Argentina head into the FIFA World Cup 2026 as reigning champions after defeating France in Qatar 2022 to claim their third title.
Their South American rivals Brazil are the most successful side in tournament history with five titles.
Here is the full list of every World Cup winner:
1930 Uruguay – Uruguay hosted and won the first World Cup, beating Argentina in the final.
1934 Italy – Italy claimed the first of their four World Cup titles.
1938 Italy – Italy won the last World Cup before World War II halted the tournament for 12 years.
1950 Uruguay – La Celeste stunned Brazil at the Maracana in the final to lift their second title.
1954 West Germany – West Germany won the World Cup hosted in Switzerland.
1958 Brazil – A 17-year-old Pele scored six goals as Brazil won the cup for the first time.
1962 Brazil – Brazil became the second side after Italy to successfully defend the title.
1966 England – Football “came home” for the first and only time as England won at Wembley.
1970 Brazil – Pele lifted the trophy for a third time; no player has won more World Cups.
1974 West Germany – Led by Gerd Mueller, West Germany claimed their second title.
1978 Argentina – Argentina won their first World Cup, beating the Netherlands in the final.
1982 Italy – Inspired by Paolo Rossi, Italy triumphed again.
1986 Argentina – Legend Diego Maradona delivered a near-solo performance to lead Argentina to glory.
1990 West Germany – Maradona’s Argentina reached a second consecutive final but lost to West Germany.
1994 Brazil – Brazil won the first World Cup held in North America, securing their fourth title.
1998 France – France won on home soil with stars including Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira.
2002 Brazil – Brazil lifted the trophy for a record fifth time, beating Germany in the final.
2006 Italy – Despite a Serie A match-fixing scandal, Italy showed resilience to become champions.
2010 Spain – Spain’s possession-based style earned them their first World Cup.
2014 Germany – After two consecutive semi-finals, Germany reclaimed the golden cup.
2018 France – Didier Deschamps, captain in 1998, won as coach.
2022 Argentina – Lionel Messi finally secured the missing title in a dramatic final: 2-2 after 90 minutes, 3-3 after extra time and 4-2 on penalties against France.
