🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 5 (from laksa133)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa005.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://theanalyst.com/articles/most-world-cup-wins\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://theanalyst.com/articles/most-world-cup-wins\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/most-world-cup-wins","crawl_time":1775524877,"first_indexed_time":1751654154,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,theanalyst!\/articles\/most-world-cup-wins s443","src_root_hash":"1177976562244921205","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Most World Cup Wins | Opta Analyst","meta_descriptions":["Only eight nations have ever won the men’s FIFA World Cup. Here, we run through each of them and look at who has won the most."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Only eight nations have ever won the men’s\nFIFA Wo\nr\nld Cup\n. Here, we run through each of them and look at who has the most World Cup trophies.\nThe men’s FIFA World Cup has evolved in format since the first edition in 1930, but it has always ultimately ended with one victorious country holding the trophy aloft.\nAcross its 22 editions, the World Cup has seen eight different winners, and here, we look through all them, starting with the nation who have won the most.\nMost World Cup Wins\n1. Brazil:\n5\n(1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)\n=2. Italy:\n4\n(1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)\n=2. Germany:\n4\n(1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)\n4. Argentina:\n3\n(1978, 1986, 2022)\n=5. Uruguay:\n2\n(1930, 1950)\n=5. France:\n2\n(1998, 2018)\n=7. England:\n1\n(1966)\n=7. Spain:\n1\n(2010)\nBrazil – 5\n(1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)\nLet’s face it; when you think of the World Cup, you think of Brazil.\nThe yellow shirts, the blue shorts, the white socks, the skills, the fans; it is all truly synonymous with every fourth summer no matter the location.\nIt is therefore not much of a surprise that Brazil have won more men’s World Cups than any other nation, with five to their name.\nThe Seleção had to wait until 1958 for their first success, though, overcoming England, Austria and the Soviet Union in the group stage, before beating Wales in the quarter-finals (1-0), France in the semis (5-2) and then beating hosts Sweden in the final, with a 17-year-old Pelé following up his hat-trick against the French by scoring twice more in a 5-2 victory.\nFour years later, Brazil again topped their group, finishing ahead of Czechoslovakia, Mexico and Spain, before defeating England in the quarter-finals (3-1), hosts Chile in the semis (4-2) and overcoming Czechoslovakia again in the final, winning 3-1 in Santiago.\nArguably the most iconic Brazil team of all time was the 1970 vintage\n, who beat England, Czechoslovakia and Romania in the group stage, Peru in the quarters (4-2), Uruguay in the semis (3-1), and then Italy in the final (4-1) in one of the most impressive performances in World Cup history. Carlos Alberto’s goal to complete the scoring late on came at the end of a stunning passing move that is still marvelled at far and wide over 50 years later.\nBrazil had to wait 24 years for another win, and their final victory over Italy in the USA was not quite as memorable. After getting past a group featuring Sweden, Russia and Cameroon, the Seleção eked through the knockout stage with one-goal victories over USA, the Netherlands and Sweden.\nThe final against the Azzurri finished goalless and went to penalties, the first time a World Cup final had ended in a shootout, with Roberto Baggio’s miss handing Brazil their fourth trophy.\nIn 2002, they won all three group games against Turkey, China and Costa Rica, and eased past Belgium 2-0 in the last 16. Brazil had to come from behind to beat England 2-1 in the quarter-finals, and were made to work hard for a 1-0 victory against Turkey in the semis. Four years after losing the 1998 final to France, it was appropriate that Ronaldo – whose health issues dominated much of the talk around that previous final – scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Germany to finish the tournament as top scorer and make it five World Cups for Brazil.\nBrazil haven’t won any of the last five World Cups; they have never gone more consecutive editions without lifting it.\nItaly – 4\n(1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)\nItaly were the first European nation to host and to win the World Cup, doing so in 1934.\nIt was a straight knockout competition, starting with the round of 16, where Italy thrashed the United States 7-1. It took a replay to get past Spain in the quarter-finals following a 1-1 draw, with the Azzurri winning the second meeting 1-0 thanks to a goal from legendary Inter striker Giuseppe Meazza, setting up a semi-final against Austria, which they also won 1-0.\nThere was panic at the Stadio Nazionale del PNF in Rome after Antonin Puč gave Czechoslovakia the lead with less than 20 minutes remaining in the final, only for Raimundo Orsi to equalise 10 minutes later. Angelo Schiavio then won it for Italy five minutes into extra-time.\nIt was the same format four years later as Italy retained their title, beating Norway, France and Brazil on their way to the final, where they faced a strong Hungary side. Two goals each from Gino Colaussi and Silvio Piola earned them a 4-2 win in Paris, though.\nThey had to wait 44 years for their next World Cup win, and few will have seen that one coming when they drew all three of their first group-phase matches. That was still enough to qualify for the second phase, though, and they beat Argentina and Brazil to advance to the semi-finals in Spain, where they beat Poland 2-0. That led to a final with West Germany, which Italy won 3-1 thanks to goals from Paolo Rossi, Marco Tardelli and Alessandro Altobelli.\nTheir most recent success was in Germany in 2006. They topped their group ahead of Ghana, Czech Republic and USA, before needing a 95th-minute winner to get past Australia in the last 16. An easier 3-0 win over Ukraine in the quarter-finals was followed by two goals in the last two minutes of extra-time to see off hosts Germany in the final four. After a 1-1 draw with France in the final, Italy won 5-3 on penalties, with Fabio Grosso scoring the winning spot-kick.\nGermany – 4\n(1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)\nThe first three of Germany’s World Cup triumphs came as West Germany, with the first arriving in 1954.\nIt was a World Cup famous for its high-scoring games, which is why we somehow had a winner who also lost a game 8-3 earlier in the tournament (vs Hungary). West Germany would get their revenge in the final though, beating the Mighty Magyars 3-2 in Bern.\nTheir second success would mean even more, as it arrived on home soil. West Germany came through the first group phase, despite a 1-0 loss to East Germany in their third game. They had a better time of it in the second group phase, though, beating Yugoslavia, Sweden and Poland.\nThat saw West Germany advance to the final, where they defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in Munich. Paul Breitner’s penalty made it 1-1 after Johan Neeskens’ spot-kick, before Gerd Müller’s goal just before half-time proved to be the winner.\nThey were successful in Italy 16 years later, with West Germany finishing top of a group including Yugoslavia, Colombia and the UAE. They beat the Netherlands in the last 16, Czechoslovakia in the quarter-finals and England on penalties in the semis, before a 1-0 win over Argentina in the final thanks to an Andreas Brehme penalty.\nGermany’s most recent success came in Brazil in 2014. They topped their group ahead of USA, Ghana and Portugal, before needing extra-time to beat Algeria in the last 16 and earning a 1-0 win over France in the last eight. A phenomenal 7-1 thrashing of hosts Brazil followed in the semis, but the final against Argentina was much closer, taking an extra-time goal from\nMario Götze\nto decide things.\nGermany\/West Germany have appeared in more World Cup finals than any other country, having won four and lost four of their eight finals.\nArgentina – 3\n(1978, 1986, 2022)\nArgentina’s first World Cup win came on home soil, finishing second in Group 1 of the first round, beating Hungary and France, but losing to Italy. However, a 2-0 win over Poland and a 0-0 draw with rivals Brazil in the second group phase was followed by a 6-0 thrashing of Peru in their final game to book their place in the World Cup final, where they beat the Netherlands.\nMario Kempes gave Argentina the lead in Buenos Aires, though Dick Nanninga equalised to take the final to extra-time. Kempes scored again on the stroke of half-time in extra-time, though, and Daniel Bertoni sealed things with five minutes remaining.\nTheir second success saw one man at the centre of it. Diego Maradona was the star of 1986 as he recorded 10 goal involvements (5 goals, 5 assists) for Argentina. La Albiceleste beat South Korea 3-1 before a 1-1 draw with Italy and a 2-0 win over Bulgaria in the group stage.\nA 1-0 win over Uruguay was followed by the infamous ‘Hand of God’ by Maradona in a 2-1 win against England. Two more goals from the former Napoli great in the semi-final win over Belgium followed, before goals from José Luis Brown, Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burruchaga earned a 3-2 win over West Germany in the final.\nIt was Lionel Messi at the centre of things in 2022, though things started appallingly as Argentina were shockingly beaten 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in their first game. Things only got better from there, though, as they beat Mexico and Poland to win the group.\nA 2-1 win over Australia took them to the quarter-finals, where they needed penalties to beat the Netherlands after throwing away a 2-0 lead. They eased past Croatia in the semis 3-0, before one of the all-time great World Cup finals against France.\nMessi and Ángel Di María put Lionel Scaloni’s men 2-0 ahead, though two late goals from\nKylian Mbappé\ntook the game to extra-time. Messi and Mbappé scored a penalty each that meant the game would end in a shootout, which Argentina won thanks to Gonzalo Montiel’s winning spot-kick.\nUruguay – 2\n(1930, 1950)\nThe inaugural World Cup took place in Uruguay, with 13 teams taking part. The hosts finished top of their group after beating Peru and Romania, advancing to the semi-finals where they strolled to a 6-1 victory over Yugoslavia, with Pedro Cea scoring a hat-trick.\nIn a repeat of the 1928 Olympic final, Uruguay were forced to come from behind against Argentina after going in 2-1 down at half-time. However, second-half goals from Cea, Santos Iriarte and Héctor Castro saw them win 4-2 and lift the first World Cup.\nThey won it again in Brazil, though due to a number of teams pulling out of the 1950 tournament, Uruguay only had to play one group game, in which they beat Bolivia 8-0. That took them into the final round group, where they drew 2-2 with Spain and beat Sweden 3-2.\nThat set up a winner-takes-all clash with Brazil, and Uruguay ran out 2-1 victors against the hosts thanks to goals from Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia to secure their second World Cup.\nFrance – 2\n(1998, 2018)\nThe 1998 World Cup in France was the first to see 32 teams compete, and Les Bleus made home advantage count.\nAimé Jacquet’s side eased through the group stage, beating South Africa 3-0, Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Denmark 2-1, before getting past Paraguay in the last 16 after Laurent Blanc scored what was the first ‘Golden Goal’ extra-time winner at a World Cup. After beating Italy on penalties in the quarter-finals, two goals from Lilian Thuram earned them a 2-1 win against Croatia in the semis, setting up a final against holders Brazil.\nTalismanic midfielder Zinedine Zidane scored two headers at the Stade de France before Emmanuel Petit put the game beyond doubt as France won 3-0. They remain the last World Cup hosts to lift the trophy on home soil.