The planet’s most prestigious international football competition has given us plenty of memories over the years. Regarded as the ultimate prize for any footballer, winning the World Cup is no easy feat.
On average, a player will be lucky to have four attempts at winning the trophy, with the most successful being Brazilian striker Pele. The legendary forward won the World Cup three times (1958, 1962 & 1970).
With the upcoming FIFA World Cup, all the latest news is brought to you by us, in the football section. There, all the latest team news and gossip are covered to give you further insight into the most popular sporting competition in the world.
In this piece, we cover the most successful nations at the World Cup. Nonetheless, a special mention must go to the countries that have won it once: England and Spain.
Let’s take a look at the most successful countries at the FIFA World Cup.
Two Times:
Argentina
The South American nation has won the trophy twice, in 1978 and 1986. The most memorable time Argentina won was in 1986, when Maradona scored two goals in the semi-final against England, one being the infamous “hand of God”.
Argentinian legend, Messi has never won the World Cup but will fancy his chances at the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. It’ll be his final appearance, with many punters fancying Messi to win the prize that has always eluded him. To help bettors, comparison platforms have brought together all of the best football betting sites in a single area for their convenience, saving them time. These portals also provide reviews from industry professionals and the most up-to-date signup bonuses. They also have advice and tips for betting, as well as a section with answers to the most common questions, to help players make smart decisions about betting.
France
France is the current holder of the World Cup defeating Croatia 4-2 in the Russia FIFA World Cup in 2018. The current manager – Didier Deschamps made history by becoming the only Frenchman to win the World Cup as a player and a manager.
Deschamps was captain when France won their first World Cup in 1998. The French defeated the Brazilians 3-0 in the final, which was marred by the omission of Brazil’s Starman Ronaldo.
Uruguay
A surprise nation on the list, Uruguay has won the FIFA World Cup twice. The first-ever World Cup in 1930, featured only 8 teams and was hosted by the eventual champions – Uruguay.
The second time Uruguay took the crown was in 1950 when they beat the hosts, Brazil 2-1. It was watched by a staggering 180,000 fans at the Maracanã Stadium.
Four Times:
Italy
The most recent win by Italy was in 2006, when they beat France on penalties. The game can be remembered as Zidane’s last ever game, where he was sent off for headbutting Materazzi.
Italy won their first two World Cups early on, in 1934 and 1938. Their third win came in 1982 when Italy beat West Germany 3-1.
Germany
Germany/West Germany have won the tournament 4 times (1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014). Their most recent win in 2014 was a close match, with Mario Götze getting the winner in extra time.
The Germans defeated Argentina, in the final, but it was the semi-final against hosts Brazil that got all the headlines. Germany famously won 7-1, and it was 5-0 at halftime, in an embarrassing defeat to the then favorites for the tournament – Brazil.
Five Times:
Brazil
Brazil is the most successful country in the World Cup with 5 trophies. Moreover, the Samba nation is the only team that has qualified for every World Cup.
The South American’s maiden win came in 1958, defeating hosts – Sweden 5-2. It was the birth of a new star – Pele, who at only 17 scored in the final.
Their golden era was with Pele, winning the trophy in 1962, and 1970 also. It was not until 1994 in the USA that Brazil would scoop the prize again. Notably, Brazil’s most recent win was in 2002, with the famous trio of Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho, beating Germany 2-0 in the final.
Brazil is currently the favorite to lift the trophy in Qatar and is ranked number 1 in the world. And after a 20-year gap of not winning the famous gold trophy, it would be silly to bet against them.
Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.5, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5490802
