World Cup
The NationStates World Cup is NationStates' longest-running recurring sporting event, dating back to the spring of 2003. As of this writing, World Cup 17 is currently underway in Kaze Progressa and Vilita.
History
The World Cup was started by Ariddia. At the time, there was no qualifying stage and no ranking system, and match results were determined by rolls of the dice. This was changed by Total n Utter Insanity in World Cup III, as match results were now generated by Excel spreadsheets. Also a qualifying stage was added. This addition allowed more nations to participate at any given time, though to this day only 32 make it to the World Cup proper. After qualifiers were introduced, the host(s) of the Cup, in addition to the few highest-ranked nations, automatically participated without having to qualify. After World Cup V, VI or even VII, this too was changed, and now only the host nation(s) automatically qualify.
In World Cup IV, the RP-bonus was introduced.
The World Cup Committee
The World Cup Committee (WCC) is made up of representatives from all still-existing nations that have hosted a World Cup at some point in the past:
- Ariddia (WC1)
- Total n Utter Insanity (WC3, WC11)
- Tanah Burung (WC5)
- Kingsford (WC6, see note; also WC14)
- Spaam (WC6, see note)
- Lemmitania (WC6, see note; also WC7, WC12)
- Audioslavia (WC7)
- Bedistan (WC8)
- Oglethorpia (WC8, WC14)
- Ravenspire (WC9)
- Europa Brittania (WC9)
- Giant Zucchini (WC10)
- One Red Dot (WC10)
- Kaze Progressa (WC12, WC17)
- Rejistania (WC13, WC16)
- Cockbill Street (WC13)
- Eauz (WC15)
- The Eagle's Nest (WC15)
- Vilita (WC17)
World Cup VI was slated to be hosted by Kingsford and Spaam, but RL issues prevented this from happening and Lemmitania took over hosting of the Cup. Both Kingsford and Spaam are still WCC members.
Ex-nation hosts
The following hosts have since ceased to exist:
- Alasdair I Frosticus (WC2)
- Brazillico (WC4; WC16, see note)
- Al Quds (WC5, see note)
- Warnocks Wizards (WC11)
World Cup V was slated to be hosted by Tanah Burung and Al Quds; however, Al Quds ceased to exist before the Cup could start. A single-elimination playoff was held among the eight fourth-place qualifying finishers to determine who would take the co-hosts' place in the Cup, and Bedistan won the spot. Likewise, World Cup XVI was slated to be hosted by Rejistania and Brazillico, but Brazillico began to become inactive after doing the group draw of the qualifiers and ceased to exist at the end of the world cup. In this case, the Brazillican team was still allowed to participate, but all matches were played in Rejistania.
Past winners
- World Cup I: Crosshill
- World Cup II: Al Quds (see note)
- World Cup III: Giant Zucchini
- World Cup IV: Dennisov
- World Cup V: Brazillico
- World Cup VI: Brazillico
- World Cup VII: Errinundera
- World Cup VIII: Liverpool England
- World Cup IX: Europa Brittania
- World Cup X: Lemmitania
- World Cup XI: Europa Brittania
- World Cup XII: Rejistania
- World Cup XIII: Eauz
- World Cup XIV: Kingsford
- World Cup XV: Commerce Heights
- World Cup XVI: Eauz
Although Total n Utter Insanity stole the Cup and rewrote history saying they won it.
World Rankings
Originally, the NSWC rankings were determined purely on finishing position in the previous Cup. The defending champions would be ranked #1, the team with the best record in qualifying that failed to qualify would be #33, etc. During World Cup IX, the WCC determined that a new ranking system was needed, but it took a while to come to a consensus. WCXI used a ranking system developed by Total n Utter Insanity that depended both on achievements in the last cup and on RPs during it, but there was no RP-bonus. The majority of the World Cup community disliked that approach, mainly because Total n Utter Insanity failed to explain it and because it is highly discouraging for a newb to go 0-0-(number of matches) and the fact that he would be ranked in the top 50 can not really encourage in this cup (this example was exaggerated). Starting with World Cup XII, the KPB ranking system developed by Kaze Progressa with modifications from Bedistan was officially incorporated. The KPB system takes into account the past twelve years of performances in the World Cup and in associated tournaments like the Cup of Harmony, Baptism of Fire, and Under-21 World Cup.
As of the start of World Cup XVII qualifying, the top ten nations in the world are as follows:
