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Home / Key Football Organisations / F.I.F.A. / The First World Cup?
With a stable of national football associations recognising the newly formed governing body, FIFA wanted to follow up by introducing an international football competition in the summer of 1906. The tournament was to consist of four groups with the semi-finals and final being set in Switzerland. Unfortunately this inaugural competition was beset by problems and was generally considered a failure. It led to the FIFA President resigning with the vice – president Victor E. Schneider being left in charge. F.I.F.A. found themselves being increasingly undermined after the tournament failure but soon thereafter had an opportunity to prove themselves once again. ‘The English Ramblers’, a football team from England wanted to play a series of friendlies on the continent without the approval and authorisation of the English Football Association. FIFA supported the English FA in their decision and banned all member clubs from playing against The English Ramblers. The ban stood and showed all member countries and clubs that FIFA did have authority as the world governing body of football. The English FA and others were suitably impressed. This action went some way in cementing a relationship between the oldest football association in the world and FIFA, the world governing body. The concept of a major international tournament was still not settled and hence the English Football Association took over responsibility for the tournament that took place within the context of the Olympic Games in London in 1908. In 1909, the first members from outside Europe joined FIFA. South Africa joined that year whilst Argentina and Chile joined in 1912. USA joined FIFA in the following year, 1913. This really marked the beginning of FIFA’s influence across the globe. F.I.F.A., still in its formulative years was obviously affected by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. At times it appeared as though the association would be one of the many casualties of war and not survive. International matches did still continue to take place under incredible circumstances with players often travelling through enemy territories to play a game. |
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The First World Cup?