1930: Thirteen teams are invited to play in the first World Cup. Switzerland declines for financial reasons. Hosts Uruguay win the title. A total of 450,000 spectators and 70 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1934: Host Italy win the first World Cup held in Europe. Switzerland is among 16 countries to qualify, but they go out against Czechoslovakia in the quarterfinals. About 390,000 spectators and 70 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1938: Italy win their second title in France. The Swiss land a major upset beating Germany 4-2. But they then lose to Hungary in the quarterfinals. 450,000 spectators and 84 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1950: Switzerland manage a 2-2 draw against hosts Brazil, who go on to lose the final against Uruguay. The Swiss fail to qualify for the quarterfinals. 1,100,000 spectators and 88 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1954: The Swiss squad beats Italy twice during the course of the tournament which takes place in Switzerland. They lose their quarterfinal match against Austria 5-7. The West German victory against Hungary in the final goes down in footballing history as "The miracle of Bern". 889,500 spectators and 140 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1958: Brazil clinch the trophy for the first time. Switzerland fail to qualify for the tournament. French striker Just Fontaine scores 13 goals and still holds the record. 820,000 spectators and 126 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1962: Brazil clinch the title for a second time in Chile. Switzerland lose every single match. 900,000 spectators and 89 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1966: England win the World Cup after a controversial goal against Germany. Switzerland's Gottfried Dienst refereed the final at Wembley stadium. The Swiss squad lose all their matches. 1,630,000 spectators and 89 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1970: Brazil win the title for a third time and they can keep the trophy. Switzerland fail to qualify for the tournament in Mexico. 1,500,000 spectators and 95 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1974: Hosts West Germany take their second title following the 1954 championship. Switzerland miss out again. 1,774,022 spectators and 97 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1978: Argentina are the champions - once again the hosts win the trophy. Switzerland have a very poor campaign and fail to qualify. 1,700,000 spectators and 102 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1982: Spain host the World Cup, but Italy win it. Switzerland watch from the sidelines. 1,850,000 spectators and 146 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1986: Mexico again provide the venue for a World Cup as Colombia fail to meet Fifa's standards. Argentina win their second title also because of Diego Maradona's "hand of God" goal against England. The Swiss fail to qualifiy. 2,400,000 spectators and 132 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1990: West Germany beat defending champions Argentina to lift the cup for a third time. The Swiss watch the tournament in Italy from the sidelines. 2,500,000 spectators and 115 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1994: Brazil clinch their fourth title at the tournament in the United States. Switzerland qualify for the first time in nearly 30 years and are eliminated by Spain in the quarterfinals. 3,570,000 spectators and 141 goals.
swissinfo.ch
1998: The World Cup takes place in France and is won by the hosts who beat Brazil. Switzerland have to stay at home. 2,775,400 spectators and a record 171 goals.
swissinfo.ch
2002: Brazil make it five at the World Cup hosted jointly by South Korea and Japan. The defending champions automatically qualify for the tournament for the last time. The Swiss miss out. 2,705,134 spectators and 155 goals.
swissinfo.ch
2006: The trophy goes to Italy, for the fourth time, at the tournament in Germany. The Swiss get to the last 16 but lose to Ukraine after a penalty shootout in which they fail to score once. 3,359,439 spectators and 147 goals.
swissinfo.ch
2010: The first World Cup held in Africa. Switzerland - one of 32 teams to qualify for the tournament - play their first match on June 16. They face Spain, Chile and Honduras.
swissinfo.ch
Everything you always wanted to know about the history of the football World Cup.
This content was published on
Who won what when and how often? Who’s the top scorer? Where was the biggest crowd? How often did Switzerland qualify? (Pictures: Keystone/Text: Geraldo Hoffmann/swissinfo.ch)
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.