\nIn 2018, the French were far from convincing in the group stage but still came through it after narrow wins over Australia and Peru and a 0-0 draw against Denmark. Edging a seven-goal thriller against Argentina in the last 16 seemed to breathe life into them, though, before they beat Uruguay 2-0 and Belgium 1-0 to set up a final with Croatia.\nAn own goal by Mario Mandzukic and an\nAntoine Griezmann\npenalty were followed by goals from Paul Pogba and Mbappé as France won 4-2 in Moscow to seal their second World Cup.\nEngland – 1\n(1966)\nEngland hadn’t even reached a final before they hosted the 1966 World Cup, but hopes were still high for Alf Ramsey’s side.\nA 0-0 draw with Uruguay in their opening game didn’t exactly back up that optimism, but back-to-back 2-0 victories over Mexico and France reinvigorated hopes as the Three Lions topped Group 1.\nGeoff Hurst scored the only goal of the quarter-final win over Argentina before a brace from Bobby Charlton saw England get past Eusebio and Portugal in the semis.\nA dramatic final at Wembley Stadium saw Hurst score a hat-trick as England beat West Germany 4-2 in extra-time. He is one of only two players to score three times in a World Cup final, and the only one to do so and win it.\nSpain – 1\n(2010)\nSpain had never won the World Cup before, but were favourites to lift it in South Africa in 2010 after their impressive win at Euro 2008 with a team featuring many of the dominant Barcelona side of the time.\nIt was an inauspicious start as they lost 1-0 to Switzerland, though victories over Honduras (2-0) and Chile (2-1) still saw them top their group.\nIt was a case of 1-0 is enough from then on for Vicente del Bosque’s side as they won by a single goal against Portugal, Paraguay and Germany to set up a final against the Netherlands.\nA tight game in Johannesburg went to extra-time, with Andrés Iniesta scoring the winner to give La Roja their first and so far only World Cup title.\nSubscribe to our \nfootball newsletter\n to receive exclusive weekly content. You should also follow our social accounts over on \nX\n, \nInstagram\n, \nTikTok\n and \nFacebook\n.","attrs_markdown":"## Match Ticker\n- [Premier League](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/premier-league)\n  - [Articles](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/premier-league\/articles)\n  - [Stats](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/premier-league\/stats)\n  - [Predictions](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/premier-league\/table)\n  - [Fixtures](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/premier-league\/fixtures)\n  - [Power Rankings](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/premier-league\/power-rankings)\n  - [Newsletter](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/sign-up)\n- [Champions League](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/uefa-champions-league)\n  - [Articles](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/uefa-champions-league\/articles)\n  - [Stats](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/uefa-champions-league\/stats)\n  - [Predictions](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/uefa-champions-league\/table)\n  - 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[Golf](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/golf\/articles)\n  - [Explainers](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/metric-explainers\/articles)\n\n![Most World Cup Wins](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/brazil-2002-world-cup-celebrations.jpg)\n\n[World Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-world-cup\/articles)\n\n# Most World Cup Wins\nJul 4, 2025\n\n[David Segar \/ Author](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/author\/david-segar)\n\n[Twitter](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/#twitter \"Twitter\")\n\n[WhatsApp](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/#whatsapp \"WhatsApp\")\n\n[Email](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/#email \"Email\")\n\n[Share](https:\/\/www.addtoany.com\/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheanalyst.com%2Farticles%2Fmost-world-cup-wins&title=Most%20World%20Cup%20Wins)\n\n[Twitter](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/#twitter \"Twitter\")\n\n[WhatsApp](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/#whatsapp \"WhatsApp\")\n\n[Email](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/#email \"Email\")\n\n[Share](https:\/\/www.addtoany.com\/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheanalyst.com%2Farticles%2Fmost-world-cup-wins&title=Most%20World%20Cup%20Wins)\n\n***Only eight nations have ever won the men’s [FIFA Wo](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-club-world-cup)[r](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-world-cup)[ld Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-club-world-cup). Here, we run through each of them and look at who has the most World Cup trophies.***\n***\nThe men’s FIFA World Cup has evolved in format since the first edition in 1930, but it has always ultimately ended with one victorious country holding the trophy aloft.\n\nAcross its 22 editions, the World Cup has seen eight different winners, and here, we look through all them, starting with the nation who have won the most.\n\n### **Most World Cup Wins**\n- 1\\. Brazil: **5** (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)\n- \\=2. Italy: **4** (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)\n- \\=2. Germany: **4** (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)\n- 4\\. Argentina: **3** (1978, 1986, 2022)\n- \\=5. Uruguay: **2** (1930, 1950)\n- \\=5. France: **2** (1998, 2018)\n- \\=7. England: **1** (1966)\n- \\=7. Spain: **1** (2010)\n***\n## **Brazil – 5** (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)\nLet’s face it; when you think of the World Cup, you think of Brazil.\n\nThe yellow shirts, the blue shorts, the white socks, the skills, the fans; it is all truly synonymous with every fourth summer no matter the location.\n\nIt is therefore not much of a surprise that Brazil have won more men’s World Cups than any other nation, with five to their name.\n\nThe Seleção had to wait until 1958 for their first success, though, overcoming England, Austria and the Soviet Union in the group stage, before beating Wales in the quarter-finals (1-0), France in the semis (5-2) and then beating hosts Sweden in the final, with a 17-year-old Pelé following up his hat-trick against the French by scoring twice more in a 5-2 victory.\n\n### What to read next:\n[![Five Stars: Brazil’s FIFA World Cup Wins](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/brazil-world-cup-wins-1024x715.jpg)](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/brazil-world-cup-wins-record)\n\n[World Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-world-cup\/articles)\n\n[Five Stars: Brazil’s FIFA World Cup Wins](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/brazil-world-cup-wins-record)\n\n9 months ago\n\n[Matt Furniss](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/author\/matt-furniss)\n\nFour years later, Brazil again topped their group, finishing ahead of Czechoslovakia, Mexico and Spain, before defeating England in the quarter-finals (3-1), hosts Chile in the semis (4-2) and overcoming Czechoslovakia again in the final, winning 3-1 in Santiago.\n\n[Arguably the most iconic Brazil team of all time was the 1970 vintage](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/brazil-1970-world-cup), who beat England, Czechoslovakia and Romania in the group stage, Peru in the quarters (4-2), Uruguay in the semis (3-1), and then Italy in the final (4-1) in one of the most impressive performances in World Cup history. Carlos Alberto’s goal to complete the scoring late on came at the end of a stunning passing move that is still marvelled at far and wide over 50 years later.\n\n![Carlos Alberto goal v Italy 1970 World Cup final](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/carlos-alberto-goal-v-italy-1970-world-cup-final-1024x768.jpeg)\n\nBrazil had to wait 24 years for another win, and their final victory over Italy in the USA was not quite as memorable. After getting past a group featuring Sweden, Russia and Cameroon, the Seleção eked through the knockout stage with one-goal victories over USA, the Netherlands and Sweden.\n\nThe final against the Azzurri finished goalless and went to penalties, the first time a World Cup final had ended in a shootout, with Roberto Baggio’s miss handing Brazil their fourth trophy.\n\nIn 2002, they won all three group games against Turkey, China and Costa Rica, and eased past Belgium 2-0 in the last 16. Brazil had to come from behind to beat England 2-1 in the quarter-finals, and were made to work hard for a 1-0 victory against Turkey in the semis. Four years after losing the 1998 final to France, it was appropriate that Ronaldo – whose health issues dominated much of the talk around that previous final – scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Germany to finish the tournament as top scorer and make it five World Cups for Brazil.\n\nBrazil haven’t won any of the last five World Cups; they have never gone more consecutive editions without lifting it.\n\n## **Italy – 4** (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)\nItaly were the first European nation to host and to win the World Cup, doing so in 1934.\n\nIt was a straight knockout competition, starting with the round of 16, where Italy thrashed the United States 7-1. It took a replay to get past Spain in the quarter-finals following a 1-1 draw, with the Azzurri winning the second meeting 1-0 thanks to a goal from legendary Inter striker Giuseppe Meazza, setting up a semi-final against Austria, which they also won 1-0.\n\nThere was panic at the Stadio Nazionale del PNF in Rome after Antonin Puč gave Czechoslovakia the lead with less than 20 minutes remaining in the final, only for Raimundo Orsi to equalise 10 minutes later. Angelo Schiavio then won it for Italy five minutes into extra-time.\n\nIt was the same format four years later as Italy retained their title, beating Norway, France and Brazil on their way to the final, where they faced a strong Hungary side. Two goals each from Gino Colaussi and Silvio Piola earned them a 4-2 win in Paris, though.\n\n### More on Italy’s Wins:\n[![Four-Za Italia: Charting Italy’s FIFA World Cup Wins](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/microsoftteams-image-4-1024x715.jpg)](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/four-za-italia-charting-italys-fifa-world-cup-wins)\n\n[World Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-world-cup\/articles)\n\n[Four-Za Italia: Charting Italy’s FIFA World Cup Wins](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/four-za-italia-charting-italys-fifa-world-cup-wins)\n\n9 months ago\n\n[Opta Analyst](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/author\/opta-analyst)\n\nThey had to wait 44 years for their next World Cup win, and few will have seen that one coming when they drew all three of their first group-phase matches. That was still enough to qualify for the second phase, though, and they beat Argentina and Brazil to advance to the semi-finals in Spain, where they beat Poland 2-0. That led to a final with West Germany, which Italy won 3-1 thanks to goals from Paolo Rossi, Marco Tardelli and Alessandro Altobelli.\n\nTheir most recent success was in Germany in 2006. They topped their group ahead of Ghana, Czech Republic and USA, before needing a 95th-minute winner to get past Australia in the last 16. An easier 3-0 win over Ukraine in the quarter-finals was followed by two goals in the last two minutes of extra-time to see off hosts Germany in the final four. After a 1-1 draw with France in the final, Italy won 5-3 on penalties, with Fabio Grosso scoring the winning spot-kick.\n\n![Grosso penalty v France 2006 World Cup final](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/grosso-penalty-v-france-2006-world-cup-final-1024x576.png)\n\n## **Germany – 4** (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)\nThe first three of Germany’s World Cup triumphs came as West Germany, with the first arriving in 1954.