In 92 years and 22 tournaments, only eight countries have won the World Cup. Here is what each of them built.
1958 · 1962 · 1970 · 1994 · 2002
The only nation to appear at every World Cup, and the standard the rest of the world measures itself against. The 1970 side is still called the greatest team ever assembled.
Legends: Pelé, Garrincha, Ronaldo, Romário, Ronaldinho · Style: o jogo bonito
1954 · 1974 · 1990 · 2014
Relentless and machine-like across seven decades, from the "Miracle of Bern" to the 7–1 dismantling of Brazil on home soil in 2014. Eight finals reached — more than anyone.
Legends: Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Matthäus, Klose (16 WC goals, all-time top scorer)
1934 · 1938 · 1982 · 2006
Masters of the defensive arts. The Azzurri turned organization into a trophy cabinet, winning back-to-back in the 1930s and again in Berlin in 2006.
Legends: Paolo Rossi, Baresi, Maldini, Buffon, Cannavaro · Style: catenaccio
1978 · 1986 · 2022
Defending champions. Maradona carried them in 1986; Messi finally completed his story in Qatar in 2022, in one of the greatest finals ever played.
Legends: Maradona, Messi, Kempes, Di María · 2022: beat France on penalties
1930 · 1950
The first-ever champions, and the authors of the Maracanazo — silencing 200,000 Brazilians in 1950. No nation has done more with so little.
Legends: Schiaffino, Francescoli, Forlán, Suárez, Cavani
1998 · 2018
Champions at home in 1998 and again in Russia in 2018, and a whisker from a third in 2022. The modern game's deepest talent pipeline.
Legends: Zidane, Platini, Henry, Mbappé
1966
The game's birthplace, champions once — at home, with Geoff Hurst's hat-trick in the final. A nation still chasing a second.
Legends: Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton, Lineker, Kane
2010
The tiki-taka generation perfected possession football and won it all in 2010, Iniesta's extra-time goal settling the final.
Legends: Iniesta, Xavi, Casillas, Raúl · Style: tiki-taka
