The Beautiful Game

Did you know that the first country to win the World Cup was Uruguay? In 1930, the first ever World Cup was held in Uruguay. In front of 90,000+ fans, Uruguay defeated Argentina 4-2.

Did you know that the first World Cup goal was scored by Lucien Laurent of France? In 1930, the first ever World Cup was held in Uruguay and the first two games were held simultaneously. France beat Mexico 4-1 and USA beat Belgium 3-0.

“For many, soccer is a fantastic, beautiful sport. The game unites cultures, countries, and backgrounds in a common bond of athletic competition. It requires nothing but some friends, a ball, and an afternoon full of fresh air: Unless you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of people who play it professionally. Then, you’ll need buses, cars, and airplanes to transport you across continents.” According to TreeHugger, Soccer is rated as the 2nd most environmentally unfriendly sport in the world.

Did you know that the most penalty shots needed in a game was 48? During the 2005 Namibian Cup between KK Palace and Civics, 48 penalty shots were used to decide the game! Several players took 3 penalty shots each. I wonder how many fans stuck around to watch the whole thing?!

The Peace Cup is a men’s international club tournament organized by the Sunmoon Peace Football Foundation, which aspires to use the competition between clubs from several continents to promote world peace. The Foundation holds the Peace Cup and other various cup events in an effort to create world peace through the beautiful game of soccer. Continue reading »

The Women’s Gold Cup is basically the Gold Cup, but for the women! The winner is considered the Women’s CONCACAF champion. The tournament happens every two years and the champions then go on to qualify for the Women’s World Cup. The U.S. Women’s National Team have won the past few times, making them the most successful women’s team in the CONCACAF Confederation.

The Gold Cup is a men’s professional tournament for the CONCACAF Confederation. The winner of the Gold Cup, becomes the CONCACAF champion, which makes them eligible for the FIFA Confederations Cup. Over the years, Mexico has been the most successful team, winning the tournament seven times. The current champion, which has four wins, is the United States.