Which countries have hosted the World Cup most often?

World Cup fever is upon us again and the fight for the biggest international football trophy is back on our screens. Following the resounding success of the 2018 World Cup, fans and players are hoping for a repeat. Qatar 2022 is a World Cup that is different from previous competitions. Firstly, this year's competition will be played in November, since this is during the coolest period in the region in which it will be played. For this reason, it has caused all manner of disruptions in the standard club football calendar.

There has been some criticism levelled regarding the amount of playing time players are committing to this season. Many players have been injured and some analysts have pointed to the higher volume of games as a potential reason. Many articles and sports blogs you can find online also cite this as a reason for the increase in injuries.

The defending champions, France, for instance, are missing two of their key midfield stars. N'Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba are both missing this year's tournament. After playing such an integral role in 2018, this blow could prove crucial if they fail to retain the Jules Rimet Trophy.

As Qatar prepares to host its first World Cup, we will look at some countries with more experience in hosting the competition. Brazil, France, Italy, Germany and Mexico brought the competition to their shores on two separate occasions.

Brazil

South America has a rich tradition, not only of countries that have hosted the competition but also of those that have won it. Brazil has won the tournament five times, which is a record. They have also hosted the tournament twice. They hosted their first World Cup – which Uruguay won – in 1950. More recently, they hosted the World Cup in 2014 and crashed out in the semifinals against Germany, the eventual winners, who humiliated them 7-1 in front of their supporters. This was a source of great embarrassment for such a legendary footballing nation. They go into this year's tournament as favorites and they will be eager to make amends and prove the doubters wrong.

Mexico

Mexico has also hosted the competition twice, and the Azteca Stadium played host to one of the most iconic games of all time. When Argentina beat England 2-1 in 1986, Maradona summed up his precocious ability.

After handling the ball past Peter Shilton to open the scoring in the world-famous Hand of God incident, he also scored what many consider the greatest goal of all time, which won them the game. They eventually went on to lift the trophy themselves, and Maradona's legacy as one of the game's greatest-ever players is interwoven with his exploits during this tournament in Mexico.

In addition, they hosted the tournament in 1970 when Gordon Banks made a remarkable save from Pele's header, which looked certain to be a goal.

France

France hosted the competition in 1938 and then half a century later in 1998, when their legendary team, including players such as Zinedine Zidane, Marcel Desailly, Patrick Viera and Didier Deschamps, won the competition, beating Brazil 3-0 in the final.

Italy

Italy welcomed the competition to their shores on two occasions, in 1934 and then in 1990. They have won the tournament four times, just one behind Brazil and tied with Germany. The Italians won the World Cup for the first time in 1938 when they brought the trophy home in front of their supporters.

Germany

The formidable Germans are the final country that has hosted the competition twice. Having won the trophy in 2014, their fourth in total, they cemented themselves as the top operators on the international stage. In 1974, they hosted the tournament and lifted it in front of their home supporters. The second time they hosted was in 2006, in a tournament won by their European counterparts, Italy.

The Italians squeezed past France in the final after an intense game that finished after extra time. The game itself, Zinedine Zidane's final game in professional football, is now written into folklore following his infamous headbutt.

Conclusion

All of these teams are tied on two – however, if Mexico hosts the World Cup in 2026, it will become the first country to have hosted the competition on three separate occasions. This will likely be the case, but it will be co-hosted across America, Canada and Mexico. Therefore, the location for the final may be in the United States.

In contrast, Uruguay, Switzerland, Sweden, Chile, England, Argentina, Spain, the United States, Japan, South Korea, South Africa and Russia have each hosted the competition on single occasions.