Argentina is the current FIFA World Cup champion. They won their third title in Qatar in 2022, beating France.
Brazil holds the record for the most World Cup wins, with five titles.
World Cup Winners Through the Years
The first World Cup was held in 1930. Uruguay hosted and won that tournament, defeating Argentina in the final.
Italy secured their first of four World Cups in 1934. They won again in 1938, just before World War II paused the tournament for 12 years.
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Start Your News DetoxIn 1950, Uruguay famously beat Brazil in the final at the Maracana stadium, earning their second World Cup. West Germany won the tournament hosted by Switzerland in 1954.
Brazil's first World Cup win came in 1958. A 17-year-old Pelé scored six goals during this tournament. Brazil then became the second team to successfully defend their title in 1962.
England won their only World Cup at Wembley in 1966. Pelé lifted the trophy for a third time in 1970, a record no other player has matched.
West Germany, led by Gerd Mueller, won their second World Cup in 1974. Argentina claimed their first title in 1978, beating the Netherlands in the final.
Italy, inspired by Paolo Rossi, won the 1982 tournament in Spain. Diego Maradona famously led Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
West Germany defeated Maradona's Argentina in the 1990 final. This win came eight months after the Berlin Wall fell.
Brazil won their fourth title in 1994, the first World Cup held in North America. France won on home soil in 1998 with players like Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry.
Brazil secured a record fifth World Cup in 2002, beating Germany in the final. Italy showed great determination to win in 2006, despite match-fixing allegations in Serie A.
Spain won their first World Cup in South Africa in 2010, playing their signature possession-based football. Germany finally won the trophy again in 2014, after reaching the semifinals in the previous two tournaments.
Didier Deschamps, who captained France to victory in 1998, won the World Cup again in 2018 as a coach.
In 2022, Lionel Messi won the World Cup, the only major title that had eluded him. Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw.
