The clash between Tunisia and Japan, at 1am this Sunday (Brasília time), in Group F, will be the thousandth game in the history of the World Cups, which had their first edition in 1930, in Uruguay, won by the host team.
This year’s edition, hosted in partnership by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the 23rd in the 96 years of the competition organized by FIFA.
Until the United States’ 2-0 victory over Australia, this Friday (19), the entity scored 2,811 goals in 993 games, with an average of 2.83 goals per game.
As the only team to compete in all editions of the World Cup, Brazil has played more games: 115, just two more than Germany. In third is Argentina, with 83.
Among players, Argentine star Lionel Messi leads with 27 matches, followed by Germans Lothar Matthäus (25) and Miroslav Klose (24).
In relation to the highest scoring countries, Brazil and Germany compete for leadership in each edition. Currently, it is the Europeans who are ahead, with 239, compared to Brazil’s 238 (before the duel against Haiti).
In a note published on its official website, FIFA highlights the importance of the thousandth game to explain the expansion of football around the world, which can be seen in the current edition, the first with the participation of 48 teams.
The duel between Tunisians and Japanese is an example of this internationalization of the sport, seen in this way by both countries.
“Being able to participate in the 1,000th World Cup match is truly symbolic,” Tunisia midfielder and captain Ellyes Skhiri told FIFA.
“Playing in a World Cup match is always an honor and a dream come true, but participating in the thousandth is very special. It makes you appreciate the entire history of this competition: the greatest matches, the greatest players who wrote the most incredible chapters in the history of the World Cup,” said the player.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu also expressed his honor at playing the 1,000th game in Monterrey, Mexico.
“I believe that football is the most popular sport in the world and one of the most powerful ways to connect people around the globe,” Moriyasu told FIFA’s website. “In this World Cup too, we are already witnessing fans from different countries interacting with each other, regardless of nationality. I believe that football connects people, nations and cultures and that, ultimately, it has the power to bring peace.”
The 100th match of the competition was the bronze medal match between Austria and Uruguay at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, which ended with West Germany’s first title.
The 500th match was played by four teams, due to the simultaneous schedules of the group stage of the 1994 edition, played by 24 teams in the USA: Argentina x Bulgaria and Greece x Nigeria.
Brazil 115
Germany 113
Argentina 89
Italy 83
England 75
Lionel Messi (ARG) 27
Lothar Matthäus (ALE) 25
Miroslav Klose (ALE) 24
Top scoring teams
Germany 239
Brazil 238
Argentina 155
France 139
Italy 128
World Cup Top Scorers
Miroslav Klose (ALE) by Messi (ARG) 16
Ronaldo 15
Mbappé (FRA) and Gerd Müller (ALE) 14
Youngest player in a final
17 years and 249 days
Skin
Brazil 5 x 2 Sweden, in 1958
Youngest player to score a goal
17 years and 239 days
Skin
Brazil 1 x 0 Wales, in 1958
Youngest player to play in the World Cup
17 years and 41 days
Norman Whiteside (Northern Ireland)
Yugoslavia 0 x 0 Northern Ireland, in 1982
Oldest player in a final
40 years and 133 days
Dino Zoff (ITA)
Italy 3 x 1 Germany, in 1982
Oldest player to score a goal
42 years and 39 days
Roger Milla (CAM)
Russia 6 x 1 Cameroon, in 1994
Oldest player to play in the World Cup
45 years and 161 days
Essam Elhadary (EGT)
South Africa 2 x 1 Egypt, in 2018
*Until the United States 2 x 0 Australia game, this Friday (19)
