World Cup Firsts

The FIFA World Cup has a rich and fascinating history. At various times, that history has been written by teams and players doing exceptional things before anyone else had the chance. This series looks at those moments, and presents the football kits that are connected with them.

Egypt become the first African nation to play in the World Cup, 1934

Egypt opened the door for African teams to qualify, but the door slammed shut just as quickly due to the competition format...

Brazil and England play out the first goalless match in World Cup history, 1958

We had to wait until the sixth FIFA World Cup before a game finished 0-0, but finish goalless it did between two of the pre-tournament favourites.