<Tr> <Th> Fair play award </Th> <Td> Colombia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> ← 2010 2018 → </Td> </Tr> <P> The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organized by FIFA . It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting rights in 2007 . It was the second time that Brazil staged the competition, the first being in 1950, and the fifth time that it was held in South America . </P> <P> Thirty - one national teams advanced through qualification competitions to join the host nation in the final tournament (with Bosnia and Herzegovina as only debutant). A total of 64 matches were played in 12 venues located in as many host cities across Brazil . For the first time at a World Cup finals, match officials used goal - line technology, as well as vanishing spray for free kicks . FIFA Fan Fests in each host city gathered a total of 5 million people, and the country received 1 million visitors from 202 countries . Every World Cup - winning team since the first tournament in 1930--Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Uruguay--qualified for this tournament . Spain, the title holders, were eliminated at the group stage, along with England and Italy . Uruguay were eliminated in the round of 16, and France exited in the quarter - finals . Host nation Brazil, who had won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, lost to Germany 7--1 in the semi-finals and eventually finished in fourth place . </P>

Where was the world cup played in 2014