\n\nIt was a World Cup famous for its high-scoring games, which is why we somehow had a winner who also lost a game 8-3 earlier in the tournament (vs Hungary). West Germany would get their revenge in the final though, beating the Mighty Magyars 3-2 in Bern.\n\nTheir second success would mean even more, as it arrived on home soil. West Germany came through the first group phase, despite a 1-0 loss to East Germany in their third game. They had a better time of it in the second group phase, though, beating Yugoslavia, Sweden and Poland.\n\nThat saw West Germany advance to the final, where they defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in Munich. Paul Breitner’s penalty made it 1-1 after Johan Neeskens’ spot-kick, before Gerd Müller’s goal just before half-time proved to be the winner.\n\nThey were successful in Italy 16 years later, with West Germany finishing top of a group including Yugoslavia, Colombia and the UAE. They beat the Netherlands in the last 16, Czechoslovakia in the quarter-finals and England on penalties in the semis, before a 1-0 win over Argentina in the final thanks to an Andreas Brehme penalty.\n\nGermany’s most recent success came in Brazil in 2014. They topped their group ahead of USA, Ghana and Portugal, before needing extra-time to beat Algeria in the last 16 and earning a 1-0 win over France in the last eight. A phenomenal 7-1 thrashing of hosts Brazil followed in the semis, but the final against Argentina was much closer, taking an extra-time goal from [Mario Götze](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/football\/player\/sc-69600\/mario-gotze) to decide things.\n\nGermany\/West Germany have appeared in more World Cup finals than any other country, having won four and lost four of their eight finals.\n\n### Go Deeper:\n[![Looking Back: Germany’s Four FIFA World Cup Wins](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/germany-world-cup-wins-1024x715.jpg)](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/germany-world-cup-wins-fifa)\n\n[World Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-world-cup\/articles)\n\n[Looking Back: Germany’s Four FIFA World Cup Wins](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/germany-world-cup-wins-fifa)\n\n9 months ago\n\n[Matt Furniss](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/author\/matt-furniss)\n## **Argentina – 3** (1978, 1986, 2022)\nArgentina’s first World Cup win came on home soil, finishing second in Group 1 of the first round, beating Hungary and France, but losing to Italy. However, a 2-0 win over Poland and a 0-0 draw with rivals Brazil in the second group phase was followed by a 6-0 thrashing of Peru in their final game to book their place in the World Cup final, where they beat the Netherlands.\n\nMario Kempes gave Argentina the lead in Buenos Aires, though Dick Nanninga equalised to take the final to extra-time. Kempes scored again on the stroke of half-time in extra-time, though, and Daniel Bertoni sealed things with five minutes remaining.\n\nTheir second success saw one man at the centre of it. Diego Maradona was the star of 1986 as he recorded 10 goal involvements (5 goals, 5 assists) for Argentina. La Albiceleste beat South Korea 3-1 before a 1-1 draw with Italy and a 2-0 win over Bulgaria in the group stage.\n\n![Diego Maradona goal involvements 1986 World Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/diego-maradona-goal-involvements-1986-world-cup-1024x768.jpeg)\n\nA 1-0 win over Uruguay was followed by the infamous ‘Hand of God’ by Maradona in a 2-1 win against England. Two more goals from the former Napoli great in the semi-final win over Belgium followed, before goals from José Luis Brown, Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burruchaga earned a 3-2 win over West Germany in the final.\n\nIt was Lionel Messi at the centre of things in 2022, though things started appallingly as Argentina were shockingly beaten 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in their first game. Things only got better from there, though, as they beat Mexico and Poland to win the group.\n\nA 2-1 win over Australia took them to the quarter-finals, where they needed penalties to beat the Netherlands after throwing away a 2-0 lead. They eased past Croatia in the semis 3-0, before one of the all-time great World Cup finals against France.\n\nMessi and Ángel Di María put Lionel Scaloni’s men 2-0 ahead, though two late goals from [Kylian Mbappé](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/football\/player\/sc-220160\/kylian-mbappe) took the game to extra-time. Messi and Mbappé scored a penalty each that meant the game would end in a shootout, which Argentina won thanks to Gonzalo Montiel’s winning spot-kick.\n\n## **Uruguay – 2** (1930, 1950)\nThe inaugural World Cup took place in Uruguay, with 13 teams taking part. The hosts finished top of their group after beating Peru and Romania, advancing to the semi-finals where they strolled to a 6-1 victory over Yugoslavia, with Pedro Cea scoring a hat-trick.\n\nIn a repeat of the 1928 Olympic final, Uruguay were forced to come from behind against Argentina after going in 2-1 down at half-time. However, second-half goals from Cea, Santos Iriarte and Héctor Castro saw them win 4-2 and lift the first World Cup.\n\nThey won it again in Brazil, though due to a number of teams pulling out of the 1950 tournament, Uruguay only had to play one group game, in which they beat Bolivia 8-0. That took them into the final round group, where they drew 2-2 with Spain and beat Sweden 3-2.\n\nThat set up a winner-takes-all clash with Brazil, and Uruguay ran out 2-1 victors against the hosts thanks to goals from Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia to secure their second World Cup.\n\n![Uruguay goal v Brazil 1950 World Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/uruguay-goal-v-brazil-1950-world-cup-1024x576.png)\n\n## **France – 2** (1998, 2018)\nThe 1998 World Cup in France was the first to see 32 teams compete, and Les Bleus made home advantage count.\n\nAimé Jacquet’s side eased through the group stage, beating South Africa 3-0, Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Denmark 2-1, before getting past Paraguay in the last 16 after Laurent Blanc scored what was the first ‘Golden Goal’ extra-time winner at a World Cup. After beating Italy on penalties in the quarter-finals, two goals from Lilian Thuram earned them a 2-1 win against Croatia in the semis, setting up a final against holders Brazil.\n\nTalismanic midfielder Zinedine Zidane scored two headers at the Stade de France before Emmanuel Petit put the game beyond doubt as France won 3-0. They remain the last World Cup hosts to lift the trophy on home soil.\n\nIn 2018, the French were far from convincing in the group stage but still came through it after narrow wins over Australia and Peru and a 0-0 draw against Denmark. Edging a seven-goal thriller against Argentina in the last 16 seemed to breathe life into them, though, before they beat Uruguay 2-0 and Belgium 1-0 to set up a final with Croatia.\n\nAn own goal by Mario Mandzukic and an [Antoine Griezmann](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/football\/player\/sc-76650\/antoine-griezmann) penalty were followed by goals from Paul Pogba and Mbappé as France won 4-2 in Moscow to seal their second World Cup.\n\n## **England – 1** (1966)\nEngland hadn’t even reached a final before they hosted the 1966 World Cup, but hopes were still high for Alf Ramsey’s side.\n\nA 0-0 draw with Uruguay in their opening game didn’t exactly back up that optimism, but back-to-back 2-0 victories over Mexico and France reinvigorated hopes as the Three Lions topped Group 1.\n\nGeoff Hurst scored the only goal of the quarter-final win over Argentina before a brace from Bobby Charlton saw England get past Eusebio and Portugal in the semis.\n\nA dramatic final at Wembley Stadium saw Hurst score a hat-trick as England beat West Germany 4-2 in extra-time. He is one of only two players to score three times in a World Cup final, and the only one to do so and win it.\n\n## **Spain – 1** (2010)\nSpain had never won the World Cup before, but were favourites to lift it in South Africa in 2010 after their impressive win at Euro 2008 with a team featuring many of the dominant Barcelona side of the time.\n\nIt was an inauspicious start as they lost 1-0 to Switzerland, though victories over Honduras (2-0) and Chile (2-1) still saw them top their group.\n\nIt was a case of 1-0 is enough from then on for Vicente del Bosque’s side as they won by a single goal against Portugal, Paraguay and Germany to set up a final against the Netherlands.\n\nA tight game in Johannesburg went to extra-time, with Andrés Iniesta scoring the winner to give La Roja their first and so far only World Cup title.\n\n![Iniesta goal v Netherlands 2010 World Cup final](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/iniesta-goal-v-netherlands-2010-world-cup-final-1024x576.png)\n***\n[![FIFA World Cup Stats Opta](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/fifa-world-cup-stats-opta.jpg)](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-world-cup\/stats?utm_source=website&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=embed)\n\n*****Subscribe to our [football newsletter](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/sign-up) to receive exclusive weekly content. You should also follow our social accounts over on*** [***X***](https:\/\/www.twitter.com\/OptaAnalyst)***, [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/optaanalyst\/), [TikTok](https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@optaanalyst) and [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/theoptaanalyst).*****\n\n### Related Articles\n[![The Fastest Goals in World Cup History](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/fastest-goals-in-world-cup-history-1024x513.jpg)](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/fastest-goals-scored-in-world-cup-history)\n\n[World Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-world-cup\/articles)\n\n[The Fastest Goals in World Cup History](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/fastest-goals-scored-in-world-cup-history)\n\n1 day ago\n\n[Matt Furniss](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/author\/matt-furniss)\n\n[![Most Assists at a World Cup Tournament](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/most-assists-in-a-world-cup-tournament-1024x513.jpg)](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/most-assists-at-a-world-cup-tournament)\n\n[World Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-world-cup\/articles)\n\n[Most Assists at a World Cup Tournament](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/most-assists-at-a-world-cup-tournament)\n\n1 day ago\n\n[Ryan Benson](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/author\/ryan-benson)\n\n[![Which Countries Have Qualified for the 2026 World Cup?](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/who-has-qualified-for-the-2026-world-cup-1024x512.jpg)](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/world-cup-2026-which-countries-qualified)\n\n[World Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-world-cup\/articles)\n\n[Which Countries Have Qualified for the 2026 World Cup?](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/world-cup-2026-which-countries-qualified)\n\n2 days ago\n\n[Ryan Benson](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/author\/ryan-benson)\n\n[![Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-1 Italy Stats (AET, 4-1 pens): Penalty Shootout Woe for Italians as World Cup Wait Goes On](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/bosnia-herzegovina-vs-italy-stats-1024x513.jpg)](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/bosnia-herzegovina-vs-italy-stats-opta-world-cup-play-off-final-2026)\n\n[World Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-world-cup\/articles)\n\n[Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-1 Italy Stats (AET, 4-1 pens): Penalty Shootout Woe for Italians as World Cup Wait Goes On](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/bosnia-herzegovina-vs-italy-stats-opta-world-cup-play-off-final-2026)\n\n2 days ago\n\n[Harry Carr](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/author\/harry-carr)\n\n- [Football](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/football\/articles)\n  - 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All Rights Reserved.