Eight countries claimed FIFA WC trophy in 92-yr history
Sunday, 18 December 2022
Initially known to the public as the Jules Rimet trophy, the FIFA World Cup was launched in 1930. Over its 92-year history, 79 nations have battled it out for the top prize. Of these, 13 countries have made it to the finals, with eight being crowned champions, report agencies.
Only European and South American teams have ever reached the finals. With eight appearances, Germany have the highest number of World Cup finals under their belt, followed by Brazil (seven times) and Italy (six times). Argentina have reached the finals on five separate occasions - winning two of them - while France have appeared in three finals, which they have also won twice.
Let's take a look at which countries won the Football World Cups so far.
Brazil
Brazil has won the FIFA world cup tournament five times. The first time was in 1958 when they beat Sweden in the final 5-2. Four years later, they retained their title with a 3-1 win over Czechoslovakia.
In 1970, Brazil produced one of the greatest teams of all time, winning the World Cup against Italy with some of the most stylish and flamboyant football ever seen. They triumphed again in 1994, this time with a more pragmatic approach, before sealing their fifth victory in 2002 with a 2-0 win over Germany.
Germany
Germany has been one of the most successful teams in the history of the FIFA World Cup, winning the tournament four times. As of 2022, The German national team has appeared in a total of 20 FIFA World Cups and has reached the final eight times.
Germany's first World Cup victory came in 1954 when they defeated Hungary 3-2 in the final. The German team then went on to win the World Cup again in 1974 and 1990. Germany's most recent World Cup victory came in 2014 when they defeated Argentina 1-0 in the final.
Italy
Italy has a long and storied history in the FIFA World Cup, having won the tournament four times. The first time was in 1934 when they defeated Czechoslovakia in the final. They followed that up with victories in 1938 and 1982.
Their most recent title came in 2006 when they defeated France in a dramatic final. In addition to their four titles, Italy has also been runners-up twice, in 1970 and 1994.
Argentina
Argentina has qualified for the event a total of eighteen times and has won the title on two occasions. The first time came in 1978 when Argentina hosted the tournament and defeated the Netherlands in the final. The second came in 1986 when Diego Maradona led the team to victory against West Germany. Since then, Argentina has been a runner-up twice, in 1990 and 2014.
France
The French national team has won the FIFA World Cup tournament twice, first in 1998 and then again in 2018. In addition, they were also runners-up in 2006, losing to Italy. Their success at the international level is matched by their strong domestic league, which is widely considered to be one of the best in the world.
Uruguay
The national team won the FIFA World Cup tournament twice, in 1930 and 1950. In recent years, Uruguay has not fared as well in international competition, but they continue to be a force to be reckoned with in South America.
England
England won the World Cup once in 1966 when England defeated West Germany in a dramatic final at Wembley Stadium. Since then, the English football team has failed to produce a fruitful result. Their best performance was fourth place in 1990 and 2018.
Spain
Spain has been a powerhouse in the world of soccer for many years but won the FIFA World Cup Tournament only one time in 2010. They defeated the Netherlands in the final. Apart from this Spanish football team's best performance was in 1950 when they came fourth.