The World Military Cup is an international association football competition contested by national military teams. Organized by the International Military Sports Council (CISM), the tournament was first held in 1946 under the title World Military Championship. The name was changed to the World Military Cup ahead of the 2001 edition.

In 1995, the Military World Games—a multi-sport event for military personnel—was established, and the football championship became an integrated discipline within the Games. Despite this integration, the football tournament continues to be organized as a standalone biennial event under CISM governance.

A counterpart competition for women, the World Military Women's Championship, was established in 2001. Both tournaments remain key fixtures in CISM's sporting calendar, promoting camaraderie and sportsmanship among armed forces globally.

History The inaugural World Military Championship was hosted in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) in 1946, organized by the Armed Forces Sports Council (AFSC). In 1948, the AFSC was restructured and renamed the International Military Sports Council (CISM), which has governed the competition since. Great Britain won the first title, defeating host nation Czechoslovakia in the final, where the latter finished as runners-up.

Format Since 2013, the World Military Cup has been restructured into two distinct competitions. The CISM World Football Cup, held on a four-year cycle, debuted in its current format in 2013. Its second edition took place from 23 to 28 January 2017 in Muscat, Oman.

Separately, the Military World Games—a multi-sport event organized by the International Military Sports Council (CISM)—features a football tournament branded as the Military World Championship. This competition also follows a four-year cycle, running concurrently with the Games.

Qualifications Teams qualify for the World Military Cup through continental tournaments organized by each confederation under CISM governance. The qualifying competitions are as follows: ConfederationChampionshipAsiaAsian Military Qualifying TournamentAfricaAfrican Military CupAmericasAmericas Military CupEuropeEuropean Military Qualifying Tournament These tournaments determine the regional representatives for the final World Military Cup event.

Results Men Military World Championship A football tournament has been held as part of the Military World Games every four years since 1995. This competition is recognized as part of the World Military Championship.

YearHostFinalThird Place MatchChampionsScoreRunners-UpThird PlaceScoreFourth Place1946Details Prague1947Details Hanover1948Details Copenhagen1949Details Lille / Paris3–13–11950Details The Hague2–14–4(France win on corners)1951Details Cairo3–13–11952Details Athens3–21–01953Details Ankara / Istanbul 1954Details Brussels5–11–01955Details Rome1956Details Lisbon1957Details Buenos Aires1958Details Lisbon2–14–31959Details Florence 1960Details Oran 1961Details Ankara1962Details Seoul1st leg: 3–12nd leg: 1–21963Details Athens / Saloniki and 1964Details Ankara / Istanbul and 1965Details Gijón3–02–11966Details Rabat1st leg: 2–12nd leg: 0–0 and 1967Details Brussels and 1968Details Baghdad4–1 and 1969Details Athensw/o1–11972Details Baghdad1973Details Brazzaville1975Details Hagen1–06–5 1977Details Damascus0–0 (5–4 p)3–1 1979Details Kuwait City0–0 (4–3 p)3–11981Details Doha1–02–01983Details Kuwait City2–01987Details Arezzo2–04–11989Details Caserta3–01–01991Details Arnhem / Apeldoorn3–3 (5–4 p)1–01993Details Rabat3–2 3–01995Details Rome *1–01–01997Details Tehran1–03–2 (a.e.t.)1999Details Zagreb *3–3(5–4 p)2–02001Details Cairo3–05–02003Details Catania *3–23–22005Details Warendorf1–03–12007Details Hyderabad *2–02–02011Details Rio de Janeiro * 1–01–0 (a.e.t.)2015Details Mungyeong * 2–0 (a.e.t.) 3–2 2019Details Wuhan * 3–1 4–0

Round-robin tournament determined final standings. Only three teams in the final group. Tournament held in French Algeria. * Event integrated into the Military World Games.

