A football tournament named Copa Rei Fahd, was created in 1992 by Saudi Arabia, in order to honor the emperor of that country.
The idea was to invite to the tournament, the eight teams that participated in continental competitions, bringing them the title of best team on the continent, giving a global character to the event.
However, from 1997 onwards, FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) took charge of the championship, transforming it into a cup, that of the confederations.
The dispute is held in the year before the World Cup, serving to heat up the training of teams considered the favorites, giving them more experience and greater dexterity.
The home team, that is, South Africa, enters the dispute as a guest, as it owns the headquarters of the cup games. In addition to this, Italy was also invited to the event.
The eight teams were divided into two groups (called pots), and teams from the same confederation cannot appear in the same group.
Group A includes teams from South Africa, Iraq, New Zealand and Spain, while group B includes teams representing the United States, Italy, Brazil and Egypt.
The start of the games is scheduled for June 14, with the end of the championship scheduled for June 28, where the champion team will come out, which will arrive as favorites to win the World Cup in 2010.
To date, seven championships have been held and the winning teams are as follows: in 1992, Argentina; in 1995, Denmark; in 1997, Brazil; in 1999, Mexico; in 2001, France; in 2003, France and in 2005, Brazil, with the unforgettable victory over the Argentine team.
The defeat for Brazil had a very indiscreet effect for the “los hermanos”. One of the main newspapers in the country, used to criticizing Brazilian players, ran a publication the next day without a cover, with only the phrase “Sorry for our failure and see you tomorrow”.
By Jussara de Barros
Graduated in Pedagogy
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/africa-do-sul/copa-das-confederacoes-2009.htm