What is the Confederations Cup?

The 2017 Confederations Cup kicks off on June 17. Here’s what you need to know about FIFA’s other quadrennial tournament.

Tuning into a soccer tournament these days can often be confusing. Gold Cup, Confederations Cup, World Cup, Copa America — it’s a lot to keep track of. This summer, the Confederations Cup sees eight teams travel to Russia to compete for the prize. But what’s the origin of the tournament?

The FIFA Confederations Cup began in 1992 as a smaller tournament in Saudi Arabia called the King Fahd Cup. The tournament was a smaller deal at the time and didn’t have the star power it does today. In 1992, there were only four teams, and Argentina beat Saudi Arabia in the final. The second iteration of the King Fahd Cup in 1995 included six teams, with Denmark winning. Given the popularity of the tournament, FIFA took it over and rebranded it as the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1997.

Since 2005, FIFA has held the tournament every four years in the country that hosts the World Cup the very next year. FIFA has the tournament as a sort of practice for the World Cup for the host country. It serves as a learning opportunity for fan patterns and stadium logistics.

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The group of teams that are included in the tournament are the six continental champions, the former World Cup champions and the host nation. The six regional continental groups are UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, OFC, AFC and CAF.

Given there are eight teams in the tournament, it’s split into two round-robin groups. The top two teams in each group then advance into the semifinals. In the last version of the tournament in 2013, host nation Brazil dominated Spain 3-0 in the final to claim the trophy. Russia, who host in 2017, will be hoping for similar luck, though they don’t boast the same talent as that Brazil side.