World Cup Chronicles
One of the biggest sporting events in the world, the men’s FIFA World Cup 2022, is about to begin. As we await kick off in Qatar, we look back at AP’s historical coverage of the prestigious competition.
Italian forward Enrique Guaita scores the winning goal in the World Cup semifinal against Austria on June 3, 1934, in Milan, Italy, as the home team went on to reach the final. (AP Photo)
The Italian soccer team performs the fascist salute before the kick off of the World Cup Final. Italy defeated Czechoslovakia 2-1 after extra time to win the Jules Rimet Trophy on June 10, 1934, in Rome, Italy. (AP Photo)
Italy's soccer team coach Vittorio Pozzo, surrounded by his players, holds aloft the Jules Rimet Trophy, after Italy won the World Cup Final, on June 19, 1938, in Paris, France. Italy defeated Hungary by four goals to two in the final. (AP Photo)
U.S. center forward Joe Gaetjens is carried off by cheering fans after his team beat England 1-0 in the World Cup match at Belo Horizonte, Brazil, June 29, 1950. Gaetjens scored the winning goal in the shock result of the tournament. (AP Photo)
This is the last moment of the 1954 World Cup Final, when Hungarian captain Ferenc Puskas, on the ground right, thought he had scored a goal to draw with Germany, in Bern, Switzerland, July 4, 1954, but the goal was ruled offside and was disallowed. Germany's goalkeeper Anton Turek, on ground centre, and centre half Werner Liebrich, in white shirt, watch the ball, unseen, go into the net. Germany beat Hungary by three goals to two. (AP Photo)
Brazilian forward Vava (right) scores the second goal for Brazil on June 29, 1958, at the Stockholm Rasunda-Stadium in Sweden while Swedish goalkeeper Kalle Svensson (left) dives in vain. Brazil beat Sweden 5:2 and won the Jules Rimet Trophy for the first time. (AP Photo)
Italian forward Giorgio Ferrini, centre, is sent off by British referee Ken Aston, back to camera, after an incident during the first half of the Football World Cup match between Italy and Chile on June 2, 1962 in Santiago. Ferrini refused to leave the field after being ordered off by the referee and was removed by police officers. (AP Photo)
Display boards show the teams selected to play each other in the first two groups of the World Cup during the 1966 World Cup draw, held at the Royal Garden Hotel, London, Jan. 6, 1966. From left: S. L. Mordy Maduro; Dr. Helmut Kaeser, FIFA Secretary; Sir Stanley Rous, FIFA President; Harry Cavan, FIFA Vice-President; and George Lascelles, Lord Harewood, President of England's Football Association. (AP Photo/Pool/Robert Rider-Rider)
A shot from England’s Geoff Hurst bounces down from the West Germany crossbar during the World Cup final at London's Wembley Stadium, on July 30, 1966. The linesman gave it as a goal and England went on to win 4-2. (AP Photo)
England's soccer captain Bobby Moore, carried shoulder high by his teammates, holds aloft the Jules Rimet Trophy after England defeated Germany 4-2 in the World Cup final at London's Wembley Stadium, on July 30, 1966. From left, goalkeeper Gordon Banks (partially obscured), Alan Ball, Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst, Moore, Ray Wilson, George Cohen and Bobby Charlton. (AP Photo/Pool)
Detective Chief Inspector William Little, left, holds the Jules Rimet World Cup Trophy, as Senior Commander John Lawlor, centre, and Chief Superintendent William Gilbert, admire the cup after its safe return to the police in London on March 28, 1966. The cup was found in the garden of David Corbett’s home in Beulah Hill, Norwood, London, by his dog Pickles who sniffed it out while being taken for a walk. (AP Photo/Robert Rider-Rider)
Brazil's Pele is hoisted on shoulders of his teammates after Brazil won the World Cup final against Italy, 4-1, in Mexico City's Estadio Azteca, Mexico, on June 21, 1970. Pele, who scored the opening goal of the game and assisted two, wins his third winner's medal. (AP Photo)
Netherlands forward Johan Cruyff scores his team's second goal against Brazil in their World Cup soccer match, in Dortmund, West Germany, on July 3, 1974. (AP Photo)
Mario Kempes of Argentina raises his arms as the ball is still on his way into the Dutch goal, on June 25, 1978, during the World Cup Final, in Buenos Aires. Netherland’s players Ruud Krol, left, and Jan Poortvliet were too late to reach the ball. (AP Photo)
West Germany's Uli Stielike breaks down with grief after missing a penalty shoot during final moments of the World Cup semi-final on July 8, 1982, in Seville, Spain. He is helped to his feet by his goalkeeper Harald Schumacher. A little later his grief turned to joy as his team won the penalty shootout 5:4. (AP Photo)
Italian players celebrate after they had beaten West Germany 3-1 in the World Cup Final on July 11, 1982 in Madrid, Spain. (AP Photo)
Diego Maradona of Argentina celebrates with the cup at the end of the World Cup soccer final in the Estadio Atzeca, in Mexico City, Mexico, on June 29, 1986. Argentina defeated West Germany 3-2 to take the trophy. (AP Photo/Carlo Fumagalli)
Francois Omam-Biyik of Cameroon, right, is joined by a team member as he celebrates his goal against Argentina, in a World Cup match on June 8, 1990 in Milan, Italy. The outsider team from Cameroon won the game 1-0. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
England's Paul Gascoigne cries as he is escorted off the field by team captain Terry Butcher, after England lost a penalty shoot-out in the semi-final match of the World Cup against West Germany, July 4, 1990, in Turin, Italy. (AP Photo/Roberto Pfeil)
Thousands of balloons are released as the opening ceremonies for the World Cup begin at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill., June 17, 1994. (AP Photo/John Swart)
Bulgaria's Hristo Stoichkov (8) scores his team's first goal, placing a free kick over the wall made by the German soccer team to beat the goalkeeper Bodo Illgner, left, partly shown, in the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J., July 10, 1994. The German wall from left: Lothar Matthaeus, Juergen Klinsmann, Rudi Voeller, Guido Buchwald, Thomas Helmer and Thomas Berthold. Bulgaria defeated defending champions Germany 2-1. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Brazil's Ronaldo, right, is comforted by his coach Mario Zagallo after the final of the soccer World Cup between Brazil and France on July 12, 1998, at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris. France beat Brazil 3-0. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)
Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas, right, goes for the ball against Ireland's Robbie Keane, left, during action in their 2002 World Cup second round playoff soccer match at the Suwon World Cup Stadium at Suwon, South Korea, June 16, 2002. (AP Photo/Greg Baker)
France's Zinedine Zidane gets a red card from referee Horacio Elizondo of Argentina, after head-butting Italy's Marco Materazzi in the chest during extra time in the final of the soccer World Cup between Italy and France on July 6, 2006, at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Uruguay's Luis Suarez, left, stops the ball with his hands to give away a penalty kick during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Uruguay and Ghana at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 2, 2010. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
Uruguay's Luis Suarez holds his teeth after apparently biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini's shoulder during the group D World Cup soccer match between Italy and Uruguay at the Arena das Dunas in Natal, Brazil on June 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)
Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic fails to stop France's Antoine Griezmann from scoring from the penalty spot, during the final match between France and Croatia at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, July 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
French players raise the trophy after the final match between France and Croatia at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, July 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Photo editing by Katherine O’Mara.