Football fiasco
With 48 teams, this is the largest World Cup ever. How does it compare with the first?
– The inaugural World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930. It should have had 16 teams, in a format which endured until 1970. However, only 13 turned up. Siam (now Thailand) and Japan accepted invitations but then withdrew.
– Egypt were supposed to travel by ship with the French team, via Marseille. However, a storm in the Mediterranean prevented them making the connection.
– England didn’t compete until 1950, when they were eliminated in the group stage after defeats to the US and Spain.
