2014 Football World Cup: Who Reached Top Four in Previous Editions!!

Starting from 13 teams in 1930, the 20th edition in 2014 World Cup will have 32 teams. Team size increased to 16 teams till 1978, and then 24 teams till 1994, before starting with 32 teams since 1998 in Football World Cup. Overall 8 teams have won the World Cup. South Korea is the only non-European or Non-American team to reach the semifinals. 6 hosts have won the tournament, while 7 hosts failed to reach even the semifinals. Check overall performances by the hosts, top four finishers of every edition and number of teams participating, with interesting facts about the World Cup held so far.

2014 Football World Cup Schedule

Interesting Facts

Maximum Titles: 5 (Brazil), 4 (Italy), 3 (Germany)
Other winners: 2 (Argentina, Uruguay), 1 (France, England, Spain)
10 wins by European Teams (5 countries) 9 wins by South American countries (3 nations)
12 Maximum entry to semifinals by Germany. 10 By Brazil.
7 Maximum entry to Final by Brazil and Germany.
24 Teams have reached the semifinals.
12 Teams have reached the final.
5-2 Biggest margin of win in final (Brazil def Sweden in 1958)
6-3 Maximum goals in semifinals (France def West Germany in 1958)
4-0 Biggest margin of win in semifinal (Sweden def Bulgaria in 1994)
4 finals provided winner in Extra Time.
2 finals needed penalty shoot to provide winner (1994 and 2006)
4 Teams failed to Win Despite reaching Final: Netherlands (3), Czechoslovakia and Hungary (2 each), and Sweden (1).
Hosts: 6 have won, 2 finished 2nd, 3 finished 3rd, 1 finished 4th,
while 7 of them could not reach semifinals.
1994 is the only final that provided no goals.
1930 had no official match for third position.

Hosts in World Cup
Winners

1930 Uruguay
1934 Italy
1966 England
1974 West Germany
1978 Argentina
1998 France

2nd

1950 Brazil
1958 Sweden

3rd

1962 Chile
1990 Italy
2006 Germany

4th: 2002 South Korea
Did not reach top 4

1938 France
1954 Switzeland
1970 Mexico
1982 Spain
1986 Mexico
1994 USA
2010 South Africa

List of Top 4 at Every Edition

Year	Teams	Host	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1930	13	Uruguay	Uruguay	Argentina	USA	Yugoslavia
1934	16	Italy	Italy	Czechoslovakia	Germany	Austria
1938	16	France	Italy	Hungary	Brazil	Sweden
1950	16	Brazil	Uruguay	Brazil	Sweden	Spain
1954	16	Switzerland	W.Germany	Hungary	Austria	Uruguay
1958	16	Sweden	Brazil	Sweden	France	W.Germany
1962	16	Chile	Brazil	Czechoslovakia	Chile	Yugoslavia
1966	16	England	England	W.Germany	Portugal	USSR
1970	16	Mexico	Brazil	Italy	W.Germany	Uruguay
1974	16	W.Germany	W.Germany	Netherlands	Poland	Brazil
1978	16	Argentina	Argentina	Netherlands	Brazil	Italy
1982	24	Spain	Italy	W.Germany	Poland	France
1986	24	Mexico	Argentina	W.Germany	France	Belgium
1990	24	Italy	W.Germany	Argentina	Italy	England
1994	24	USA	Brazil	Italy	Sweden	Bulgaria
1998	32	France	France	Brazil	Croatia	Netherlands
2002	32	Korea/Japan	Brazil	Germany	Turkey	S.Korea
2006	32	Germany	Italy	France	Germany	Portugal
2010	32	S.Africa	Spain	Netherlands	Germany	Uruguay
2014	32	Brazil	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD