At the Olympics we have UK as a country but at the soccer World Cup they get split up into various countries?
488143
I would suppose it's been customary to have UK as a country, and the Olympic Committee has probably decided year after year to continue with tradition.\n\nSame goes for the World Cup.\n\nIt's all about tradition and history.
330946
Thats a good Question, but the answer is No. The World Cup is the most well known sporting event across the world, and if something like that took place, I beleave it would have a bad effect, not only on the World Cup, but on the sport of Soccer as well, and seeing how soccer is starting to become a huge sport in the states, I hope something like a war between two countrys would not have an affect on such a beautiful sport.
1056343
In Practical terms.. No its not. 'coz in olympics far more countries are involved and all the games, But in Popularity terms.. I think it is
461268
The FIFA World Cup (often called the Football World Cup or simply the World Cup) is the most important competition in international football (soccer), and the world's most representative team sport event. Organised by Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's governing body, the World Cup is contested by the men's national football teams of FIFA member nations. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930 (except in 1942 and 1946 due to World War II), however it is more of an ongoing event as the qualifying rounds of the competition take place over the three years preceding the final rounds.\n\nThe final tournament phase (often called the "Finals") involves 32 national teams competing over a four-week period in a previously nominated host nation, with these games making it the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world.[1] In the 17 tournaments held, only seven nations have ever won the World Cup Finals. Brazil are the current holders, as well as the most successful World Cup team, having won the tournament five times, while Germany and Italy follow with three titles each. The next football World Cup Finals will be held in Germany between June 9 and July 9, 2006.\n\n\n \n\n\n\nHistory\n\nPrevious international competitions\nThe first international football match was played in 1872 between England and Scotland, although at this stage the sport was rarely played outside Great Britain. As football began to increase in popularity, it was held as a demonstration sport (with no medals awarded) at the 1900, 1904 and 1906 Summer Olympics before football became an official competition at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Organised by England's Football Association, the event was for amateur players only and was regarded suspiciously as a show rather than a competition. The England national amateur football team won the event in both 1908 and 1912.\n\nWith the Olympic event continuing to be contested only between amateur teams, Sir Thomas Lipton organised the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy tournament in Turin in 1909. The competition is often described as The First World Cup,[2] and featured the most prestigious professional club sides from Italy, Germany and Switzerland. The first tournament was won by West Auckland, an amateur side from north-east England that was invited after the Football Association refused to be associated with the competition. West Auckland returned in 1911 to successfully defend their title, and were given the trophy to keep forever, as per the rules of the competition.\n\nIn 1914, FIFA agreed to recognise the Olympic tournament as a "world football championship for amateurs"[3], and took responsibility for organising the event. This led the way for the world's first intercontinental football competition, at the 1924 Summer Olympics. Uruguay won the tournament,[4] before winning the gold medal again in 1928, with another South American team, Argentina, taking silver. In 1928 FIFA made the decision to stage their own international tournament. With Uruguay now two-time official football world champions and due to celebrate their centenary of independence in 1930, FIFA named Uruguay as the host country.\n\n\nThe first official World Cup\nThe 1932 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles, did not plan to include football as part of the programme due to the low popularity of football in the United States. FIFA and the IOC also disagreed over the status of amateur players, and so football was dropped from the Games.[5] FIFA president Jules Rimet thus set about organising the inaugural World Cup tournament to be held in Uruguay in 1930. The national associations of selected nations were invited to send a team, but the choice of Uruguay as a venue for the competition meant a long and costly trip across the Atlantic Ocean for European sides. Indeed, no European country pledged to send a team until two months before the start of
1151782
There are previous competitions by zones of the world and there are  places assigned for each zone. for example in my area Notch, Central America and the Caribbean there are four places right now USA, Mexico, Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago, tehre is European Zone, Africa, Asia and Oceania
907519
I don't know. \n\nI have never understood this either.\n\nEngland, Scotland and Northern Ireland all have their own teams, as you say, for the WC & Euro cup for football & rugby, but when it comes to the Olympics we are Great Britain.
