Who has the most World Cup winner? List of men’s FIFA tournament winners throughout history
The FIFA World Cup remains one of the most prestigious athletic accomplishments.
There have been a total of 21 tournaments to date, and Qatar 2022 represents another opportunity for the world’s best teams to join an exclusive winners’ club.
The inaugural tournament was held in 1930 and was won by the host nation, Uruguay. This tournament featured thirteen teams; it has since grown to 32 teams, and the 2026 edition will feature 48 countries.
For most players, the World Cup is the pinnacle of their careers, and the tournament has frequently been the setting for some of the most memorable moments in the history of the sport.
Who has won most World Cups?
As we get close to crowning a winner at Qatar 2022, Brazil are the most successful nation in World Cup history and have won the famous trophy five times. Germany and Italy are not far behind, having won the competition on four occasions.
Brazil (5 titles)
1958: Pele, aged just 17, scored a brace in the final against Sweden in Brazil’s first World Cup triumph.
1962: Amarildo, Zito and Vava were on the scoresheet as Brazil beat Czechoslovakia in the final.
1970: Pele again scored in the final with Brazil beating Italy 4-1.
1994: After the game ended goalless, Brazil beat Italy on penalties in the final, with Roberto Baggio missing the decisive spot-kick.
2002: Ronaldo scored twice as Brazil got the better of Germany in Japan.
Germany (4 titles)
1954: Helmut Rahn got the winner for West Germany as they beat Hungary 3-2 in the final.
1974: Gerd Muller was the hero as West Germany won 2-1 against the Netherlands.
1990: A penalty from Andy Brehme saw West Germany beat Argentina 1-0.
2014: Mario Gotze hit the winner for Germany in the 113th minute of the final against Argentina to end a 24 year drought.
Italy (4 titles)
1934: Angelo Schiavio’s goal saw Italy beat Czechoslovakia after extra time.
1938: Gino Colaussi and Silvio Piolo both hit braces for Italy in their 4-2 win over Hungary.
1982: Italy beat West Germany 3-1 in the final as Paolo Rossi, Marco Tardelli and Alessandro Alotbelli scored.
2006: Italy won on penalties, with Fabio Grosso the hero as Zinedine Zidane was sent off for France.
Argentina (2 titles)
1978: Mario Kempes scored twice for Argentina and Daniel Bertoni also netted in a 3-1 win against the Netherlands.
1986: Argentina beat West Germany 3-2 in an enthralling final as Jorge Burruchaga got the winner.
France (2 titles)
1998: Zinedine Zidane got a brace with Emmanuel Petit also scoring in France’s 3-0 win over Brazil on home soil in Paris.
2018: Kylian Mbappe was on target in France’s 4-2 success against Croatia in Russia.
Uruguay (2 titles)
1930: In the inaugural edition of the tournament, Uruguay beat Argentina 4-2 in the final.
1950: Over 173,000 people watched the most attended football match ever, with Alcides Ghiggia’s goal proving decisive in Uruguay’s 2-1 win over Brazil at the Maracana.
England (1 title)
1966: Geoff Hurst got a hat trick as England beat West Germany 4-2.
Spain (1 title)
2010: Andres Iniesta scored in the 116th minute as Spain got the better of the Netherlands.
All-time World Cup winners
Here’s a look at who won each edition of the men’s tournament:
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