Sports

11 top FIFA World Cup facts

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – NOVEMBER 29: Marcel Desailly jokes around with mascot Zabivaka ahead of the announcement of the new 2018 FIFA Fan Fest Ambassadors for the 2018 FIFA World Cup at the media center on November 29, 2017 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

The prestigious FIFA World cup Russia 2018 will kick off in June next year.
• 30% of the World Cups have been won by the host nation (6 out of 20), the last being France in 1998.
• All previous 20 World Cups have been won by teams from Europe (11) or South America (9).
• Germany will look to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil achieved it in 1962. However, the last two defending champions have been knocked out in the group stages (Italy 2010, Spain 2014).
• Italy have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958 and are the only one of eight World Cup winning nations not taking part in the 2018 tournament.
• Mexico have qualified for the World Cup the most times (16) without ever winning it.
• All previous 20 World Cups have been won by a manager with the same nationality as the winning team.

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