1930 :  Uruguay

• The World Cup began in Uruguay as 13 teams battled it out to become the tournament's inaugural winners. European interest waned after it was decided the championships should be contested in South America. Controversy reigned in the second match in Pool One between Argentina and France. Hard man Luisito Monti put the South Americans ahead just nine minutes from time and, with six minutes still remaining and a French forward through on goal, Brazilian referee Almeida Rego blew for full-time.

  A near-riot ensued and despite the game resuming, France failed to find the net and finished third in their group. Argentinian striker Guillermo Stabile, who grabbed a hat-trick in a 6-3 win against Mexico, ended the tournament as top scorer with eight goals. The USA, who had topped their group without conceding a goal, were thumped 6-1 by Stabile and his team-mates at the semi-final stage. Uruguay recorded an identical score against Yugoslavia to secure their place in the final - a match in which they came from behind to beat Argentina 4-2.

1934 :  Italy

• The Italians went into the tournament as clear favourites and did not disappoint, winning the trophy and becoming the second host country to lift the top prize. A trio of Argentinians - Enrico Guaita, Luisito Monti and Raimondo Orsi - defected to join up with the Italians and form the nucleus of a strong side under the shrewd leadership of Vittorio Pozzo.

  The format of the tournament differed from that seen in Uruguay, with the group stages abandoned in preference for a straight knock-out system. This proved costly for both Brazil and Argentina who had sailed 8,000 miles to take part, only for the two sides to lose their first-round matches.

  Hugo Meisl's Austria were said to be Italy's biggest rivals and they came head to head at the semi-final stage. A heavy pitch prevented two footballing sides from playing an attractive passing game and it took a solitary strike from Guaita to settle the tie. Czechoslovakia booked their place in the final with a 3-1 victory against Germany. Oldrich Nejedly netted twice as he ended the tournament as leading scorer with five. Italy were 2-1 victors in the final, coming from behind to grab a dramatic winner in extra-time through Angelo Schiavio.

1938 :  France

• The competition was disrupted by impending war and upheaval throughout Europe. Only two of the first-round matches were decided after 90 minutes, with France and Hungary confidently brushing aside Belgium and the Dutch East Indies respectively. Holders Italy scraped past Norway in what proved to be their toughest match of the tournament as they went on to defend their crown with ease.

  The game of the championships was a remarkable contest between Brazil and Poland. Leading 3-1 at the break following a hat-trick from star striker Leonidas, the Brazilians looked comfortable. But, in a rampant second-half display the Poles, led by Ernest Wilimowski's treble, hauled the Europeans back into the game as the scores were level at 4-4 as extra-time began with the game ending 6-5.

  Brazil were so confident of reaching the final they rested the eight-goal Leonidas for the semi-final clash with Italy and it proved costly as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat. The defending champions went on to crush Hungary 4-2 in a one-sided final.

1950 :  Brazil

• The tournament returned after World War II with a new prize for the winners - the Jules Rimet Trophy. Argentina were absent - refusing to play in Brazil - while both Czechoslovakia and Scotland declined to take their places despite qualifying. The Scots claimed they would only compete if they finished top of the Home Championship group, even though second position cemented a finals place. But they failed, with England taking top spot.

  The championships returned with a ramshackle group system, Brazil claiming Pool One and Uruguay winning the two-team Pool Four. Pools Two and Three provided significant shocks, with Italy losing 3-2 against Sweden and England falling to their most embarrassing defeat in their history - 1-0 against the USA. There was no World Cup final, with four teams - Brazil, Sweden, Uruguay and Spain - competing in a final pool.

  Conveniently, Brazil and Uruguay faced each other in the final game to decide who would top the group and ultimately claim the prize - Alcide Ghiggia netting a late winner for Uruguay in a 2-1 victory.

1954 :  Switzerland

• Hungary arrived in Switzerland as the strongest favourites in World Cup history and they almost lived up to their billing. With Ferenc Puskas, Nandor Hidegkuti and Sandor Kocsis scoring goals for fun, the 'Magic Magyars' rattled in 17 goals in two group matches - beating Korea 9-0 and West Germany 8-3. The Hungarians clashed with Brazil in the 'Battle of Berne' in the quarter-finals.

  Three players were sent off and players from both sides were later involved in a dressing-room brawl. England drew 4-4 with Belgium in their opening match and secured a quarter-final place with a 2-0 win against Switzerland, but that was as far as they went. Scotland made an early exit from the competition, losing both matches and failing to score. In the game of the tournament, Austria beat Switzerland 7-5.