721646
Same reason why we have the olympics to re-unify the world and create a link between different countries. It's also just competitive nature and countries wanting to be better than the others, patriotism and supporting your country, take your pick
337999
There are 32 teams in the World Cup: \n\nAngola, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cote D'Ivoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Ukraine, United states of America.\n\nEach team can have a maximum of 23 teams. Usually 3 of those go for goalkeepers, and then 20 to divide among defenders, midfielders, and strikers.
1106448
Countries have to bid to host the world cup, like cities do with the Olympics.  As far as I know the only future WC set for now is South Africa 2010.
1113717
Both.\n\nBrings them together as it promotes fair play, unity, equality, etc. Also lets nations enjoy a "friendly" game against one another.\n\nTears them apart as World Cups have caused many riots in years past which have torn countries apart.
1037258
The World cup works just like the Olympics
10438
The United Kingdom is a country that consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In fact, the official name of the country is "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland."\nGreat Britain is the name of the island northwest of France and east of Ireland that consists of three somewhat autonomous regions: England, Wales and Scotland.\n\nTherefore, England is part of Great Britain, which is part of the United Kingdom. The U.K. includes England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are not countries but the United Kingdom is. The remaining portion of the island of Ireland (that which is not the U.K.'s Northern Ireland) is an independent country called the Republic of Ireland (Eire).
1032915
IT WOULD BE OBVIOUS AFTER THE OPENING ROUND OF THE WORLD CUP THAT ITS SOCCER. ALL OTHER SPORTS ARE EXCLUSIVE TO A FEW COUNTRIES!!
1018943
Hey there Scott\nUnlike Africa which is a Continent made up of many countries, the United States is one country made of 50 states, so they have one team participating as all other countries do. However I'm sure that their players come from a wide range of States in their country. I hope that makes things a little easier to understand. Don't worry, not every one knows everything about other countries. Hope you enjoy the World Cup.
1156314
no uk is NOT a country\nthe UK is made up of 4 countries\nNorthern Ireland\nEngland\nScotland\nWales
417124
Well i wish this issue was put on discussion long time ago, the football fields lost a very talented player who was one of the best in the world but the problem is that he was from wales and they never qualified to the world cup.. he was the great goerge best, he was so talented and nowadays we r missing important players like keane who never qualified to the world cup and therefore i think yes they should do a combined team and this will be better for all, they can all play under the name of the unied kingdom..
1143996
There is in an international body governing this sport, so it's safe to say that soccer is the exactly  same sport in every part of the world, and it is call football instead of soccer,\nThe international governing body is referred to as FIFA, from the French "Federation Internationale de Football Associatif" (International Federation of Associative Football). The FIFA defines a soccer  calendar and the culmination of it is the World Cup which is held every 4 years at alternating locations. Only the best countries of each continent will go to compete, in total there are 32 countries.\nThe 32 countries are divided in 8 groups, with 4 team in each group.\nFirst Phase :\nEach team plays agains the other teams of his group.(Total 3 games per team)\nThe winner and runner-up of the group avance to the next phase.\n\nSecond Phase (group of 16):\nFrom this phase on it's one on one.\nThe winner of the game avance to the next phase\n\nThen the next phases are quaterfinals, semifinals and final.\nIn total, the teams that get to the final plays 7 games.\n\n For the 2006 world cup the 32 countries are:\nGroup 1: Germany, Poland, Ecuado and Costa Rica\nGroup 2: England, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and Sweden\nGroup 3: Argentina, Côte d'Ivoire, Serbia and Montenegro, and Netherlands\nGroup 4: Mexico, Iran, Angola and Portugal\n\nGroup 5: Italy, Ghana , USAand Czech Republic\nGroup 6: Brazil, Croatia, Australia and Japan\nGroup 7: France, Switzerland, Korea Republic and Togo\nGroup 8: Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia