FIFA World Cup hosts second of these, the 1938 FIFA World Cup, in France was controversial, as the South American countries had been led to understand that the World Cup would rotate between the two continents. Both Argentina and Uruguay thus boycotted the tournament. The first tournament following World War II, held in Brazil in 1950, had three teams withdraw for either financial problems or disagreements with the organization. To avoid any future boycotts or controversy, FIFA began a pattern of alternation between the Americas and Europe, which continued until the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Asia. The system evolved so that the host
Spain at the FIFA World Cup Spain at the FIFA World Cup This is a record of Spain's results at the FIFA World Cup. Spain is one of only eight countries ever to have won the FIFA World Cup, which it did at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in South Africa, the first time the team had reached the final. The team is one of the most present at the World Cup finals, with 15 appearances out of the 21 tournaments. Spain reached fourth-place in 1950, and has reached the quarter-finals four times. The Spanish team has also won three UEFA European Football Championships, in 1964,