  The Swiss scored three goals in 20 minutes, only for Austria to hit back with three strikes in as many minutes. In one seven-minute spell there were five goals scored. West Germany - 6-1 winners in their semi-final against Austria - played Hungary in an entertaining final. Puskas returned from injury and scored as the much-fancied Hungarians raced into a two-goal lead in eight minutes. Max Morlock replied for the Germans after 11 minutes and Helmut Rahn completed the comeback with two goals as they claimed a shock 3-2 victory.

1958 :  Sweden

• The first World Cup to receive television coverage provided enthralling entertainment, as Edson Arantes do Nascimento - Pele - burst onto the scene. The 17-year-old lined up alongside Didi and Garrincha as the Samba stars played a bold 4-2-4 formation. Just Fontaine was exciting in the France attack, netting a World Cup record of 13 goals in six matches. All four home nations qualified for the competition for the first and last time to date, with Northern Ireland eliminating Italy and Wales winning a play-off against Hungary to reach the quarter-finals. They then limited Brazil to just one goal in their defeat in the last eight.

  The Munich air disaster earlier in the year had decimated the England side and they failed to get past the first round. Hosts Sweden were the surprise package of the tournament, beating West Germany 3-1 in the semi-final after Erich Juskowiak's 57th-minute dismissal. Pele scored a hat-trick in 23 minutes as Brazil destroyed France 5-2 in the other semi. In the final, Pele scored the goal of the tournament. With his back to goal, he trapped the ball on the chest, lobbed it over his head, spun the defender and thundered a volley home to make the score 3-1. Two goals from Vava, a Mario Zagallo strike and another from Pele sealed a 5-2 win.

1962 :  Chile

• Brazil retained their crown without the injured Pele, who tore a thigh muscle in the first group match against Mexico. Garrincha took centre stage as the Brazilians adopted a 4-3-3 formation. Czechoslovakia were the surprise team of a tournament marred by violence. The 'Battle of Santiago' between Chile and Italy was remembered for all the wrong reasons as the game turned into a violent confrontation, with spitting, fighting and two-footed tackles. Just two players were sent off as the referee missed Leonel Sanchez breaking Humberto Maschio's nose with a left hook.Chile beat nine-man Italy 2-0.

  Garrincha helped Brazil to a 3-1 win against England in the quarter-finals and wreaked havoc in the semi-final victory against Chile before being sent off for retaliation. The Czechs, who had beaten Yugoslavia 3-1 in the other semi-final in front of just 5,000 spectators, took the lead against Brazil in the final through Josef Masopust. But goals from Amarildo - dubbed the 'White Pele' - Zito and Vava secured a second consecutive tournament win for the Brazilians.

1966 :  England

• The 1966 World Cup was won by the host nation for the first time in 32 years. North Korea were responsible for one of the greatest shocks of all time when they beat Italy 1-0 and qualified for the quarter-finals. Portugal then came from three goals down to beat them 5-3, with striker Eusebio scoring four times. England were held to a 0-0 draw by Uruguay in their first match and then beat both Mexico and France to secure a play-off place. West Germany topped their group, beating Spain and Switzerland and drawing with Argentina.

  The Soviet Union were beaten 2-1 by the Germans in the first semi-final, while England faced Portugal. Bobby Charlton upstaged Eusebio to score twice in a 2-1 win. In the final, West Germany took the lead through Helmut Haller's strike. Geoff Hurst equalised and Martin Peters then fired England ahead. Still leading in injury-time, Wolfgang Weber broke English hearts with an equaliser. In extra-time England scored one of the most disputed goals in history.

  Alan Ball crossed for Hurst to thump a shot against the underside of the crossbar, with the ball bouncing down on the goalline. The referee was unsure whether to award a goal, but Soviet linesman Tofik Bakhramov did not hesitate and their lead was restored. And, as Kenneth Wolstenholme was uttering those now immortal words with people on the pitch, Hurst blasted home a fourth to complete his hat-trick.

1970 :  Mexico

• Brazil had assembled one the greatest teams ever to grace a football pitch as they once again lifted the World Cup. There were no surprises in Groups One and Two, with the Soviet Union, Mexico, Italy and Uruguay qualifying. Brazil met an England side which was said to be better than 1966 in Group Three in the tie of the competition. With just 10 minutes gone, Jairzinho sent over the perfect cross for Pele. He timed his run and jump perfectly, heading downwards for what looked to be a certain goal. Gordon Banks had other ideas, however, producing one of the greatest saves of all time, managing to somehow twist his body to push the ball over the crossbar.

  England qualified, despite losing 1-0, but went down 3-2 to West Germany in the quarter-finals. Jairzinho scored the winning goal as he went on to notch strikes in all six games. Italy booked a place in the final with a dramatic win against West Germany. Karl-Heinz Schnellinger grabbed an injury-time equaliser to make it 1-1 and force extra-time.

