Every four years, FIFA stages a spectacle that is all but guaranteed to dominate front pages around the world, mostly thanks to events on the pitch.
Yet, almost inevitably, the limelight is sometimes stolen by moments that transcend the game.
Euronews has taken a look back at ten such occasions that have shaped the history of the World Cup.
1. France '38 - Mussolini's 'blackshirts' triumph
In 1938, just a year before the outbreak of the Second World War, France hosted the third World Cup. It was marked by mounting geopolitical tensions across Europe.
