THE FIFA WORLD CUP (OFTEN CALLED THE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP, SOCCER WORLD CUP OR SIMPLY THE WORLD CUP) IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT COMPETITION IN WORLD FOOTBALL. THE WORLD'S MOST REPRESENTATIVE TEAM SPORT EVENT, THE WORLD CUP IS CONTESTED BY THE MEN'S NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAMS OF MEMBER NATIONS OF FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (FIFA) (THE SPORT'S GLOBAL GOVERNING BODY). THE CHAMPIONSHIP HAS BEEN AWARDED EVERY FOUR YEARS SINCE THE FIRST TOURNAMENT IN 1930, EXCEPT IN 1942 AND 1946, DUE TO WORLD WAR II. HOWEVER, THE EVENT IS OFTEN ONGOING, AS THE QUALIFYING ROUNDS OF THE COMPETITION TAKE PLACE OVER THE THREE YEARS PRECEDING THE FINAL ROUNDS.
THE TOURNAMENT'S FINAL PHASE (OFTEN CALLED THE "FINALS") INVOLVES 32 NATIONAL TEAMS COMPETING OVER A FOUR-WEEK PERIOD IN A PREVIOUSLY NOMINATED HOST NATION, WITH THESE GAMES MAKING IT THE MOST WIDELY-VIEWED SPORTING EVENT IN THE WORLD