Every World Cup winner, 1930 to 2026
The FIFA World Cup has been played 22 times since 1930, and eight nations have won it. Brazil lead with five titles, ahead of Italy and Germany on four and Argentina on three. The table below lists every host, champion, runner-up, final score, and leading scorer, up to the 2026 tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
World Cup winners by year
| YEAR | HOST | WINNER | RUNNER-UP | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Uruguay | Uruguay | Argentina | 4–2 |
| 1934 | Italy | Italy | Czechoslovakia | 2–1 (a.e.t.) |
| 1938 | France | Italy | Hungary | 4–2 |
| 1950 | Brazil | Uruguay | Brazil | 2–1 (decisive match) |
| 1954 | Switzerland | West Germany | Hungary | 3–2 |
| 1958 | Sweden | Brazil | Sweden | 5–2 |
| 1962 | Chile | Brazil | Czechoslovakia | 3–1 |
| 1966 | England | England | West Germany | 4–2 (a.e.t.) |
| 1970 | Mexico | Brazil | Italy | 4–1 |
| 1974 | West Germany | West Germany | Netherlands | 2–1 |
| 1978 | Argentina | Argentina | Netherlands | 3–1 (a.e.t.) |
| 1982 | Spain | Italy | West Germany | 3–1 |
| 1986 | Mexico | Argentina | West Germany | 3–2 |
| 1990 | Italy | West Germany | Argentina | 1–0 |
| 1994 | United States | Brazil | Italy | 0–0 (3–2 pens) |
| 1998 | France | France | Brazil | 3–0 |
| 2002 | South Korea & Japan | Brazil | Germany | 2–0 |
| 2006 | Germany | Italy | France | 1–1 (5–3 pens) |
| 2010 | South Africa | Spain | Netherlands | 1–0 (a.e.t.) |
| 2014 | Brazil | Germany | Argentina | 1–0 (a.e.t.) |
| 2018 | Russia | France | Croatia | 4–2 |
| 2022 | Qatar | Argentina | France | 3–3 (4–2 pens) |
| 2026 | Canada, Mexico & United States | To be decided | TBD | TBD |
Fair questions
- Who has won the most World Cups?
- Brazil, with five titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002). Italy and Germany have four each, and Argentina have three after winning in 2022.
- When was the first World Cup?
- 1930 in Uruguay. The hosts won it, beating Argentina 4-2 in the final in Montevideo. Thirteen teams took part.
- Has the host nation ever won the World Cup?
- Yes, six times: Uruguay (1930), Italy (1934), England (1966), West Germany (1974), Argentina (1978), and France (1998). The 2026 edition is the first hosted by three countries.