There were 13 entries then; now it's about 200. But how did we come to have a World Cup?

Whose idea was it?

FIFA, world football's governing body, was formed in 1904 and immediately reserved the right to organise a world championship. Of course, there weren't enough member countries to make it viable then.

The Olympic Games football tournament was the most important international competition until the spread of professionalism demanded that something "bigger" be created.

At the 1929 FIFA Congress all but five of the 30 members voted for a World Cup to be held within a year. Uruguay was soon chosen as the host country and a huge Centenary Stadium was constructed within eight months in Montevideo.

There had been a significant French influence: Jules Rimet was FIFA President, Henri Delaunay proposed an early World Cup resolution, Abel Lafleur sculpted the first trophy and France played in the opening match.

But why Uruguay?

The country celebrated the centenary of their independence in 1930 and they were sufficiently well off financially to both build a grand new stadium and guarantee the expenses of every country taking part.

Only four European countries were persuaded to make the long ocean voyage - Belgium, France, Romania and Yugoslavia - but at that time Uruguay would have been expected to beat any European side.

They had won the Olympic title in Paris in 1924, beating Yugoslavia 7-0 and France 5-1 on the way, and retained it four years later in Amsterdam. Arguably they were "the best team in the world".

Uruguay defeated Argentina 4-2 in the Final and Jules Rimet handed the trophy to Raul Jude, President of the Uruguayan FA, rather than to the winning captain.

The match was played on 30 July 1930 and 36 years later to the day it was England's turn to be crowned World Champions. We hadn't been eligible to play in 1930, having withdrawn from FIFA over "broken time" payments for amateur players.