The World Cup That Had No Final

The 1950 tournament was decided by a final group stage rather than a knockout final. It happened to end with Uruguay beating hosts Brazil at the Maracanã in front of a crowd estimated near 200,000 — still the largest ever to watch a football match.

Cards Were Invented at a Traffic Light

English referee Ken Aston came up with yellow and red cards while sitting at a stoplight, after confusion over bookings at the 1966 World Cup. They were introduced at the 1970 tournament and are now used in nearly every sport that needs them.