\n\n✓\n\nThanks for sharing\\!\n\n[AddToAny](https:\/\/www.addtoany.com\/ \"Share Buttons\")\n\n[More…](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/most-world-cup-wins#addtoany \"Show all\")\n\nNotifications","attrs_readable_markdown":"***Only eight nations have ever won the men’s [FIFA Wo](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-club-world-cup)[r](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-world-cup)[ld Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-club-world-cup). Here, we run through each of them and look at who has the most World Cup trophies.***\n***\nThe men’s FIFA World Cup has evolved in format since the first edition in 1930, but it has always ultimately ended with one victorious country holding the trophy aloft.\n\nAcross its 22 editions, the World Cup has seen eight different winners, and here, we look through all them, starting with the nation who have won the most.\n\n### **Most World Cup Wins**\n- 1\\. Brazil: **5** (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)\n- \\=2. Italy: **4** (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)\n- \\=2. Germany: **4** (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)\n- 4\\. Argentina: **3** (1978, 1986, 2022)\n- \\=5. Uruguay: **2** (1930, 1950)\n- \\=5. France: **2** (1998, 2018)\n- \\=7. England: **1** (1966)\n- \\=7. Spain: **1** (2010)\n***\n## **Brazil – 5** (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)\nLet’s face it; when you think of the World Cup, you think of Brazil.\n\nThe yellow shirts, the blue shorts, the white socks, the skills, the fans; it is all truly synonymous with every fourth summer no matter the location.\n\nIt is therefore not much of a surprise that Brazil have won more men’s World Cups than any other nation, with five to their name.\n\nThe Seleção had to wait until 1958 for their first success, though, overcoming England, Austria and the Soviet Union in the group stage, before beating Wales in the quarter-finals (1-0), France in the semis (5-2) and then beating hosts Sweden in the final, with a 17-year-old Pelé following up his hat-trick against the French by scoring twice more in a 5-2 victory.\n\nFour years later, Brazil again topped their group, finishing ahead of Czechoslovakia, Mexico and Spain, before defeating England in the quarter-finals (3-1), hosts Chile in the semis (4-2) and overcoming Czechoslovakia again in the final, winning 3-1 in Santiago.\n\n[Arguably the most iconic Brazil team of all time was the 1970 vintage](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/articles\/brazil-1970-world-cup), who beat England, Czechoslovakia and Romania in the group stage, Peru in the quarters (4-2), Uruguay in the semis (3-1), and then Italy in the final (4-1) in one of the most impressive performances in World Cup history. Carlos Alberto’s goal to complete the scoring late on came at the end of a stunning passing move that is still marvelled at far and wide over 50 years later.\n\n![Carlos Alberto goal v Italy 1970 World Cup final](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/carlos-alberto-goal-v-italy-1970-world-cup-final-1024x768.jpeg)\n\nBrazil had to wait 24 years for another win, and their final victory over Italy in the USA was not quite as memorable. After getting past a group featuring Sweden, Russia and Cameroon, the Seleção eked through the knockout stage with one-goal victories over USA, the Netherlands and Sweden.\n\nThe final against the Azzurri finished goalless and went to penalties, the first time a World Cup final had ended in a shootout, with Roberto Baggio’s miss handing Brazil their fourth trophy.\n\nIn 2002, they won all three group games against Turkey, China and Costa Rica, and eased past Belgium 2-0 in the last 16. Brazil had to come from behind to beat England 2-1 in the quarter-finals, and were made to work hard for a 1-0 victory against Turkey in the semis. Four years after losing the 1998 final to France, it was appropriate that Ronaldo – whose health issues dominated much of the talk around that previous final – scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Germany to finish the tournament as top scorer and make it five World Cups for Brazil.\n\nBrazil haven’t won any of the last five World Cups; they have never gone more consecutive editions without lifting it.\n\n## **Italy – 4** (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)\nItaly were the first European nation to host and to win the World Cup, doing so in 1934.\n\nIt was a straight knockout competition, starting with the round of 16, where Italy thrashed the United States 7-1. It took a replay to get past Spain in the quarter-finals following a 1-1 draw, with the Azzurri winning the second meeting 1-0 thanks to a goal from legendary Inter striker Giuseppe Meazza, setting up a semi-final against Austria, which they also won 1-0.\n\nThere was panic at the Stadio Nazionale del PNF in Rome after Antonin Puč gave Czechoslovakia the lead with less than 20 minutes remaining in the final, only for Raimundo Orsi to equalise 10 minutes later. Angelo Schiavio then won it for Italy five minutes into extra-time.\n\nIt was the same format four years later as Italy retained their title, beating Norway, France and Brazil on their way to the final, where they faced a strong Hungary side. Two goals each from Gino Colaussi and Silvio Piola earned them a 4-2 win in Paris, though.\n\nThey had to wait 44 years for their next World Cup win, and few will have seen that one coming when they drew all three of their first group-phase matches. That was still enough to qualify for the second phase, though, and they beat Argentina and Brazil to advance to the semi-finals in Spain, where they beat Poland 2-0. That led to a final with West Germany, which Italy won 3-1 thanks to goals from Paolo Rossi, Marco Tardelli and Alessandro Altobelli.\n\nTheir most recent success was in Germany in 2006. They topped their group ahead of Ghana, Czech Republic and USA, before needing a 95th-minute winner to get past Australia in the last 16. An easier 3-0 win over Ukraine in the quarter-finals was followed by two goals in the last two minutes of extra-time to see off hosts Germany in the final four. After a 1-1 draw with France in the final, Italy won 5-3 on penalties, with Fabio Grosso scoring the winning spot-kick.\n\n![Grosso penalty v France 2006 World Cup final](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/grosso-penalty-v-france-2006-world-cup-final-1024x576.png)\n\n## **Germany – 4** (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)\nThe first three of Germany’s World Cup triumphs came as West Germany, with the first arriving in 1954.\n\nIt was a World Cup famous for its high-scoring games, which is why we somehow had a winner who also lost a game 8-3 earlier in the tournament (vs Hungary). West Germany would get their revenge in the final though, beating the Mighty Magyars 3-2 in Bern.\n\nTheir second success would mean even more, as it arrived on home soil. West Germany came through the first group phase, despite a 1-0 loss to East Germany in their third game. They had a better time of it in the second group phase, though, beating Yugoslavia, Sweden and Poland.\n\nThat saw West Germany advance to the final, where they defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in Munich. Paul Breitner’s penalty made it 1-1 after Johan Neeskens’ spot-kick, before Gerd Müller’s goal just before half-time proved to be the winner.\n\nThey were successful in Italy 16 years later, with West Germany finishing top of a group including Yugoslavia, Colombia and the UAE. They beat the Netherlands in the last 16, Czechoslovakia in the quarter-finals and England on penalties in the semis, before a 1-0 win over Argentina in the final thanks to an Andreas Brehme penalty.\n\nGermany’s most recent success came in Brazil in 2014. They topped their group ahead of USA, Ghana and Portugal, before needing extra-time to beat Algeria in the last 16 and earning a 1-0 win over France in the last eight. A phenomenal 7-1 thrashing of hosts Brazil followed in the semis, but the final against Argentina was much closer, taking an extra-time goal from [Mario Götze](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/football\/player\/sc-69600\/mario-gotze) to decide things.\n\nGermany\/West Germany have appeared in more World Cup finals than any other country, having won four and lost four of their eight finals.\n\n## **Argentina – 3** (1978, 1986, 2022)\nArgentina’s first World Cup win came on home soil, finishing second in Group 1 of the first round, beating Hungary and France, but losing to Italy. However, a 2-0 win over Poland and a 0-0 draw with rivals Brazil in the second group phase was followed by a 6-0 thrashing of Peru in their final game to book their place in the World Cup final, where they beat the Netherlands.\n\nMario Kempes gave Argentina the lead in Buenos Aires, though Dick Nanninga equalised to take the final to extra-time. Kempes scored again on the stroke of half-time in extra-time, though, and Daniel Bertoni sealed things with five minutes remaining.\n\nTheir second success saw one man at the centre of it. Diego Maradona was the star of 1986 as he recorded 10 goal involvements (5 goals, 5 assists) for Argentina. La Albiceleste beat South Korea 3-1 before a 1-1 draw with Italy and a 2-0 win over Bulgaria in the group stage.\n\n![Diego Maradona goal involvements 1986 World Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/diego-maradona-goal-involvements-1986-world-cup-1024x768.jpeg)\n\nA 1-0 win over Uruguay was followed by the infamous ‘Hand of God’ by Maradona in a 2-1 win against England. Two more goals from the former Napoli great in the semi-final win over Belgium followed, before goals from José Luis Brown, Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burruchaga earned a 3-2 win over West Germany in the final.\n\nIt was Lionel Messi at the centre of things in 2022, though things started appallingly as Argentina were shockingly beaten 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in their first game. Things only got better from there, though, as they beat Mexico and Poland to win the group.\n\nA 2-1 win over Australia took them to the quarter-finals, where they needed penalties to beat the Netherlands after throwing away a 2-0 lead. They eased past Croatia in the semis 3-0, before one of the all-time great World Cup finals against France.\n\nMessi and Ángel Di María put Lionel Scaloni’s men 2-0 ahead, though two late goals from [Kylian Mbappé](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/football\/player\/sc-220160\/kylian-mbappe) took the game to extra-time. Messi and Mbappé scored a penalty each that meant the game would end in a shootout, which Argentina won thanks to Gonzalo Montiel’s winning spot-kick.\n\n## **Uruguay – 2** (1930, 1950)\nThe inaugural World Cup took place in Uruguay, with 13 teams taking part. The hosts finished top of their group after beating Peru and Romania, advancing to the semi-finals where they strolled to a 6-1 victory over Yugoslavia, with Pedro Cea scoring a hat-trick.\n\nIn a repeat of the 1928 Olympic final, Uruguay were forced to come from behind against Argentina after going in 2-1 down at half-time. However, second-half goals from Cea, Santos Iriarte and Héctor Castro saw them win 4-2 and lift the first World Cup.\n\nThey won it again in Brazil, though due to a number of teams pulling out of the 1950 tournament, Uruguay only had to play one group game, in which they beat Bolivia 8-0. That took them into the final round group, where they drew 2-2 with Spain and beat Sweden 3-2.