The FIFA World Cup reaches a historic milestone as the match between Tunisia and Japan on Saturday becomes the 1,000th game in the tournament's history. From the very first match in 1930 to the present day, landmark encounters have defined the world's biggest football event. Here is a look at all the milestone matches in FIFA World Cup history.
First-Ever FIFA World Cup Match (1930)
On July 13, 1930, two matches simultaneously became the first-ever World Cup fixtures. The USA defeated Belgium 3-0 at Parque Central in Montevideo, while France beat Mexico 4-1 at Estadio de los Pocitos in Montevideo. Lucien Laurent scored the first goal in World Cup history for France in the 19th minute. The USA reached the semifinals and finished third, while France exited in the group stage after injuries and losses to Argentina and Chile.
100th Match (1954)
The 100th World Cup match was the third-place playoff between Austria and Uruguay at Hardturm in Zurich. Austria defeated Uruguay 3-1 to claim the bronze medal.
200th Match (1966 Final)
The 200th match was the final at Wembley Stadium in London, where England beat West Germany 4-2 after extra time. Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick, becoming the first player to do so in a World Cup final, a record later matched by Kylian Mbappe in 2022.
300th Match (1978)
Two simultaneous second-round Group A matches marked the 300th game: Italy 1-0 Austria and Germany 2-2 Netherlands. The Netherlands reached the final but lost 3-1 to Argentina, while Italy beat Austria but lost the third-place match to Brazil.
400th Match (1986)
Argentina defeated Uruguay 1-0 at Estadio Cuauhtemoc in Puebla, with Pedro Pasculli scoring the only goal before halftime. Diego Maradona inspired Argentina to their second title, defeating England, Belgium, and Germany in the knockout stages.
500th Match (1994)
Two Group D matches played simultaneously in Boston and Dallas marked the 500th game: Greece 0-2 Nigeria and Argentina 0-2 Bulgaria. Nigeria topped the group, while Bulgaria upset Argentina, who missed Diego Maradona due to a failed drug test. All three teams advanced to the Round of 16, with Bulgaria reaching the third-place match, losing 4-0 to Sweden.
600th Match (2002)
France and Uruguay played a goalless draw in Group A at Busan, South Korea, the only milestone match to end 0-0. France earned just one point in a disastrous title defense, exiting in the group stage without scoring a goal after losses to Senegal and Denmark.
700th Match (2006 Round of 16)
France defeated Spain 3-1 at Hanover, Germany. Spain took an early lead through David Villa, but goals from Franck Ribery, Patrick Vieira, and Zinedine Zidane secured France's comeback. France reached the final but lost to Italy 5-3 on penalties.
800th Match (2014)
Germany and Ghana drew 2-2 in Group G at Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza. All four goals came within 20 minutes: Mario Gotze scored for Germany, then Andre Ayew and Asamoah Gyan put Ghana ahead, before Miroslav Klose equalized with his 15th World Cup goal (of 16). Ghana exited in the group stage, while Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the final.
900th Match (2018 Final)
The 900th match was the final at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, where France defeated Croatia 4-2. Croatia took the lead through a Mario Mandzukic own goal, but Ivan Perisic equalized. Antoine Griezmann's penalty made it 2-1 before halftime. Second-half strikes from Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe sealed France's second World Cup title, 20 years after their first. Mandzukic also scored for Croatia.
As the 1,000th match approaches, the World Cup continues to create unforgettable moments in football history.
