WORLDCUP Nexus
The Archive

Data Sources

Where the archive's data comes from, how it is transformed, and how it is licensed.

Primary Source

All historical data in WORLDCUP Nexus comes from the Fjelstul World Cup Database by Joshua C. Fjelstul, Ph.D. — a comprehensive, source-documented dataset covering FIFA World Cup tournaments, teams, players, matches, goals, cards, substitutions, penalty kicks, squads, and awards.

Attribution

Fjelstul World Cup Database by Joshua C. Fjelstul, Ph.D.. © 2023 Joshua C. Fjelstul, Ph.D.. Published under the CC-BY-SA 4.0 license. Source repository: github.com/jfjelstul/worldcup.

Modification notice: WORLDCUP Nexus normalizes the original CSV files into a relational database, derives display fields and aggregate statistics (described below), and serves the result through this site. The underlying data presented here remains subject to the CC-BY-SA 4.0 license.

Secondary and Reference Sources

Used for verification only — never as automated import sources.

  • OpenFootball World Cup data (public domain) — reserved for cross-referencing results and filling confirmed gaps; not currently used in production data.
  • Wikipedia match articles and RSSSF records — manual verification reference only.

How the Data Is Transformed

Every transformation is documented in the repository (docs/DATA_SOURCES.md and docs/DATA_ISSUES.md).

  • Source CSV files are downloaded and cached byte-for-byte, then normalized into PostgreSQL tables with stable slugs and cross-references.
  • Player nationality is derived from squad membership (the most frequent squad team's country) — the source has no nationality column.
  • Tournament winners come from the source's winner field; runners-up are derived from the losing finalist of the decided final.
  • Records and leaderboards are computed from imported events only, and labeled with exactly what the data supports.
  • The search index is generated from the normalized database tables — never from raw source rows.

Known Limitations

  • The imported dataset covers both men's (1930–2022) and women's (1991–2019) World Cups; combined views are labeled "all imported tournaments".
  • Squad membership means a player was selected for a tournament squad — it is not match appearance data. No appearances, caps, or minutes are claimed.
  • Assist, lineup, referee-to-match, and attendance data are not part of the imported subset.
  • Penalty shootout kicks are listed in source order; the source does not record the true kick sequence or distinguish missed from saved.
  • Some source fields may be incomplete; missing values are shown as missing rather than estimated.

Independent Project

WORLDCUP Nexus is an independent historical archive and is not affiliated with FIFA. FIFA and the FIFA World Cup are trademarks of their respective owners; no official endorsement is implied. This site exists for historical reference and research.