\n\nThat set up a winner-takes-all clash with Brazil, and Uruguay ran out 2-1 victors against the hosts thanks to goals from Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia to secure their second World Cup.\n\n![Uruguay goal v Brazil 1950 World Cup](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/uruguay-goal-v-brazil-1950-world-cup-1024x576.png)\n\n## **France – 2** (1998, 2018)\nThe 1998 World Cup in France was the first to see 32 teams compete, and Les Bleus made home advantage count.\n\nAimé Jacquet’s side eased through the group stage, beating South Africa 3-0, Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Denmark 2-1, before getting past Paraguay in the last 16 after Laurent Blanc scored what was the first ‘Golden Goal’ extra-time winner at a World Cup. After beating Italy on penalties in the quarter-finals, two goals from Lilian Thuram earned them a 2-1 win against Croatia in the semis, setting up a final against holders Brazil.\n\nTalismanic midfielder Zinedine Zidane scored two headers at the Stade de France before Emmanuel Petit put the game beyond doubt as France won 3-0. They remain the last World Cup hosts to lift the trophy on home soil.\n\nIn 2018, the French were far from convincing in the group stage but still came through it after narrow wins over Australia and Peru and a 0-0 draw against Denmark. Edging a seven-goal thriller against Argentina in the last 16 seemed to breathe life into them, though, before they beat Uruguay 2-0 and Belgium 1-0 to set up a final with Croatia.\n\nAn own goal by Mario Mandzukic and an [Antoine Griezmann](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/football\/player\/sc-76650\/antoine-griezmann) penalty were followed by goals from Paul Pogba and Mbappé as France won 4-2 in Moscow to seal their second World Cup.\n\n## **England – 1** (1966)\nEngland hadn’t even reached a final before they hosted the 1966 World Cup, but hopes were still high for Alf Ramsey’s side.\n\nA 0-0 draw with Uruguay in their opening game didn’t exactly back up that optimism, but back-to-back 2-0 victories over Mexico and France reinvigorated hopes as the Three Lions topped Group 1.\n\nGeoff Hurst scored the only goal of the quarter-final win over Argentina before a brace from Bobby Charlton saw England get past Eusebio and Portugal in the semis.\n\nA dramatic final at Wembley Stadium saw Hurst score a hat-trick as England beat West Germany 4-2 in extra-time. He is one of only two players to score three times in a World Cup final, and the only one to do so and win it.\n\n## **Spain – 1** (2010)\nSpain had never won the World Cup before, but were favourites to lift it in South Africa in 2010 after their impressive win at Euro 2008 with a team featuring many of the dominant Barcelona side of the time.\n\nIt was an inauspicious start as they lost 1-0 to Switzerland, though victories over Honduras (2-0) and Chile (2-1) still saw them top their group.\n\nIt was a case of 1-0 is enough from then on for Vicente del Bosque’s side as they won by a single goal against Portugal, Paraguay and Germany to set up a final against the Netherlands.\n\nA tight game in Johannesburg went to extra-time, with Andrés Iniesta scoring the winner to give La Roja their first and so far only World Cup title.\n\n![Iniesta goal v Netherlands 2010 World Cup final](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/iniesta-goal-v-netherlands-2010-world-cup-final-1024x576.png)\n***\n[![FIFA World Cup Stats Opta](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/fifa-world-cup-stats-opta.jpg)](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/competition\/fifa-world-cup\/stats?utm_source=website&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=embed)\n\n*****Subscribe to our [football newsletter](https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/sign-up) to receive exclusive weekly content. 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URL	https://theanalyst.com/articles/most-world-cup-wins
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Meta Title	Most World Cup Wins \| Opta Analyst
Meta Description	Only eight nations have ever won the men’s FIFA World Cup. Here, we run through each of them and look at who has won the most.
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Boilerpipe Text	Only eight nations have ever won the men’s FIFA Wo r ld Cup . Here, we run through each of them and look at who has the most World Cup trophies. The men’s FIFA World Cup has evolved in format since the first edition in 1930, but it has always ultimately ended with one victorious country holding the trophy aloft. Across its 22 editions, the World Cup has seen eight different winners, and here, we look through all them, starting with the nation who have won the most. Most World Cup Wins 1. Brazil: 5 (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) =2. Italy: 4 (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006) =2. Germany: 4 (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) 4. Argentina: 3 (1978, 1986, 2022) =5. Uruguay: 2 (1930, 1950) =5. France: 2 (1998, 2018) =7. England: 1 (1966) =7. Spain: 1 (2010) Brazil – 5 (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) Let’s face it; when you think of the World Cup, you think of Brazil. The yellow shirts, the blue shorts, the white socks, the skills, the fans; it is all truly synonymous with every fourth summer no matter the location. It is therefore not much of a surprise that Brazil have won more men’s World Cups than any other nation, with five to their name. The Seleção had to wait until 1958 for their first success, though, overcoming England, Austria and the Soviet Union in the group stage, before beating Wales in the quarter-finals (1-0), France in the semis (5-2) and then beating hosts Sweden in the final, with a 17-year-old Pelé following up his hat-trick against the French by scoring twice more in a 5-2 victory. Four years later, Brazil again topped their group, finishing ahead of Czechoslovakia, Mexico and Spain, before defeating England in the quarter-finals (3-1), hosts Chile in the semis (4-2) and overcoming Czechoslovakia again in the final, winning 3-1 in Santiago. Arguably the most iconic Brazil team of all time was the 1970 vintage , who beat England, Czechoslovakia and Romania in the group stage, Peru in the quarters (4-2), Uruguay in the semis (3-1), and then Italy in the final (4-1) in one of the most impressive performances in World Cup history. Carlos Alberto’s goal to complete the scoring late on came at the end of a stunning passing move that is still marvelled at far and wide over 50 years later. Brazil had to wait 24 years for another win, and their final victory over Italy in the USA was not quite as memorable. After getting past a group featuring Sweden, Russia and Cameroon, the Seleção eked through the knockout stage with one-goal victories over USA, the Netherlands and Sweden. The final against the Azzurri finished goalless and went to penalties, the first time a World Cup final had ended in a shootout, with Roberto Baggio’s miss handing Brazil their fourth trophy. In 2002, they won all three group games against Turkey, China and Costa Rica, and eased past Belgium 2-0 in the last 16. Brazil had to come from behind to beat England 2-1 in the quarter-finals, and were made to work hard for a 1-0 victory against Turkey in the semis. Four years after losing the 1998 final to France, it was appropriate that Ronaldo – whose health issues dominated much of the talk around that previous final – scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Germany to finish the tournament as top scorer and make it five World Cups for Brazil. Brazil haven’t won any of the last five World Cups; they have never gone more consecutive editions without lifting it. Italy – 4 (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006) Italy were the first European nation to host and to win the World Cup, doing so in 1934. It was a straight knockout competition, starting with the round of 16, where Italy thrashed the United States 7-1. It took a replay to get past Spain in the quarter-finals following a 1-1 draw, with the Azzurri winning the second meeting 1-0 thanks to a goal from legendary Inter striker Giuseppe Meazza, setting up a semi-final against Austria, which they also won 1-0. There was panic at the Stadio Nazionale del PNF in Rome after Antonin Puč gave Czechoslovakia the lead with less than 20 minutes remaining in the final, only for Raimundo Orsi to equalise 10 minutes later. Angelo Schiavio then won it for Italy five minutes into extra-time. It was the same format four years later as Italy retained their title, beating Norway, France and Brazil on their way to the final, where they faced a strong Hungary side. Two goals each from Gino Colaussi and Silvio Piola earned them a 4-2 win in Paris, though. They had to wait 44 years for their next World Cup win, and few will have seen that one coming when they drew all three of their first group-phase matches. That was still enough to qualify for the second phase, though, and they beat Argentina and Brazil to advance to the semi-finals in Spain, where they beat Poland 2-0. That led to a final with West Germany, which Italy won 3-1 thanks to goals from Paolo Rossi, Marco Tardelli and Alessandro Altobelli. Their most recent success was in Germany in 2006. They topped their group ahead of Ghana, Czech Republic and USA, before needing a 95th-minute winner to get past Australia in the last 16. An easier 3-0 win over Ukraine in the quarter-finals was followed by two goals in the last two minutes of extra-time to see off hosts Germany in the final four. After a 1-1 draw with France in the final, Italy won 5-3 on penalties, with Fabio Grosso scoring the winning spot-kick. Germany – 4 (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) The first three of Germany’s World Cup triumphs came as West Germany, with the first arriving in 1954. It was a World Cup famous for its high-scoring games, which is why we somehow had a winner who also lost a game 8-3 earlier in the tournament (vs Hungary). West Germany would get their revenge in the final though, beating the Mighty Magyars 3-2 in Bern. Their second success would mean even more, as it arrived on home soil. West Germany came through the first group phase, despite a 1-0 loss to East Germany in their third game. They had a better time of it in the second group phase, though, beating Yugoslavia, Sweden and Poland. That saw West Germany advance to the final, where they defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in Munich. Paul Breitner’s penalty made it 1-1 after Johan Neeskens’ spot-kick, before Gerd Müller’s goal just before half-time proved to be the winner. They were successful in Italy 16 years later, with West Germany finishing top of a group including Yugoslavia, Colombia and the UAE. They beat the Netherlands in the last 16, Czechoslovakia in the quarter-finals and England on penalties in the semis, before a 1-0 win over Argentina in the final thanks to an Andreas Brehme penalty. Germany’s most recent success came in Brazil in 2014. They topped their group ahead of USA, Ghana and Portugal, before needing extra-time to beat Algeria in the last 16 and earning a 1-0 win over France in the last eight. A phenomenal 7-1 thrashing of hosts Brazil followed in the semis, but the final against Argentina was much closer, taking an extra-time goal from Mario Götze to decide things. Germany/West Germany have appeared in more World Cup finals than any other country, having won four and lost four of their eight finals. Argentina – 3 (1978, 1986, 2022) Argentina’s first World Cup win came on home soil, finishing second in Group 1 of the first round, beating Hungary and France, but losing to Italy. However, a 2-0 win over Poland and a 0-0 draw with rivals Brazil in the second group phase was followed by a 6-0 thrashing of Peru in their final game to book their place in the World Cup final, where they beat the Netherlands. Mario Kempes gave Argentina the lead in Buenos Aires, though Dick Nanninga equalised to take the final to extra-time. Kempes scored again on the stroke of half-time