FIFA was founded in Paris in 1904. The organization came into existence at the dawn of the 20th century when it became apparent that such an organization was necessary to supervise the increasingly high number of matches between teams from different countries. FIFA membership was limited to European nations for the first couple of years, but it expanded to include South Africa in 1908 as well as Chile and Argentina in 1912. Canada and the United States joined in 1913.
FIFA held the first World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay. Thirteen teams competed, and the host nation emerged victorious to earn the distinction of first World Cup winner. With the exception of a 12-year hiatus caused by World War II, FIFA has held the World Cup every four years since the inaugural tournament.