The World Cup is hosted every four years by a different country, with a qualification process that began in 1934. At that time, 32 countries competed in qualifying tournaments, with 16 qualifying for the final tournament. Argentina refused to participate in the 1934 World Cup due to the fact that most European countries were already in Europe. However, in 1938, Uruguay was the first nation to score a penalty kick in a World Cup final.
After World War I, soccer became an international sport. In the 1924 Olympics in Paris, 22 teams competed. However, soccer was rapidly becoming a professional sport and was at odds with the amateurism of the Olympics. Therefore, two Frenchmen proposed the idea of a World Cup every four years. Uruguay volunteered to host the first World Cup, which took place in 1930.