in extra-time, though, and Daniel Bertoni sealed things with five minutes remaining. Their second success saw one man at the centre of it. Diego Maradona was the star of 1986 as he recorded 10 goal involvements (5 goals, 5 assists) for Argentina. La Albiceleste beat South Korea 3-1 before a 1-1 draw with Italy and a 2-0 win over Bulgaria in the group stage. A 1-0 win over Uruguay was followed by the infamous ‘Hand of God’ by Maradona in a 2-1 win against England. Two more goals from the former Napoli great in the semi-final win over Belgium followed, before goals from José Luis Brown, Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burruchaga earned a 3-2 win over West Germany in the final. It was Lionel Messi at the centre of things in 2022, though things started appallingly as Argentina were shockingly beaten 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in their first game. Things only got better from there, though, as they beat Mexico and Poland to win the group. A 2-1 win over Australia took them to the quarter-finals, where they needed penalties to beat the Netherlands after throwing away a 2-0 lead. They eased past Croatia in the semis 3-0, before one of the all-time great World Cup finals against France. Messi and Ángel Di María put Lionel Scaloni’s men 2-0 ahead, though two late goals from Kylian Mbappé took the game to extra-time. Messi and Mbappé scored a penalty each that meant the game would end in a shootout, which Argentina won thanks to Gonzalo Montiel’s winning spot-kick. Uruguay – 2 (1930, 1950) The inaugural World Cup took place in Uruguay, with 13 teams taking part. The hosts finished top of their group after beating Peru and Romania, advancing to the semi-finals where they strolled to a 6-1 victory over Yugoslavia, with Pedro Cea scoring a hat-trick. In a repeat of the 1928 Olympic final, Uruguay were forced to come from behind against Argentina after going in 2-1 down at half-time. However, second-half goals from Cea, Santos Iriarte and Héctor Castro saw them win 4-2 and lift the first World Cup. They won it again in Brazil, though due to a number of teams pulling out of the 1950 tournament, Uruguay only had to play one group game, in which they beat Bolivia 8-0. That took them into the final round group, where they drew 2-2 with Spain and beat Sweden 3-2. That set up a winner-takes-all clash with Brazil, and Uruguay ran out 2-1 victors against the hosts thanks to goals from Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia to secure their second World Cup. France – 2 (1998, 2018) The 1998 World Cup in France was the first to see 32 teams compete, and Les Bleus made home advantage count. Aimé Jacquet’s side eased through the group stage, beating South Africa 3-0, Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Denmark 2-1, before getting past Paraguay in the last 16 after Laurent Blanc scored what was the first ‘Golden Goal’ extra-time winner at a World Cup. After beating Italy on penalties in the quarter-finals, two goals from Lilian Thuram earned them a 2-1 win against Croatia in the semis, setting up a final against holders Brazil. Talismanic midfielder Zinedine Zidane scored two headers at the Stade de France before Emmanuel Petit put the game beyond doubt as France won 3-0. They remain the last World Cup hosts to lift the trophy on home soil. In 2018, the French were far from convincing in the group stage but still came through it after narrow wins over Australia and Peru and a 0-0 draw against Denmark. Edging a seven-goal thriller against Argentina in the last 16 seemed to breathe life into them, though, before they beat Uruguay 2-0 and Belgium 1-0 to set up a final with Croatia. An own goal by Mario Mandzukic and an Antoine Griezmann penalty were followed by goals from Paul Pogba and Mbappé as France won 4-2 in Moscow to seal their second World Cup. England – 1 (1966) England hadn’t even reached a final before they hosted the 1966 World Cup, but hopes were still high for Alf Ramsey’s side. A 0-0 draw with Uruguay in their opening game didn’t exactly back up that optimism, but back-to-back 2-0 victories over Mexico and France reinvigorated hopes as the Three Lions topped Group 1. Geoff Hurst scored the only goal of the quarter-final win over Argentina before a brace from Bobby Charlton saw England get past Eusebio and Portugal in the semis. A dramatic final at Wembley Stadium saw Hurst score a hat-trick as England beat West Germany 4-2 in extra-time. He is one of only two players to score three times in a World Cup final, and the only one to do so and win it. Spain – 1 (2010) Spain had never won the World Cup before, but were favourites to lift it in South Africa in 2010 after their impressive win at Euro 2008 with a team featuring many of the dominant Barcelona side of the time. It was an inauspicious start as they lost 1-0 to Switzerland, though victories over Honduras (2-0) and Chile (2-1) still saw them top their group. It was a case of 1-0 is enough from then on for Vicente del Bosque’s side as they won by a single goal against Portugal, Paraguay and Germany to set up a final against the Netherlands. A tight game in Johannesburg went to extra-time, with Andrés Iniesta scoring the winner to give La Roja their first and so far only World Cup title. Subscribe to our football newsletter to receive exclusive weekly content. You should also follow our social accounts over on X , Instagram , TikTok and Facebook .
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Here, we run through each of them and look at who has the most World Cup trophies.* * The men’s FIFA World Cup has evolved in format since the first edition in 1930, but it has always ultimately ended with one victorious country holding the trophy aloft. Across its 22 editions, the World Cup has seen eight different winners, and here, we look through all them, starting with the nation who have won the most. ### Most World Cup Wins - 1\. Brazil: 5 (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) - \=2. Italy: 4 (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006) - \=2. Germany: 4 (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) - 4\. Argentina: 3 (1978, 1986, 2022) - \=5. Uruguay: 2 (1930, 1950) - \=5. France: 2 (1998, 2018) - \=7. England: 1 (1966) - \=7. Spain: 1 (2010) * ## Brazil – 5 (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) Let’s face it; when you think of the World Cup, you think of Brazil. The yellow shirts, the blue shorts, the white socks, the skills, the fans; it is all truly synonymous with every fourth summer no matter the location. It is therefore not much of a surprise that Brazil have won more men’s World Cups than any other nation, with five to their name. The Seleção had to wait until 1958 for their first success, though, overcoming England, Austria and the Soviet Union in the group stage, before beating Wales in the quarter-finals (1-0), France in the semis (5-2) and then beating hosts Sweden in the final, with a 17-year-old Pelé following up his hat-trick against the French by scoring twice more in a 5-2 victory. ### What to read next: [![Five Stars: Brazil’s FIFA World Cup Wins](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/brazil-world-cup-wins-1024x715.jpg)](https://theanalyst.com/articles/brazil-world-cup-wins-record) [World Cup](https://theanalyst.com/competition/fifa-world-cup/articles) [Five Stars: Brazil’s FIFA World Cup Wins](https://theanalyst.com/articles/brazil-world-cup-wins-record) 9 months ago [Matt Furniss](https://theanalyst.com/articles/author/matt-furniss) Four years later, Brazil again topped their group, finishing ahead of Czechoslovakia, Mexico and Spain, before defeating England in the quarter-finals (3-1), hosts Chile in the semis (4-2) and overcoming Czechoslovakia again in the final, winning 3-1 in Santiago. [Arguably the most iconic Brazil team of all time was the 1970 vintage](https://theanalyst.com/articles/brazil-1970-world-cup), who beat England, Czechoslovakia and Romania in the group stage, Peru in the quarters (4-2), Uruguay in the semis (3-1), and then Italy in the final (4-1) in one of the most impressive performances in World Cup history. Carlos Alberto’s goal to complete the scoring late on came at the end of a stunning passing move that is still marvelled at far and wide over 50 years later. ![Carlos Alberto goal v Italy 1970 World Cup final](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/carlos-alberto-goal-v-italy-1970-world-cup-final-1024x768.jpeg) Brazil had to wait 24 years for another win, and their final victory over Italy in the USA was not quite as memorable. After getting past a group featuring Sweden, Russia and Cameroon, the Seleção eked through the knockout stage with one-goal victories over USA, the Netherlands and Sweden. The final against the Azzurri finished goalless and went to penalties, the first time a World Cup final had ended in a shootout, with Roberto Baggio’s miss handing Brazil their fourth trophy. In 2002, they won all three group games against Turkey, China and Costa Rica, and eased past Belgium 2-0 in the last 16. Brazil had to come from behind to beat England 2-1 in the quarter-finals, and were made to work hard for a 1-0 victory against Turkey in the semis. Four years after losing the 1998 final to France, it was appropriate that Ronaldo – whose health issues dominated much of the talk around that previous final – scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Germany to finish the tournament as top scorer and make it five World Cups for Brazil. Brazil haven’t won any of the last five World Cups; they have never gone more consecutive editions without lifting it. ## Italy – 4 (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006) Italy were the first European nation to host and to win the World Cup, doing so in 1934. It was a straight knockout competition, starting with the round of 16, where Italy thrashed the United States 7-1. It took a replay to get past Spain in the quarter-finals following a 1-1 draw, with the Azzurri winning the second meeting 1-0 thanks to a goal from legendary Inter striker Giuseppe Meazza, setting up a semi-final against Austria, which they also won 1-0. There was panic at the Stadio Nazionale del PNF in Rome after Antonin Puč gave Czechoslovakia the lead with less than 20 minutes remaining in the final, only for Raimundo Orsi to equalise 10 minutes later. Angelo Schiavio then won it for Italy five minutes into extra-time. It was the same format four years later as Italy retained their title, beating Norway, France and Brazil on their way to the final, where they faced a strong Hungary side. Two goals each from Gino Colaussi and Silvio Piola earned them a 4-2 win in Paris, though. ### More on Italy’s Wins: [![Four-Za Italia: Charting Italy’s FIFA World Cup Wins](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/microsoftteams-image-4-1024x715.jpg)](https://theanalyst.com/articles/four-za-italia-charting-italys-fifa-world-cup-wins) [World Cup](https://theanalyst.com/competition/fifa-world-cup/articles) [Four-Za Italia: Charting Italy’s FIFA World Cup Wins](https://theanalyst.com/articles/four-za-italia-charting-italys-fifa-world-cup-wins) 9 months ago [Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/articles/author/opta-analyst) They had to wait 44 years for their next World Cup win, and few will have seen that one coming when they drew all three of their first group-phase matches. That was still enough to qualify for the second phase, though, and they beat Argentina and Brazil to advance to the semi-finals in Spain, where they beat Poland 2-0. That led to a final with West Germany, which Italy won 3-1 thanks to goals from Paolo Rossi, Marco Tardelli and Alessandro Altobelli. Their most recent success was in Germany in 2006. They topped their group ahead of Ghana, Czech Republic and USA, before needing a 95th-minute winner to get past Australia in the last 16. An easier 3-0 win over Ukraine in the quarter-finals was followed by two goals in the last two minutes of extra-time to see off hosts Germany in the final four. After a 1-1 draw with France in the final, Italy won 5-3 on penalties, with Fabio