The (Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft) FIFA World Cup takes place every four years, two years after and before the (Fußball-Europameisterschaft) UEFA European Championship.
The World Cup competition is a (vierjährlich) quadrennial event that first took place in Uruguay in 1930. It is sponsored by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) – the world’s football association. The last World Cup was held in Japan and Korea in 2002, where Brazil became the world cup holder. Germany is the host of this year’s World Cup.
The 32 countries qualified for the World Cup first play in groups (A-H). The teams are awarded 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and no point for a loss. The best two teams of each group advance to the Round of 16. The best eight of them move on to the quarter final, of which the top four teams get a place in the semi final. The winner of the World Cup 2006 is the team that wins the World Cup final on Sunday, July 9 in Berlin.
Winners of the FIFA World Cup
- 1930 Uruguay
- 1934 Italy
- 1938 Italy
- 1950 Uruguay
- 1954 West Germany
- 1958 Brazil
- 1962 Brazil
- 1966 England
- 1970 Brazil
- 1974 West Germany
- 1978 Argentina
- 1982 Italy
- 1986 Argentina
- 1990 West Germany
- 1994 Brazil
- 1998 France
- 2002 Brazil
Teams / Nations
| The countries playing in the FIFA World Cup 2006 are: | ||||
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| Group A: |
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| Group B: |
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| Group C: |
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| Group D: |
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| Group E: |
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| Group F: |
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| Group G: |
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| Group H: |
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Matches
Times given in German local time. In Germany it’s 09:16 (Wednesday, 24th April) now.
Semi-finals
| Date | Match | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 July | Germany  | 21:00 |  Italy |
Dortmund |
| 5 July | Portugal  | 21:00 |  France |
Munich |
Quarter-finals
| Date | Match | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 June | Germany | 5 : 3 |  Argentina |
Berlin |
| " | Italy | 3 : 0 |  Ukraine |
Hamburg |
| 1 July | England  | 1 : 3 | Portugal |
Gelsenkirchen |
| " | Brasil  | 0 : 1 | France |
Frankfurt |
Round of 16
| Date | Match | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 June | Germany | 2 : 0 |  Sweden |
Munich |
| " | Argentina | 2 : 1 |  Mexico |
Leipzig |
| 25 June | England | 1 : 0 |  Ecuador |
Stuttgart |
| " | Portugal | 1 : 0 |  Netherlands |
Nuremberg |
| 26 June | Italy | 1 : 0 |  Australia |
Kaiserslautern |
| " | Switzerland  | 0 : 3 | Ukraine |
Cologne |
| 27 June | Brasil | 3 : 0 |  Ghana |
Dortmund |
| " | Spain  | 1 : 3 | France |
Hanover |
Qualifying Rounds
| Date | Group A | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 June | Germany | 4 : 2 |  Costa Rica |
Munich |
| " | Poland  | 0 : 2 | Ecuador |
Gelsenkirchen |
| 14 June | Germany | 1 : 0 | Poland |
Dortmund |
| 15 June | Ecuador | 3 : 0 | Costa Rica |
Hamburg |
| 20 June | Ecuador | 0 : 3 | Germany |
Berlin |
| " | Costa Rica | 1 : 2 | Poland |
Hanover |
| Date | Group B | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 June | England | 1 : 0 |  Paraguay |
Frankfurt |
| " | Trinidad and Tobago  | 0 : 0 | Sweden |
Dortmund |
| 15 June | England | 2 : 0 | Trinidad and Tobago |
Nuremberg |
| " | Sweden | 1 : 0 | Paraguay |
Hamburg |
| 20 June | Sweden | 2 : 2 | England |
Cologne |
| " | Paraguay | 2 : 0 | Trinidad and Tobago |
Kaiserslautern |
| Date | Group C | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 June | Argentina | 2 : 1 |  Côte d’Ivoire |
Hamburg |
| 11 June | Serbia-Montenegro  | 0 : 1 | Netherlands |
Leipzig |
| 16 June | Argentina | 6 : 0 | Serbia and Montenegro |
Gelsenkirchen |
| " | Netherlands | 2 : 1 | Côte d'Ivoire |
Stuttgart |
| 21 June | Netherlands | 0 : 0 | Argentina |
Frankfurt |
| " | Côte d'Ivoire | 3 : 2 | Serbia and Montenegro |
Munich |
| Date | Group D | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 June | Mexico |
3 : 1 |  Iran |
Nuremberg |
| " | Angola  |
0 : 1 | Portugal |
Cologne |
| 16 June | Mexico |
0 : 0 | Angola |
Hanover |
| 17 June | Portugal |
2 : 0 | Iran |
Frankfurt |
| 21 June | Portugal |
2 : 1 | Mexico |
Gelsenkirchen |
| " | Iran |
1 : 1 | Angola |
Leipzig |
| Date | Group E | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 June | Italy |
2 : 0 | Ghana |
Hanover |
| " | United States  |
0 : 3 |  Czech Republic |
Gelsenkirchen |
| 17 June | Italy |
1 : 1 | United States |
Kaiserslautern |
| " | Czech Republic |
0 : 2 | Ghana |
Cologne |
| 22 June | Czech Republic |
0 : 2 | Italy |
Hamburg |
| " | Ghana |
2 : 1 | United States |
Nuremberg |
| Date | Group F | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 June | Australia |
3 : 1 |  Japan |
Kaiserslautern |
| 13 June | Brazil |
1 : 0 | Croatia |
Berlin |
| 18 June | Brazil |
2: : 0 | Australia |
Munich |
| " | Japan |
0 : 0 | Croatia |
Nuremberg |
| 22 June | Japan |
1 : 4 | Brazil |
Dortmund |
| " | Croatia |
2 : 2 | Australia |
Stuttgart |
| Date | Group G | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 June | South Korea  |
2 : 1 |  Togo |
Frankfurt |
| " | France |
0 : 0 | Switzerland |
Stuttgart |
| 18 June | France |
1 : 1 | South Korea |
Leipzig |
| 19 June | Togo |
0 : 2 | Switzerland |
Dortmund |
| 23 June | Togo |
0 : 2 | France |
Cologne |
| " | Switzerland |
2 : 0 | South Korea |
Hanover |
| Date | Group H | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 June | Spain |
4 : 0 | Ukraine |
Leipzig |
| " | Tunisia  |
2 : 2 |  Saudi Arabia |
Munich |
| 19 June | Spain |
3 : 1 | Tunisia |
Stuttgart |
| " | Saudi Arabia |
0 : 4 | Ukraine |
Hamburg |
| 23 June | Saudi Arabia |
0 1 | Spain |
Kaiserslautern |
| " | Ukraine |
1 : 0 | Tunisia |
Berlin |