  A tight game suddenly opened up and despite the best efforts of tournament top scorer Gerd Muller, Italy finally secured a 4-3 victory. The Italians were swept aside in the final. Pele, Gerson, Jairzinho and, after a languid and sublime team move, Carlos Alberto, were all on the scoresheet in a 4-1 win.

1974 :  West Germany

• Netherlands and West Germany met in the final of a competition dominated by the Europeans. The trophy returned to West Germany after 20 years, with Franz Beckenbauer proving a powerhouse in both defence and attack. Unfancied Poland shocked millions of onlookers, finishing third by beating Brazil 1-0.

  Grzegorz Lato finished as the top scorer with seven goals. FIFA unveiled a new format for the championships, with two sets of group matches. Brazil, without Pele who had now retired, scraped through to the second stage by finishing runners-up in Group Two, while Netherlands conceded just one goal as they eased through. In the second round, Netherlands topped Group A, with West Germany sitting pretty in Group B, as the two best footballers in the world at that time came head to head in the final. Beckenbauer came out on top against Johann Cruyff as the Germans recorded a 2-1 win.

  Netherlands took the lead straight from the kick-off when Cruyff was brought down by Uli Hoeness in the box and Johann Neeskens converted the spot-kick. West Germany equalised with a penalty of their own. Bernd Holzenbein was tripped by Wim Jansen and Paul Breitner scored, before Gerd Muller's 43rd-minute strike secured victory.

1978 :  Argentina

• The Dutch masters were to fall at the final hurdle for the second consecutive competition as Argentina scooped their first World Cup on home turf. Their path to glory was not without controversy however, as suspicions arose that Peru's Argentinian-born goalkeeper Ramon Quiroga had done little to prevent the hosts from scoring the goals they needed to secure a place in the final. They needed to win by more than four goals and ran out 6-0 victors. In the group stages, Poland were once again impressive, while West Germany were held to a surprising 0-0 draw by Tunisia.

  Italy and Germany played not to lose, while Netherlands thrilled with their attacking style. Scotland faced the humiliation of losing 3-1 against Peru and scraping a 1-1 draw against Iran, while off the field, Willie Johnston was sent home for failing a random drugs test. They went out in style, however, by beating Netherlands 3-2, Archie Gemmill sealing victory with a stunning solo goal.

  Netherlands faced Germany in a repeat of the 1974 final in the second group stage, as one of the best games of the tournament finished 2-2. This sent the Dutch through to the final against the hosts, who had held off the challenge of South American rivals Brazil. Mario Kempes - the tournament's top scorer with six goals - was the star, scoring twice as Argentina won 3-1 after extra-time.

1982 :  Spain

• Italy were the deserved winners in Spain after a slow start. West Germany, the beaten finalists, lost 2-1 to Algeria in the shock result of the early rounds. England started strongly, coasting through to the second stage with victories over France (3-1), Czechoslovakia (2-0) and Kuwait (1-0).

  Bryan Robson scored the finals' fastest-ever goal after just 27 seconds of their opening match, a record which stood until 2002, but without injured duo Kevin Keegan and Trevor Brooking they failed to progress any further. Northern Ireland impressed, 17-year-old Norman Whiteside setting a record for the youngest player to appear in the competition as they beat hosts Spain 1-0.

  Game of the tournament saw Italy lead Brazil three times, with the Samba stars hitting back twice - but they still lost 3-2. Paolo Rossi was the star of the show with a brilliant hat-trick as he finished top scorer with six goals. In the semi-finals he scored twice more as Poland were beaten 2-0.

  The other semi was thrilling, with West Germany beating France. Goalkeeper Harald Schumacher escaped punishment for an appalling foul on Patrick Battiston as the game finished 3-3 with a penalty shoot-out sending the Germans through.

  The final was disappointing as a tired Germany side lost 3-1 with goals from Rossi, Marco Tardelli and Alessandro Altobelli giving the Italians victory.

1986 :  Mexico

• Diego Maradona, one of the greatest players to grace the game, led Argentina to glory in Mexico. The diminutive forward was to cause controversy, however, as he ended England's World Cup aspirations in the quarter-finals. With the scores level at 0-0, a bizarre attempt at a clearance from Steve Hodge headed towards Peter Shilton. Maradona jumped with the goalkeeper, flicking the ball into the net with his hand. After the match, Maradona boasted about his efforts, calling it the 'Hand of God'. There was no reason to dispute his second strike though. A solo run saw him take on Peter Beardsley, Peter Reid, Gary Stevens, Terry Butcher and Terry Fenwick before slotting the ball past Shilton.

  England fought hard and got one back through tournament top scorer Gary Lineker, but they could not force an equaliser. Argentina beat Belgium 2-0 in the semi-finals to meet West Germany who had beaten Mexico on penalties to reach the last four, and France 2-0 to book a place in the final.