Grosso scoring the winning spot-kick. ![Grosso penalty v France 2006 World Cup final](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/grosso-penalty-v-france-2006-world-cup-final-1024x576.png) ## Germany – 4 (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) The first three of Germany’s World Cup triumphs came as West Germany, with the first arriving in 1954. It was a World Cup famous for its high-scoring games, which is why we somehow had a winner who also lost a game 8-3 earlier in the tournament (vs Hungary). West Germany would get their revenge in the final though, beating the Mighty Magyars 3-2 in Bern. Their second success would mean even more, as it arrived on home soil. West Germany came through the first group phase, despite a 1-0 loss to East Germany in their third game. They had a better time of it in the second group phase, though, beating Yugoslavia, Sweden and Poland. That saw West Germany advance to the final, where they defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in Munich. Paul Breitner’s penalty made it 1-1 after Johan Neeskens’ spot-kick, before Gerd Müller’s goal just before half-time proved to be the winner. They were successful in Italy 16 years later, with West Germany finishing top of a group including Yugoslavia, Colombia and the UAE. They beat the Netherlands in the last 16, Czechoslovakia in the quarter-finals and England on penalties in the semis, before a 1-0 win over Argentina in the final thanks to an Andreas Brehme penalty. Germany’s most recent success came in Brazil in 2014. They topped their group ahead of USA, Ghana and Portugal, before needing extra-time to beat Algeria in the last 16 and earning a 1-0 win over France in the last eight. A phenomenal 7-1 thrashing of hosts Brazil followed in the semis, but the final against Argentina was much closer, taking an extra-time goal from [Mario Götze](https://theanalyst.com/football/player/sc-69600/mario-gotze) to decide things. Germany/West Germany have appeared in more World Cup finals than any other country, having won four and lost four of their eight finals. ### Go Deeper: [![Looking Back: Germany’s Four FIFA World Cup Wins](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/germany-world-cup-wins-1024x715.jpg)](https://theanalyst.com/articles/germany-world-cup-wins-fifa) [World Cup](https://theanalyst.com/competition/fifa-world-cup/articles) [Looking Back: Germany’s Four FIFA World Cup Wins](https://theanalyst.com/articles/germany-world-cup-wins-fifa) 9 months ago [Matt Furniss](https://theanalyst.com/articles/author/matt-furniss) ## Argentina – 3 (1978, 1986, 2022) Argentina’s first World Cup win came on home soil, finishing second in Group 1 of the first round, beating Hungary and France, but losing to Italy. However, a 2-0 win over Poland and a 0-0 draw with rivals Brazil in the second group phase was followed by a 6-0 thrashing of Peru in their final game to book their place in the World Cup final, where they beat the Netherlands. Mario Kempes gave Argentina the lead in Buenos Aires, though Dick Nanninga equalised to take the final to extra-time. Kempes scored again on the stroke of half-time in extra-time, though, and Daniel Bertoni sealed things with five minutes remaining. Their second success saw one man at the centre of it. Diego Maradona was the star of 1986 as he recorded 10 goal involvements (5 goals, 5 assists) for Argentina. La Albiceleste beat South Korea 3-1 before a 1-1 draw with Italy and a 2-0 win over Bulgaria in the group stage. ![Diego Maradona goal involvements 1986 World Cup](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/diego-maradona-goal-involvements-1986-world-cup-1024x768.jpeg) A 1-0 win over Uruguay was followed by the infamous ‘Hand of God’ by Maradona in a 2-1 win against England. Two more goals from the former Napoli great in the semi-final win over Belgium followed, before goals from José Luis Brown, Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burruchaga earned a 3-2 win over West Germany in the final. It was Lionel Messi at the centre of things in 2022, though things started appallingly as Argentina were shockingly beaten 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in their first game. Things only got better from there, though, as they beat Mexico and Poland to win the group. A 2-1 win over Australia took them to the quarter-finals, where they needed penalties to beat the Netherlands after throwing away a 2-0 lead. They eased past Croatia in the semis 3-0, before one of the all-time great World Cup finals against France. Messi and Ángel Di María put Lionel Scaloni’s men 2-0 ahead, though two late goals from [Kylian Mbappé](https://theanalyst.com/football/player/sc-220160/kylian-mbappe) took the game to extra-time. Messi and Mbappé scored a penalty each that meant the game would end in a shootout, which Argentina won thanks to Gonzalo Montiel’s winning spot-kick. ## Uruguay – 2 (1930, 1950) The inaugural World Cup took place in Uruguay, with 13 teams taking part. The hosts finished top of their group after beating Peru and Romania, advancing to the semi-finals where they strolled to a 6-1 victory over Yugoslavia, with Pedro Cea scoring a hat-trick. In a repeat of the 1928 Olympic final, Uruguay were forced to come from behind against Argentina after going in 2-1 down at half-time. However, second-half goals from Cea, Santos Iriarte and Héctor Castro saw them win 4-2 and lift the first World Cup. They won it again in Brazil, though due to a number of teams pulling out of the 1950 tournament, Uruguay only had to play one group game, in which they beat Bolivia 8-0. That took them into the final round group, where they drew 2-2 with Spain and beat Sweden 3-2. That set up a winner-takes-all clash with Brazil, and Uruguay ran out 2-1 victors against the hosts thanks to goals from Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia to secure their second World Cup. ![Uruguay goal v Brazil 1950 World Cup](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/uruguay-goal-v-brazil-1950-world-cup-1024x576.png) ## France – 2 (1998, 2018) The 1998 World Cup in France was the first to see 32 teams compete, and Les Bleus made home advantage count. Aimé Jacquet’s side eased through the group stage, beating South Africa 3-0, Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Denmark 2-1, before getting past Paraguay in the last 16 after Laurent Blanc scored what was the first ‘Golden Goal’ extra-time winner at a World Cup. After beating Italy on penalties in the quarter-finals, two goals from Lilian Thuram earned them a 2-1 win against Croatia in the semis, setting up a final against holders Brazil. Talismanic midfielder Zinedine Zidane scored two headers at the Stade de France before Emmanuel Petit put the game beyond doubt as France won 3-0. They remain the last World Cup hosts to lift the trophy on home soil. In 2018, the French were far from convincing in the group stage but still came through it after narrow wins over Australia and Peru and a 0-0 draw against Denmark. Edging a seven-goal thriller against Argentina in the last 16 seemed to breathe life into them, though, before they beat Uruguay 2-0 and Belgium 1-0 to set up a final with Croatia. An own goal by Mario Mandzukic and an [Antoine Griezmann](https://theanalyst.com/football/player/sc-76650/antoine-griezmann) penalty were followed by goals from Paul Pogba and Mbappé as France won 4-2 in Moscow to seal their second World Cup. ## England – 1 (1966) England hadn’t even reached a final before they hosted the 1966 World Cup, but hopes were still high for Alf Ramsey’s side. A 0-0 draw with Uruguay in their opening game didn’t exactly back up that optimism, but back-to-back 2-0 victories over Mexico and France reinvigorated hopes as the Three Lions topped Group 1. Geoff Hurst scored the only goal of the quarter-final win over Argentina before a brace from Bobby Charlton saw England get past Eusebio and Portugal in the semis. A dramatic final at Wembley Stadium saw Hurst score a hat-trick as England beat West Germany 4-2 in extra-time. He is one of only two players to score three times in a World Cup final, and the only one to do so and win it. ## Spain – 1 (2010) Spain had never won the World Cup before, but were favourites to lift it in South Africa in 2010 after their impressive win at Euro 2008 with a team featuring many of the dominant Barcelona side of the time. It was an inauspicious start as they lost 1-0 to Switzerland, though victories over Honduras (2-0) and Chile (2-1) still saw them top their group. It was a case of 1-0 is enough from then on for Vicente del Bosque’s side as they won by a single goal against Portugal, Paraguay and Germany to set up a final against the Netherlands. A tight game in Johannesburg went to extra-time, with Andrés Iniesta scoring the winner to give La Roja their first and so far only World Cup title. ![Iniesta goal v Netherlands 2010 World Cup final](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/iniesta-goal-v-netherlands-2010-world-cup-final-1024x576.png) * [![FIFA World Cup Stats Opta](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/fifa-world-cup-stats-opta.jpg)](https://theanalyst.com/competition/fifa-world-cup/stats?utm_source=website&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=embed) *Subscribe to our [football newsletter](https://theanalyst.com/sign-up) to receive exclusive weekly content. 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Readable Markdown	*Only eight nations have ever won the men’s [FIFA Wo](https://theanalyst.com/competition/fifa-club-world-cup)[r](https://theanalyst.com/competition/fifa-world-cup)[ld Cup](https://theanalyst.com/competition/fifa-club-world-cup). Here, we run through each of them and look at who has the most World Cup trophies.* * The men’s FIFA World Cup has evolved in format since the first edition in 1930, but it has always ultimately ended with one victorious country holding the trophy aloft. Across its 22 editions, the World Cup has seen eight different winners, and here, we look through all them, starting with the nation who have won the most. ### Most World Cup Wins - 1\. Brazil: 5 (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) - \=2. Italy: 4 (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006) - \=2. Germany: 4 (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) - 4\. Argentina: 3 (1978, 1986, 2022) - \=5. Uruguay: 2 (1930, 1950) - \=5. France: 2 (1998, 2018) - \=7. England: 1 (1966) - \=7. Spain: 1 (2010) * ## Brazil – 5 (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) Let’s face it; when you think of the World Cup, you think of Brazil. The yellow shirts, the blue shorts, the white socks, the skills, the fans; it is all truly synonymous with every fourth summer no matter the location. It is therefore not much of a surprise that Brazil have won more men’s World Cups than any other nation, with five to their name. The Seleção had to wait until 1958 for their first success, though, overcoming England, Austria and the Soviet Union in the group stage, before beating Wales in the quarter-finals (1-0), France in the semis (5-2) and then beating hosts Sweden in the final, with a 17-year-old Pelé following up his hat-trick against the French by scoring twice more in a 5-2 victory. Four years later, Brazil again topped their group, finishing ahead of Czechoslovakia, Mexico and Spain, before defeating England in the quarter-finals (3-1), hosts Chile in the semis (4-2) and overcoming Czechoslovakia again in the final, winning 3-1 in Santiago. [Arguably the most iconic Brazil team of all time was the 1970 vintage](https://theanalyst.com/articles/brazil-1970-world-cup), who beat England, Czechoslovakia and Romania in the group stage, Peru in the quarters (4-2), Uruguay in the semis (3-1), and then Italy in the final (4-1) in one of the most impressive performances in World Cup history. Carlos Alberto’s goal to complete the scoring late on came at the end of a stunning passing move that is still marvelled at far and wide over 50 years later. ![Carlos Alberto goal v Italy 1970 World Cup