The Fifa World Cup winners list features some of the world’s best football teams in the sport’s history. The quadrennial tournament first started in 1930 and has since become a popular and lovable competition for the masses across the world.
Barring 1942 and 1946, when the FIFA World Cup wasn’t held due to the Second World War, the tournament has been a constant source of entertainment. The process of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup finals stage is lengthy and difficult with every country initially playing in their respective continents through various qualifier stages before eventually making it to the last 32 teams.
The first FIFA World Cup winners were Uruguay, who were also the hosts of the competition. They had beaten their South American rivals Argentina in the final 4-2 with José Nasazzi being the top performer of the tournament.
Here is the full list of FIFA World Cup winners from every edition since 1930.
Fifa World Cup Winners List from 1930 to 2018
| World Cup Year | Winners | WC Final Score | Runners-up |
| 1930 | Uruguay | 4–2 | Argentina |
| 1934 | Italy | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Czechoslovakia |
| 1938 | Italy | 4–2 | Hungary |
| 1950 | Uruguay | 2–1 | Brazil |
| 1954 | West Germany | 3–2 | Hungary |
| 1958 | Brazil | 5–2 | Sweden |
| 1962 | Brazil | 3–1 | Czechoslovakia |
| 1966 | England | 4–2 (a.e.t.) | West Germany |
| 1970 | Brazil | 4–1 | Italy |
| 1974 | West Germany | 2–1 | Netherlands |
| 1978 | Argentina | 3–1 (a.e.t.) | Netherlands |
| 1982 | Italy | 3–1 | West Germany |
| 1986 | Argentina | 3–2 | West Germany |
| 1990 | West Germany | 1–0 | Argentina |
| 1994 | Brazil | 0–0 (a.e.t.)(3–2 pen.) | Italy |
| 1998 | France | 3–0 | Brazil |
| 2002 | Brazil | 2–0 | Germany |
| 2006 | Italy | 1–1 (a.e.t.)(5–3 pen.) | France |
| 2010 | Spain | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Netherlands |
| 2014 | Germany | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Argentina |
| 2018 | France | 4–2 | Croatia |
| 2022 | Argentina | 3-3 (4-2 on penalties) | France |
Quite aptly, the FIFA World Cup has witnessed intense competition over the years from teams from different backgrounds and cultures. While South American side Uruguay kicked off the tournament as the first-time winners, Europe’s Italy fought back with two consecutive World Cups in 1934 and 1938.
The next two decades, however, saw an unparalleled dominance by two national teams from either side of the Atlantic Ocean – West Germany and Brazil. From 1954 to 1974, Brazil had won the World Cup thrice and West Germany twice. The only surprise was England’s win in the 1966 edition, where they had beaten West Germany 4-2 in the final.
The next two decades, however, saw Brazil mellowing down with Argentina and Italy returning to the dominance alongside West Germany. The West Germany-Argentina World Cup final in 1986 is still considered to be one of the classic finales on the world stage.
Brazil won their fourth World Cup in 1994 by beating Italy 3-2 on penalties. It was also in the 1990s that saw the rise of France as they had beaten a star-studded Brazil team 3-0 to lift the coveted trophy.
Though Brazil’s Samba tactics dominated the 2002 World Cup, the 21st century has largely been dominated by the possession play and impeccable passing of Spain and Germany. The two teams dominated the UEFA European Championship as well during this time.
Fifa World Cup Winners List: By the numbers
| Team | World Cup wins | Years won |
| Brazil | 5 | 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 |
| Germany | 4 | 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014 |
| Italy | 4 | 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006 |
| Argentina | 3 | 1978, 1986, 2022 |
| Uruguay | 2 | 1930, 1950 |
| France | 2 | 1998, 2018 |
| England | 1 | 1966 |
| Spain | 1 | 2010 |
The Brazil national team has been the most successful with as many as five World Cups to their name since their first win in 1958. From Pele, Zico and Socrates to Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka and now Neymar, the Brazilian team has produced some of the most talented players in World Cup history. Hence, their success, although enormous, isn’t surprising.
Interestingly, the Brazil national team was involved in three of the most one-sided World Cup final matches in history. After showing massive dominance against Sweden in the 1958 World Cup, when Brazil had won 5-2, and against Italy in the 1970 World Cup, where they won 4-1, Brazil were at the receiving end of a heavy defeat (3-0) against France in the 1998 World Cup.
The second most successful team in the FIFA World is Germany who have been world champions four times. Quite interestingly, the two most successful teams in FIFA World Cup have adhered to completely different brands of football and have still won. This brings home the success of starting the tournament in the first place, which wanted football to grow all across the globe.
Though Italy have also won the World Cup four times in the past, they haven’t exhibited Germany’s sheer dominance. The fact that the German national team has ended as many as four World Cups as the runners-up and still managed to win four other, speaks volumes about their consistency on the biggest stage.
Argentina, Uruguay and France have all won the FIFA World Cup twice so far, with England and Spain lifting the title twice.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in FIFA World Cups
The debate for the GOAT of football was settled once and for all, when Lionel Messi finally won the FIFA World Cup in 2022 held in Qatar.
Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi won their respective continental trophy in UEFA Euro Cup and Copa America titles, respectively. However, Argentina’s victory in World Cup cemented Messi’s stature in the greatest-ever debate that has been going on for close to two decades.
FAQs
Which team has the most World Cup wins?
The Brazil national team has the most number of FIFA World Cup wins in the tournament history. They have won the title five times in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002.
Who were FIFA World Cup winners 2018?
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was won by France after they defeated Croatia 4-2 in the final.
When is the next World Cup?
The next FIFA World Cup will take place in 2022 in Qatar. The tournament will take place from November 21, 2022, to December 8, 2022.
