Historic Match Recalls Bulgaria's Triumph Over Argentina

While many across Bulgaria will still be asleep on Sunday morning, a truly special match will unfold at the World Cup. The clash between Tunisia and Japan, kicking off at 7:00 AM Bulgarian time, will make history even before the whistle blows. This encounter marks the 1000th game in the history of the World Cup finals. Interestingly, the 500th match featured the Bulgarian national team – against Argentina at USA '94, where we secured a memorable 2-0 victory with goals from Hristo Stoichkov and Nasko Sirakov.

The tournament's inaugural match took place on July 13, 1930, during the first edition organized by then-FIFA President Jules Rimet. On that afternoon 96 years ago in Uruguay, two matches simultaneously kicked off the competition: the USA routed Belgium 3-0, and France defeated Mexico 4-1, both games held in Montevideo.

It took 24 years for the tournament to reach its hundredth fixture. This milestone occurred during the third-place playoff at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, where Austria claimed the bronze medal with a 3-1 victory over Uruguay.

Among the most notable milestone matches, two finals stand out. In 1966, England defeated West Germany 4-2 in the 200th match. The next final to mark such a significant anniversary was the 900th game – France's victory, also a 4-2 scoreline, over Croatia at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The Argentine national team has participated in two landmark encounters. The first was their 1-0 victory over Uruguay in Puebla during the Round of 16 at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. The second instance, however, involved a defeat – a 0-2 loss to Bulgaria at the 1994 World Cup in the USA. This was the 500th match, played concurrently with the Nigeria – Greece (2-0) game in the same group.