final](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/carlos-alberto-goal-v-italy-1970-world-cup-final-1024x768.jpeg) Brazil had to wait 24 years for another win, and their final victory over Italy in the USA was not quite as memorable. After getting past a group featuring Sweden, Russia and Cameroon, the Seleção eked through the knockout stage with one-goal victories over USA, the Netherlands and Sweden. The final against the Azzurri finished goalless and went to penalties, the first time a World Cup final had ended in a shootout, with Roberto Baggio’s miss handing Brazil their fourth trophy. In 2002, they won all three group games against Turkey, China and Costa Rica, and eased past Belgium 2-0 in the last 16. Brazil had to come from behind to beat England 2-1 in the quarter-finals, and were made to work hard for a 1-0 victory against Turkey in the semis. Four years after losing the 1998 final to France, it was appropriate that Ronaldo – whose health issues dominated much of the talk around that previous final – scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Germany to finish the tournament as top scorer and make it five World Cups for Brazil. Brazil haven’t won any of the last five World Cups; they have never gone more consecutive editions without lifting it. ## Italy – 4 (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006) Italy were the first European nation to host and to win the World Cup, doing so in 1934. It was a straight knockout competition, starting with the round of 16, where Italy thrashed the United States 7-1. It took a replay to get past Spain in the quarter-finals following a 1-1 draw, with the Azzurri winning the second meeting 1-0 thanks to a goal from legendary Inter striker Giuseppe Meazza, setting up a semi-final against Austria, which they also won 1-0. There was panic at the Stadio Nazionale del PNF in Rome after Antonin Puč gave Czechoslovakia the lead with less than 20 minutes remaining in the final, only for Raimundo Orsi to equalise 10 minutes later. Angelo Schiavio then won it for Italy five minutes into extra-time. It was the same format four years later as Italy retained their title, beating Norway, France and Brazil on their way to the final, where they faced a strong Hungary side. Two goals each from Gino Colaussi and Silvio Piola earned them a 4-2 win in Paris, though. They had to wait 44 years for their next World Cup win, and few will have seen that one coming when they drew all three of their first group-phase matches. That was still enough to qualify for the second phase, though, and they beat Argentina and Brazil to advance to the semi-finals in Spain, where they beat Poland 2-0. That led to a final with West Germany, which Italy won 3-1 thanks to goals from Paolo Rossi, Marco Tardelli and Alessandro Altobelli. Their most recent success was in Germany in 2006. They topped their group ahead of Ghana, Czech Republic and USA, before needing a 95th-minute winner to get past Australia in the last 16. An easier 3-0 win over Ukraine in the quarter-finals was followed by two goals in the last two minutes of extra-time to see off hosts Germany in the final four. After a 1-1 draw with France in the final, Italy won 5-3 on penalties, with Fabio Grosso scoring the winning spot-kick. ![Grosso penalty v France 2006 World Cup final](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/grosso-penalty-v-france-2006-world-cup-final-1024x576.png) ## Germany – 4 (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) The first three of Germany’s World Cup triumphs came as West Germany, with the first arriving in 1954. It was a World Cup famous for its high-scoring games, which is why we somehow had a winner who also lost a game 8-3 earlier in the tournament (vs Hungary). West Germany would get their revenge in the final though, beating the Mighty Magyars 3-2 in Bern. Their second success would mean even more, as it arrived on home soil. West Germany came through the first group phase, despite a 1-0 loss to East Germany in their third game. They had a better time of it in the second group phase, though, beating Yugoslavia, Sweden and Poland. That saw West Germany advance to the final, where they defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in Munich. Paul Breitner’s penalty made it 1-1 after Johan Neeskens’ spot-kick, before Gerd Müller’s goal just before half-time proved to be the winner. They were successful in Italy 16 years later, with West Germany finishing top of a group including Yugoslavia, Colombia and the UAE. They beat the Netherlands in the last 16, Czechoslovakia in the quarter-finals and England on penalties in the semis, before a 1-0 win over Argentina in the final thanks to an Andreas Brehme penalty. Germany’s most recent success came in Brazil in 2014. They topped their group ahead of USA, Ghana and Portugal, before needing extra-time to beat Algeria in the last 16 and earning a 1-0 win over France in the last eight. A phenomenal 7-1 thrashing of hosts Brazil followed in the semis, but the final against Argentina was much closer, taking an extra-time goal from [Mario Götze](https://theanalyst.com/football/player/sc-69600/mario-gotze) to decide things. Germany/West Germany have appeared in more World Cup finals than any other country, having won four and lost four of their eight finals. ## Argentina – 3 (1978, 1986, 2022) Argentina’s first World Cup win came on home soil, finishing second in Group 1 of the first round, beating Hungary and France, but losing to Italy. However, a 2-0 win over Poland and a 0-0 draw with rivals Brazil in the second group phase was followed by a 6-0 thrashing of Peru in their final game to book their place in the World Cup final, where they beat the Netherlands. Mario Kempes gave Argentina the lead in Buenos Aires, though Dick Nanninga equalised to take the final to extra-time. Kempes scored again on the stroke of half-time in extra-time, though, and Daniel Bertoni sealed things with five minutes remaining. Their second success saw one man at the centre of it. Diego Maradona was the star of 1986 as he recorded 10 goal involvements (5 goals, 5 assists) for Argentina. La Albiceleste beat South Korea 3-1 before a 1-1 draw with Italy and a 2-0 win over Bulgaria in the group stage. ![Diego Maradona goal involvements 1986 World Cup](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/diego-maradona-goal-involvements-1986-world-cup-1024x768.jpeg) A 1-0 win over Uruguay was followed by the infamous ‘Hand of God’ by Maradona in a 2-1 win against England. Two more goals from the former Napoli great in the semi-final win over Belgium followed, before goals from José Luis Brown, Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burruchaga earned a 3-2 win over West Germany in the final. It was Lionel Messi at the centre of things in 2022, though things started appallingly as Argentina were shockingly beaten 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in their first game. Things only got better from there, though, as they beat Mexico and Poland to win the group. A 2-1 win over Australia took them to the quarter-finals, where they needed penalties to beat the Netherlands after throwing away a 2-0 lead. They eased past Croatia in the semis 3-0, before one of the all-time great World Cup finals against France. Messi and Ángel Di María put Lionel Scaloni’s men 2-0 ahead, though two late goals from [Kylian Mbappé](https://theanalyst.com/football/player/sc-220160/kylian-mbappe) took the game to extra-time. Messi and Mbappé scored a penalty each that meant the game would end in a shootout, which Argentina won thanks to Gonzalo Montiel’s winning spot-kick. ## Uruguay – 2 (1930, 1950) The inaugural World Cup took place in Uruguay, with 13 teams taking part. The hosts finished top of their group after beating Peru and Romania, advancing to the semi-finals where they strolled to a 6-1 victory over Yugoslavia, with Pedro Cea scoring a hat-trick. In a repeat of the 1928 Olympic final, Uruguay were forced to come from behind against Argentina after going in 2-1 down at half-time. However, second-half goals from Cea, Santos Iriarte and Héctor Castro saw them win 4-2 and lift the first World Cup. They won it again in Brazil, though due to a number of teams pulling out of the 1950 tournament, Uruguay only had to play one group game, in which they beat Bolivia 8-0. That took them into the final round group, where they drew 2-2 with Spain and beat Sweden 3-2. That set up a winner-takes-all clash with Brazil, and Uruguay ran out 2-1 victors against the hosts thanks to goals from Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia to secure their second World Cup. ![Uruguay goal v Brazil 1950 World Cup](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/uruguay-goal-v-brazil-1950-world-cup-1024x576.png) ## France – 2 (1998, 2018) The 1998 World Cup in France was the first to see 32 teams compete, and Les Bleus made home advantage count. Aimé Jacquet’s side eased through the group stage, beating South Africa 3-0, Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Denmark 2-1, before getting past Paraguay in the last 16 after Laurent Blanc scored what was the first ‘Golden Goal’ extra-time winner at a World Cup. After beating Italy on penalties in the quarter-finals, two goals from Lilian Thuram earned them a 2-1 win against Croatia in the semis, setting up a final against holders Brazil. Talismanic midfielder Zinedine Zidane scored two headers at the Stade de France before Emmanuel Petit put the game beyond doubt as France won 3-0. They remain the last World Cup hosts to lift the trophy on home soil. In 2018, the French were far from convincing in the group stage but still came through it after narrow wins over Australia and Peru and a 0-0 draw against Denmark. Edging a seven-goal thriller against Argentina in the last 16 seemed to breathe life into them, though, before they beat Uruguay 2-0 and Belgium 1-0 to set up a final with Croatia. An own goal by Mario Mandzukic and an [Antoine Griezmann](https://theanalyst.com/football/player/sc-76650/antoine-griezmann) penalty were followed by goals from Paul Pogba and Mbappé as France won 4-2 in Moscow to seal their second World Cup. ## England – 1 (1966) England hadn’t even reached a final before they hosted the 1966 World Cup, but hopes were still high for Alf Ramsey’s side. A 0-0 draw with Uruguay in their opening game didn’t exactly back up that optimism, but back-to-back 2-0 victories over Mexico and France reinvigorated hopes as the Three Lions topped Group 1. Geoff Hurst scored the only goal of the quarter-final win over Argentina before a brace from Bobby Charlton saw England get past Eusebio and Portugal in the semis. A dramatic final at Wembley Stadium saw Hurst score a hat-trick as England beat West Germany 4-2 in extra-time. He is one of only two players to score three times in a World Cup final, and the only one to do so and win it. ## Spain – 1 (2010) Spain had never won the World Cup before, but were favourites to lift it in South Africa in 2010 after their impressive win at Euro 2008 with a team featuring many of the dominant Barcelona side of the time. It was an inauspicious start as they lost 1-0 to Switzerland, though victories over Honduras (2-0) and Chile (2-1) still saw them top their group. It was a case of 1-0 is enough from then on for Vicente del Bosque’s side as they won by a single goal against Portugal, Paraguay and Germany to set up a final against the Netherlands. A tight game in Johannesburg went to extra-time, with Andrés Iniesta scoring the winner to give La Roja their first and so far only World Cup title. ![Iniesta goal v Netherlands 2010 World Cup final](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/iniesta-goal-v-netherlands-2010-world-cup-final-1024x576.png) * [![FIFA World Cup Stats Opta](https://theanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/fifa-world-cup-stats-opta.jpg)](https://theanalyst.com/competition/fifa-world-cup/stats?utm_source=website&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=embed) *Subscribe to our [football newsletter](https://theanalyst.com/sign-up) to receive exclusive weekly content. 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