CISM World Football Cup YearHostFinalThird Place MatchChampionsScoreRunners-UpThird PlaceScoreFourth Place2013Details Baku3–21–02017Details Muscat0–0 (4–1 p)2 – 2 (6–5 p)

Teams reaching the top four Team Titles Runners-up Third place Fourth place Total 8 (1950, 1951, 1956, 1959, 1973, 1987, 1989, 1991)4 (1955, 1972, 1979, 1997)3 (1957, 1977, 2003) — 156 (1952, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1997)3 (1961, 1999, 2001)3 (1953, 1960, 1972) — 125 (1993, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007)3 (1951, 2003, 2011)3 (1955, 1956, 1987)2 (2015, 2017) 135 (1948, 1949, 1957, 1964, 1995)1 (1958)6 (1950, 1951, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1997)6 (1954, 1960, 1977, 1981, 1991, 1993) 184 (1955, 1961, 1966, 1967)7 (1949, 1953, 1954, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1968)2 (1962, 1991)4 (1952, 1956, 1963, 1972) 174 (1947, 1953, 1954, 1960)6 (1948, 1950, 1952, 1963, 1967, 1983)3 (1946, 1949, 1989)4 (1951, 1958, 1965, 1987) 144 (1972, 1977, 1979, 2013)1 (1973) — — 52 (2011, 2015)2 (1969, 2005)1 (2019) — 52 (1981, 1983)1 (1977)3 (1973, 1975, 1979) — 61 (1975)2 (1987, 1991)2 (1964, 1993)2 (1999, 2005) 71 (1958)2 (1956, 1959)1 (1954) — 41 (2017)2 (2013, 2015) — — 31 (2003) —2 (2001, 2007)1 (2019) 41 (1965) — —2 (1966, 1968) 31 (2019) — — — 11 (1946) — — — 1 —3 (1966, 1989, 1993)2 (1965, 1967) — 5 —3 (1981, 2017, 2019)1 (2005)2 (2007, 2011) 6 —2 (1947, 1975)4 (1952, 1958, 1966, 1968)6 (1949, 1950, 1955, 1961, 1964, 1967) 12 —1 (1995)1 (1969) — 2 —1 (1962)2 (1995, 2015) — 3 —1 (2007) —1 (1975) 2 —1 (1957) — — 1 —1 (1946) — — 1 — —2 (1947, 1948) — 2 — —2 (1981, 2017) — 2 — —1 (2011)1 (1957) 2 — —1 (1999) — 1 — —1 (2013) — 1 — — —1 (1979) 1 — — —1 (1973) 1 — — —1 (1995) 1 — — —1 (2001) 1 — — —1 (2003) 1 — — —1 (1948) 1 — — —1 (1989) 1 — — —1 (1997) 1 — — —1 (2013) 1

Women YearHost nationFinalThird Place MatchWinnerScoreSecond PlaceThird PlaceScoreFourth Place2001Details2002Details Kingston1–04–02003Details Warendorf7–31–02004Details Fort Eustis3–0 3–12006Details Assen2–06–4 2007Details Hyderabad *5–01–02008Details Ede3–02–12009Details Biloxi 1–0 2–12010Details Cherbourg-Octeville 1–0 2–12011Details Rio de Janeiro *5–02–02012Details Warendorf 1–0 2–02015Details Mungyeong *2–1 3–02016Details France2–13–3 (4–3 p)2018Details Fort Bliss3–23–12019Details Wuhan *2–13–12020 YaoundéCancelledCancelled2022Details Spokane2–13–02023Details Bunschoten-Spakenburg1–04–02025 PyongyangCancelledCancelled2027Details Charlotte

Round-robin tournament determined final standings. * Event integrated into the Military World Games.

Teams reaching the top four Team Titles Runners-up Third place Fourth place Total 5 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2018)1 (2016)2 (2012, 2019) — 84 (2001, 2003, 2008, 2012)4 (2002, 2004, 2007, 2011)1 (2006) — 92 (2016, 2022)3 (2008, 2015, 2023)2 (2007, 2010)5 (2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2018) 122 (2004, 2006)2 (2001, 2003)4 (2002, 2008, 2009, 2011)4 (2007, 2010, 2015, 2023) 122 (2007, 2019) — — — 21 (2023)4 (2009, 2010, 2012, 2018)3 (2015, 2016, 2022)2 (2008, 2019) 101 (2002)1 (2006)2 (2003, 2004)1 (2022) 5 —1 (2022)1 (2023)1 (2016) 3 —1 (2019)1 (2018) — 2 — —1 (2001) — 1 — — —4 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) 4

See also International Military Sports Council Football at the Military World Games African Military Cup Americas Military Cup

Notes

References

External links RSSSF (men) RSSSF (women)