The 2002 FIFA World Cup was held in Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30, 2002.

Brazil won the 2002 FIFA World Cup after beating Germany, 2-0. The 2006 FIFA World Cup will take place in Germany.

The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), in agreement with the Olympic Football Tournament, established and international soccer tournament in 1924, known as the World Cup. The first tournament in Uruguay in 1924 was a huge success, both athletically and financially.

The 2006 tournament will be much larger than any previous tournament. 32 teams will have qualified, including five from Africa. What would have been unthinkable when the World Cup was first established in 1924 (a semifinalist from Asia or an upset from Senegal), have not only come into fruition but are expected to increase among the global mix of participants in the upcoming, ever-expanding tournament.