When did the FIFA World Cup begin?

The FIFA World Cup, a global sports festival that excites the entire world, is now approaching its final stages. With the championship match just ahead, attention is growing not only among soccer fans but also from the general public.

Now recognized as the world's premier soccer tournament, the World Cup's history began with the first tournament held in 1930 in Uruguay, South America. The driving force behind its creation was Jules Rimet, the third president of FIFA. In that historic first tournament, host nation Uruguay defeated Argentina to become the inaugural champions.

This time, we conducted a survey on public interest in the World Cup, including viewing methods, what people are looking forward to, and championship predictions before the tournament began. As we approach the final, let's reflect on the expectations and predictions people had before the kickoff.

Navit conducted a survey titled 'About the World Cup' targeting 1,000 monitor members across Japan, primarily housewives.

・Survey Period: June 2026 ・Survey Organization: Navit Co., Ltd. ・Target Respondents: Men and women aged 20 to 80 ・Valid Responses: 1,000 ・Survey Method: Web

Approximately 40% of people are interested in the World Cup

[Survey] How interested are you in the World Cup? (Target: 1,000 people)

Regarding the question 'How interested are you in the World Cup?', 11.9% answered 'very interested' and 27.3% answered 'somewhat interested', totaling 39.2% of respondents expressing interest.

Even before the tournament began, about 40% of people showed interest in the World Cup. As we approach the final, it's likely that even more people are now paying attention.

Television is the main way to watch the World Cup

[Survey] How do you plan to watch the World Cup? (Multiple choices allowed) *Total responses: 1,264

When asked 'How do you plan to watch the World Cup?' with multiple choices allowed, 'television' ranked first with 439 respondents, followed by 'news' with 138, and 'highlight videos' with 82.

What people are most looking forward to in the World Cup is 'Japan's matches'

[Survey] What are you most looking forward to in the World Cup? (Multiple choices allowed) *Total responses: 1,342

When asked 'What are you most looking forward to in the World Cup?' with multiple choices allowed, 'Japan's matches' received 440 responses, followed by 'match results and rankings' with 110, and 'matches between strong teams' with 99.

It's clear that many people were already anticipating Japan's matches before the tournament began. Looking back now, just before the final, this high level of interest shows a strong desire to support the Japanese national team throughout the World Cup.

The predicted winning team in the World Cup is 'Japan'

[Survey] Question: Which team do you think will win the World Cup? (Target: 1,000 people) *This survey was conducted before the tournament began. Countries that have since been eliminated are included in the responses.

Regarding the question 'Which team do you think will win the World Cup?', 'Japan' received 13.1%, followed by 'Brazil' at 8.5% and 'Spain' at 4.8%.

Before the tournament, expectations for the Japanese team were the highest, with votes also going to powerhouse nations like Brazil and Spain. Additionally, Argentina, France, and England ranked highly. Looking back now, just before the final, it's enjoyable to compare these pre-tournament predictions with the actual tournament progression.

World Cup memories passed down across generations

This time, we included an open-ended question: 'Please freely share any memories or notable episodes you have related to the World Cup.' Below are some selected responses in their original wording.

'I don't usually watch soccer much, but during the World Cup, I get invested and cheer. Watching Japan's matches with my family, we all celebrated when a goal was scored, and I could hear similar cheers from neighbors, which made me smile. It felt heartwarming to know everyone was cheering with the same feelings.'

'During the Japan-Korea co-hosted World Cup, I had the opportunity to volunteer after attending a pre-event training session. I worked as an information guide for international visitors at Shin-Osaka Station and received exclusive volunteer goods like the World Cup theme song CD, waist pouch, file, and pen, which I still treasure today.'

'The recent image of Mitoma's one millimeter—his never-give-up attitude was amazing.'

'Without a doubt, the 'Doha Tragedy,' when Japan missed its first World Cup appearance, is my most memorable moment. That incident sparked my interest in soccer.'

In this open-ended section, many responses mentioned memories of cheering for Japan's matches with family and friends, as well as the excitement of the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup. Additionally, many recalled memorable moments like Mitoma's one-millimeter play and the Doha Tragedy, highlighting that the World Cup is a special tournament passed down across generations.

Looking back at pre-tournament expectations as we head to the final

This survey examined public interest in the World Cup, what people were looking forward to, pre-tournament championship predictions, and memorable episodes. Before the tournament began, there was strong anticipation for Japan's matches and performances, showing that the World Cup is a special sports event for many people.

Additionally, in the open-ended responses, various stories were shared about cheering with family and friends, staying up late to watch matches, and remembering past iconic moments. Beyond match results, the shared experiences of joy and disappointment with others also appear to be a major charm of the World Cup.

Now, just before the final, let's reflect on everyone's pre-tournament expectations and predictions, as well as Japan's journey, while also focusing on the intense, world-class battles between the remaining nations.

About the '1,000-Person Survey'

The '1,000-Person Survey' is a questionnaire service with response monitors. Out of a nationwide panel of 63,400 people, primarily housewives, 1,000 respond to surveys. As a web-based service with credit card payment, it operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without disrupting business speed. An assist function with presets allows even first-time users to easily start a survey.

Features of the 1,000-Person Survey

1. Edit questions yourself using the assist function

2. Nationwide panel of 63,400 housewives (aged 20 and above) respond in as little as 2 days

3. Data reports and text mining available (optional)

4. Credit card payment allows surveys to be conducted anytime

1,000-Person Survey Price List

We highly recommend Navit's '1,000-Person Survey'!

★ For more details on the '1,000-Person Survey', click here ★

https://survey.navit-research.jp/

★ To apply for the '1,000-Person Survey', click here ★

https://survey.navit-research.jp/welcome/sign_up

[Company Overview]

Company Name: Navit Co., Ltd.

Representative: President and CEO Yasuyo Fukui

Established: January 2001

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  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: Survey