Soccer Facts!

Latin America

Did you know- Latin America, from Mexico to Argentina, has hosted the FIFA World Cup six times: Uruguay (1930), Brazil (1950), Chile (1962), Mexico (1970 & 1986), and Argentina (1978). However, it has won the international title nine times: Uruguay (1930, 1950), Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002), and Argentina (1978 & 1986).

Costa Rica (Central America)

Did you know- At the FIFA Under-20 World Championship in Nigeria (Africa) in April 1999, Costa Rica beat Germany 2-1. It was one of the biggest surprises in the global event.

Guinea (West Africa)

Did you know- On July 31, 1985, Guinea defeated the United States 1-o at the FIFA Under-16 World Tournament in the People's Republic of China.

Bermuda (Caribbean)

Did you know- By 1967, Bermuda, one of the smallest British dependencies on the Caribbean, finished second in the men's football at the V Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada).

America (North America)

Did you know- The United States of America finished sixth in the men's football at the VIII Pan American Games in San Juan de Puerto Rico, behind Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico.

Qatar (Middle East)

Did you know- The X FIFA Under-20 World Championship was held in Qatar's capital of Doha in the mid-1990s.

Brazil (South America)

Did you know- As one of the leading nations in the sport of football, Brazil has had several coaches in the world: Carlos Parreira (South Africa), Alexander Guimaraes (Costa Rica), Arthur Antunes Coimbra (Japan), Marcos Paqueta (Saudi Arabia), and Waldyr Pereira (Peru).

Suriname (South America)

Did you know- In the latter half of the 20th century, Suriname, a Dutch-speaking nation in South America, has provided the Netherlands with some of its best footballers: Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Aron Winter, Edson Braafheid, Stanley Menzo, and Jimmy Floyd Hosselbaink.

Black Africa

Did you know- When African republics boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal (Canada), Nigeria, Zambia and Ghana did not have the opportunity to compete in soccer.

Paraguay (South America)

Did you know- By 2004 Paraguay, a soccer-loving country in the Americas, won its first Olympic medal when the national team earned a silver medal in the Summer Games in Athens, the capital city of Greece. This Spanish-speaking country was one of the last Latin American nations to win a medal in Olympic history.

Egypt (North Africa)

Did you know- On July 14, 1987, Egypt beat Canada, the country host, 3-0 at the Second FIFA Under-16 World Championship.

El Salvador (Central America)

Did you know- ES has competed twice in the FIFA World Cup in the 20th century. It first competed in June 1970 and then not again until June 1982. At the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador, the host country's team won the gold medal.

Tunisia (North Africa)

Did you know- Tunisia, a soccer-loving nation in North Africa, made history when it hosted the First Under- 20 World Cup in 1977. The champion was the USSR (now Russia), followed in order by Mexico (runner-up), Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Honduras, Spain, France, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Ivory Coast (today Cote d'Ivoire), Austria, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: Freelance writer. Alejandro is author of a host of articles/essays about over 220 countries and dependencies (and American States as well), from ecology, history, tourism and national heroes to Olympic sports, foreign relations, and wildlife. In addition, he has published some books on women's rights, among them "History of the Women in America" and "Famous Americans."

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