand but made it look like a header. Afterwards he explained it by stating, "it was the hand of God." Maradona carried his team to victory in the final against West Germany; this time, Argentina richly deserved her title.

1990 and Beyond

There were some glorious moments and several heroes to remember from the games. Without a doubt, the world's darling was Cameroonian Roger Milla, who led his team to astonishing victories over Argentina, Romania and Colombia. Twice-retired, the 38-year-old " Lion" became the oldest player ever to score in World Cup finals, and Cameroon became the first Black African team to win a game in the Cup's 60 years. And when Cameroon beat 500-to-1 odds to score its winning goal against Argentina, where else but Italy would a stadium full of fans salute by singing the triumphal march from Verdi's Aida! World Cup '90's "gunner" was Italian Toto Shillaci, who scored six goals and became a national hero. His performance notwithstanding, Italy only made it as far as the semi-finals and had to be content with third place.

But as the fans who watched this World Cup will recall, the competition will not go down in the books for its achievements but rather for its disap pointments and dullness. From start to finish, the games were rough and full of fouls, and had the lowest average number of goals scored per game (2.21) and the lowest final score (1 to 0) of any World Cup ever. Both Argentina and West Germany qualified for the championship match not by their illustrious play in the semi-finals, but by winning penalty kick shoot-outs.

Argentina began the last game missing four starters who had fouled out of previous matches, and finished the game as the first team in World Cup history to have players ejected from a final. Argentina's Maradona, plagued by an ingrown toenail and an injured left knee, was completely hemmed in by the West Germans, hampered by the absence of his teammates, and only got one shot at the goal (as well as a yellow card for protesting the referee's second decision to oust an Argentine player). Although the Germans made 16 attempts at the goal, their only score was on a penalty kick stemming from a call that could have gone either way. Maradona shed tears at the end of the game, "not because of second place, but because the ref had no right to blow that penalty against us."