When was the first World Cup? History of FIFA's inaugural men's tournament nearly 100 years ago

The FIFA World Cup is steeped in history, memories, and exciting moments.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is the 22nd edition of the tournament, which dates back nearly 100 years.

From famous players to landmark matches and storied stadiums, the FIFA World Cup has a rich history that feeds today's modern game.

Players like Pele, Diego Maradona, Bobby Charlton, Ronaldo, Andrea Pirlo, Lionel Messi, and so many others have graced the World Cup with their sublime skill and stunning performances.

The Sporting News brings you everything you need to know about the first FIFA World Cup and how the tournament has evolved from that inaugural competition to what it is today.

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When was the first World Cup held?

The first FIFA World Cup was held in 1930 and was hosted by Uruguay. Naturally, the hosts won the first tournament on home soil.

In that initial 1930 World Cup, only 13 teams participated. The tournament consisted of four groups, with three groups of three teams and one group of four teams. The four group winners advanced to a mini knockout bracket, with Uruguay triumphing over Argentina 4-2 in the final at Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.

The 1930 World Cup final was a spectacle as Uruguay, led by 31-year-old Alberto Suppici, who remains the youngest-ever World Cup winning head coach, came back from a 2-1 halftime deficit to win 4-2.

The game's six goals were scored by six different players, with Racing Montevideo forward Santos "El Canario" Iriarte scoring Uruguay's third goal, the eventual game-winner.

The trophy was presented by FIFA president Jules Rimet, whose name adorned the official World Cup trophy until 1974 when it was changed to the trophy currently used today. 

The United States and Yugoslavia were the other group winners, but both fell by a 6-1 scoreline in the semifinals. Captains of both those teams received bronze medals, but FIFA's official technical report of the match, published in 1986, claims that the United States earned the official third place honors due to a superior goal differential throughout the tournament, a practice which still continues to identify official final rankings of teams in World Cup tournaments today.

There are conflicting reports on whether a third-place match was originally scheduled, but one was never played. The 2009 book "Four Weeks In Montevideo: The Story of World Cup 1930" by Hyder Jawad claimed that Yugoslavia refused to play the match as a protest for poor officiating in their loss to Uruguay in the semifinals.

MORE: Who has won the most World Cups? History of the tournament winners

World Cup history: How format has changed

As the FIFA World Cup has grown in popularity and the game has expanded globally, the sport's marquee tournament has changed alongside it.

That growth began almost immediately. In 1934, the second FIFA men's World Cup featured a pre-qualifying competition with 32 nations, 16 of which reached the final tournament.

The World Cup was held again in 1938 before a break was forced by the Second World War.

The tournament resumed in 1950, which was the only edition of the World Cup to feature a "final round" which saw four teams compete in a round-robin format to determine a champion. Even though it wasn't officially the final, the round robin's last match between Uruguay and Brazil ultimately decided the winner with Uruguay topping hosts Brazil. 

The World Cup would remain a 16-team tournament for decades, although the format changed on occasion. In 1962, FIFA used "goal average" to differentiate teams who were level on points, replacing the replays and playoff matches that had been used previously.

In 1974, a new format was trialed with two separate group stages utilized to produce a two-team final, and that format would last for three tournaments. In 1982, the competition expanded to 24 teams, and still featured the two-group format.

There was yet another tweak made in 1986 to the format we're familiar with today: a group stage followed by a 16-team knockout bracket.

In 1998, the tournament expanded to 32 teams, where eight groups of four see the top two teams advance to the knockout rounds. Then the 16-team knockout bracket commences until a winner is determined. That format is the same one used at Qatar 2022.

But another update is right around the corner. The 2026 World Cup in North America will feature an expanded 48-team tournament, including a 32-team knockout bracket that is sure to provide plenty of chaos.

FIFA World Cup history

* 16 teams were selected to participate in the 1938 tournament, but Austria dropped out due to its annexation by Germany, also known as the Anschluss.