  Argentina led 2-0 through Jose-Luis Brown and Jorge Valdano, only for Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Rudi Voller to level the scores late on. Just two minutes later, however, an inspired Maradona pass picked out Jorge Burruchaga, who raced through to snatch victory for the South Americans.

1990 :  Italy

• Italia '90 had a distinct lack of goals and shortage of stunning strikes as West Germany won a dour final against defending champions Argentina. Cameroon caused a massive upset in the opening game of the tournament, beating the Argentinians with a solitary strike from Francois Omam-Biyik and ending the match with nine men.

  The Africans enjoyed a prolonged spell in the championships, reaching the quarter-finals before England ended their dream 3-2 in extra-time. England had reached the last eight thanks to a stunning volley from David Platt at the end of extra-time against Belgium.

  Salvatore 'Toto' Schillaci was the star for Italy as he ended the tournament with six goals and the Golden Boot. Scotland were humiliated 1-0 by Costa Rica, bounced back against Sweden before crashing out with a loss to Brazil. In contrast, the Republic of Ireland reached the last 16 in their first appearance in the finals.

  In the semi-finals, England lost to Germany on penalties after drawing 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes with Gary Lineker equalising. Paul Gascoigne, after receiving his second yellow card of the tournament, broke down in tears as he pondered missing out on the final should England have got there. In the final, Germany finally got the better of Argentina with an Andreas Brehme penalty settling the tie. The South Americans had two players sent off in a dreadful match.

1994 :  USA

• Brazil sealed a record fourth World Cup win with a penalty shoot-out win against Italy. In the group stages, Maradona inspired Argentina to wins against Greece and Nigeria - but he was then sent home in disgrace for failing a drugs test as their hopes faded.

  Republic of Ireland shocked finalists Italy with a 1-0 win in their opening match, but lost 2-0 to Netherlands in the second phase. Brazil topped Group B and faced the hosts in the second round. The Americans slipped to an Independence Day defeat, losing 1-0. Sweden beat Saudi Arabia 3-1 in their clash, while Italy came from behind to snatch an extra-time win against Nigeria. Roberto Baggio was the hero in the quarter-finals as Italy beat Spain 2-1, while Sweden reached the semi-finals with a shoot-out victory against Romania after a 2-2 draw. Brazil beat Netherlands 2-1, while

  Bulgaria came from behind to knock Germany out 2-1. A double from tournament star Baggio helped Italy to a 2-1 win against Bulgaria in the last four, while Brazil beat Sweden 1-0. The final went to penalties with Baggio the unfortunate culprit for Italy as he blasted the decisive kick over.

1998 :  France

• France became champions for the first time as they swept to victory, beating an out-of-sorts Brazil side 3-0 in the final. Brazil and Italy topped their respective groups, while eventual winners France breezed through, taking maximum points with the raw talent of Thierry Henry impressing on the wing. England finished second to Romania in Group G.

  A 2-1 defeat against the Romanians was sandwiched between wins over Tunisia and Colombia. Argentina were looking dangerous as they also scooped nine points. In the second round, Brazil cruised to a 4-1 win against Chile, while in contrast, France scraped a 1-0 win against Paraguay with Laurent Blanc scoring a 'golden goal'. England battled bravely against Argentina, only to lose on penalties. Michael Owen launched himself onto the world stage by scoring the goal of the tournament, a solo run ended with a superb shot into the top corner.

  In the quarter-finals, France were less than convincing in their shoot-out win against Italy, while Brazil beat a spirited Denmark side 3-2. A fantastic moment of individual brilliance saw Dennis Bergkamp seal a 2-1 victory for Netherlands against Argentina, while an exciting Croatia side crushed Germany 3-0. In the semi-finals, Brazil overcame Netherlands on penalties after a 1-1 draw, while defender Lilian Thuram scored twice for France to end Croatian hopes.

  Ronaldo made the headlines in the build-up to the final as his name was initially left off the teamsheet before he eventually did participate. Zinedine Zidane stole the show, scoring twice in a 3-0 win for the French.

2002 :  Japan and Korea

• A tournament of shocks culminated in the competition's two great powerhouses, Brazil and Germany, meeting for the first time in World Cup history in the final in Yokohama.

  Argentina and holders France were first-round casualties while Italy were dumped out in the second round by co-hosts South Korea. Brazil were impressive from the off as the 'Three Rs' - Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho - proved to be their inspiration. They came from a goal down to beat England in the quarter-finals before beating Turkey in the last four.

  South Korea also reached the semis before losing to Germany, while World Cup debutants Senegal exceeded all expectation by getting to the last eight. Oliver Kahn's heroic goalkeeping was a key factor in a largely unconvincing German side reaching the final but he was at fault as Ronaldo put Brazil ahead, and the Real Madrid striker added a second to seal Brazil's fifth world title.