World Cup Fun Facts + All 32 National Team Nicknames

Every four years, the eyes of the world turn toward the World Cup, the premier tournament of the globe’s most popular sport. Although interest in this year’s event may be down since the Americans (along with traditional powers Italy, Chile, and the Netherlands) failed to qualify for this edition, soccer remains the second most played sport among youths in the United States. To prepare for the 2018 World Cup which kicks off June 14 in Moscow, Russia, check out these 10 World Cup fun facts, including all 32 national team nicknames!

1. Soccer is a form of slang terminology that is an abbreviation of association football, where “soc” is derived from the word “association.” The governing body of the World Cup is FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association.

2. The Jules Rimet Trophy, which was the original World Cup trophy, was stolen in 1966 and found by a dog named Pickles. It was permanently awarded to Brazil in 1974 after it became the first country to win the cup three times. In 1983, it was stolen again and has never been seen since.

3. Depicting two humans holding up Earth in a moment of exuberant victory, the current World Cup trophy is made of 11 pounds of 18 carat gold and would weigh over 150 pounds if it wasn’t hollow. It is a traveling trophy with previous winners receiving a bronze, gold-plated replica of the trophy.

4. In 2014, just over 1 billion people watched the championship match of the World Cup. By comparison, “only” an estimated 103.4 million people watched this year’s Super Bowl.

5. Of this year’s 32 teams, Iceland and Panama are the only two teams making their World Cup debuts. Senegal is making just its second appearance, while Egypt is playing in its third tournament. While this year marks the fifth World Cup appearance for Peru, it’s their first since 1982. Brazil (with its record five championships) is the only team to qualify for all 21 events.

6. With 335,025 citizens, Iceland is the least populous country in this year’s tournament. In fact, Iceland has fewer people than every U.S. state, and Wyoming and Vermont are the only states that don’t have at least twice as many people as Iceland. With a population of nearly 3.5 million, Uruguay is the second smallest participant.

7. By landmass, Belgium is the smallest country in this year’s World Cup, followed by Switzerland, Denmark, Costa Rica, and Croatia. The host country of Russia could squeeze 540 Belgiums within its borders.

8. With Russia as this year’s host country, the World Cup is officially being played on two continents. The host cities range from Kaliningrad, sandwiched in Eastern Europe between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea, to Yekaterinburg in Asia on the far side of the Ural Mountains. The distance between the two cities is just under 1,900 miles, which is roughly the distance between Los Angeles and Chicago.

9. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the execution of the Romanov family at the command of Vladimir Lenin, who led Russia’s communist revolution. The Romanovs were the last sovereign family of the Russian Empire. The family’s youngest daughter Anastasia became well-known for a false rumor of her escape.

10. Like professional teams in the U.S. have mascots, nicknames of animals and national colors are also popular in the soccer world. Check out the list of nicknames of all 32 participants this year:

Argentina: La Albiceleste (The White and Blue)
Australia: Socceroos
Belgium: De Rode Duivels (The Red Devils)
Brazil: Selecao (The Squad)
Colombia: Los Cafeteros (The Coffee Growers)
Costa Rica: Los Ticos (colloquial term for Costa Ricans)
Croatia: Vatreni (The Blazers)
Denmark: Danish Dynamite
Egypt: The Nubian Pharaohs
England: The Three Lions
France: Les Bleus (The Blues)
Germany: Nationalelf (The National Eleven)
Iceland: Strakarnir Okkar (Our Boys)
Iran: Team Melli
Japan: Samurai Blue
Mexico: El Tri (the tricolor: green, white, and red)
Morocco: Atlas Lions
Nigeria: Super Eagles
Panama: Los Canaleros (The Canal Men)
Peru: La Blanquirroja (The White and Red)
Poland: Bialo-czerwoni (The White and Reds)
Portugal: The Navigators
Russia: Sbornaya (The National Team)
Saudi Arabia: The Green Falcons
Senegal: The Lions of Teranga
Serbia: The Eagles
South Korea: The Taegeuk Warriors
Spain: La Furia Roja (The Red Fury)
Sweden: Blagult (The Blue-Yellow)
Switzerland: Die Nati (The National Team)
Tunisia: The Eagles of Carthage
Uruguay: La Celeste (The Sky Blue)