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World Cup

American

noun

Soccer.

a trophy emblematic since 1930 of the world championship in soccer and competed for every four years by finalists who have won qualifying matches among more than 150 national teams.
the quadrennial championship match for this trophy between the two finalists emergent from 24 qualifying teams, which include regional winners, the defending champion, and the host country team.

World Cup British

noun

an international competition held between national teams in various sports, most notably association football

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has said he will "personally bring a hot dog and a Coke" to anyone who buys a World Cup final ticket for $2m.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Watch every single World Cup match, earn $50,000.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

Scotland again finished second in the British Home Championship, but decided that they would send the national team to the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Whichever team hoists the winning World Cup soccer trophy this summer will be the recipients of a very valuable prize, thanks to rising gold prices.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

Till today, the Falklands’s been like the World Cup.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023