Interest in international football began in 1872, when the first match between any two countries was played. This was Scotland  Vs England  in  Glasgow.  The idea   of  the  World   Cup  was, however, conceived in France. Its true parents were, indeed, two Frenchmen: Jules Rimet, after whom it was first named and Henri Delaunay. Rimet was the  President of the French Federation FFF for 30 years from its beginning in 1919 and President of FIFA, the Federation International des Football Association, from 1920 to 1954.

The very first meeting  of FIFA  took place in Paris in 1904, and decided that it alone had the right to organise a world championship. This right was not to be exercised for twenty six years. In 1920, at FIFA's Antwerp Congress, concurrent with the Olympic Games, the idea  of a World Cup, previously much debated, was accepted in principle. In 1924, at the Paris Olympics, the FIFA meeting  discussed   it in more serious detail, while a dazzling and hitherto obscure Urguayan side walked off with  the  trophy  of  soccer tournament.

In 1930, the first World Cup Tournament was held in which thirteen countries took part, only three  being from Europe. Today, there are no fewer than 150 nations who are members of FIFA, the world governing body whose headquarters are in Zurich.

The World Cup with its finals every four years following the example of Olympic Games is firmly  encased  in the world of sports and is now simply called the FIFA World Cup. The competition has been held in Uruguay (1930), Italy (1934), France (1938), Brazil (1950), Switzerland (1954), Sweden (1958), Chile (1962),  England  (1966), Mexico  (1970), West Germany (1974), Argentina (1978), Spain (1982) and now is scheduled for Mexico in 1986.

The Department  of  Posts  is  happy to issue a special stamp on the occasion of World Cup Football '86 to be held in Mexico.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India