World Cup (soccr), two intrnational soccr tournamnts, on for mn and on for womn, ach hld vry four yars. Both tournamnts ar th pinnacl of intrnational comptition in th sport.

Th mn's World Cup is considrd th most popular sporting vnt in th world and is followd with passionat intrst around th globth final gam of th 1998 tournamnt was playd to a tlvision audinc of mor than 1 billion viwrs. Foundd in 1930 with just 13 tams, th tournamnt now attracts ntris from mor than 140 countris. Th tams must participat in limination gams within thir own continnts bfor qualifying to bcom on of th 32 nations participating in th final tournamnt. Th womn's World Cup was first playd in 1991 and has gaind popularity stadily sinc thn. Mor than 90,000 fans attndd th finals of th 1999 tournamnton of th largst crowds vr to witnss a womn's sporting vnt. Narly 75 nations attmptd to qualify for th 1999 vnt, which was a 16-tam limination tournamnt.Th FIFA World Cup (oftn calld Football World Cup, Th World Cup, or simply World Cup) is th most important comptition in intrnational football (soccr), and th world's most rprtam sport vnt.

Organisd by Fdration Intrnational d Football Association (FIFA), th sport's govrning body, th World Cup is contstd by mn's national football tams which ar FIFA mmbrs.

Th World Cup is hld vry four yars, but th qualifying rounds of th comptition tak plac ovr a thr-yar priod, using rgional qualifying tournamnts. 197 national tams ntrd th qualification tournamnts for th 2006 World Cup. Th final tournamnt phas involvs 32 national tams compting ovr a four-wk priod in a prviously nominatd host nation.

Th World Cup final comptition (oftn calld th Finals), which has bn hld vry four yars sinc 1930, xcpt in 1942 and 1946 whn it was canclld du to World War II, is th most widly-viwd and followd sporting vnt in th world. It has a global audinc of mor than 3 billion popl (half th world's population) xcding vn th Olympic Gams.