- Most titles
- 5
- Brazil
- Most finals lost
- 4
- Argentina
- Different teams
- 8
- Editions held
- 23
Complete honours by season
23 editions, from 1930 to 2026
| Year | WinnerFinal | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | |||
| 2026 |  SpainRunner-up:  Argentina 1-0 a.e.t. | Argentina | 1-0 a.e.t. |
| 2022 | ArgentinaRunner-up:  France 3-3 a.e.t. ; 4-2 p | France | 3-3 a.e.t. ; 4-2 p |
| 2010s | |||
| 2018 | FranceRunner-up:  Croatia 4-2 | Croatia | 4-2 |
| 2014 |  GermanyRunner-up: Argentina 1-0 a.e.t. | Argentina | 1-0 a.e.t. |
| 2010 | SpainRunner-up:  Netherlands 1-0 a.e.t. | Netherlands | 1-0 a.e.t. |
| 2000s | |||
| 2006 |  ItalyRunner-up: France 1-1 ; 5-3 p | France | 1-1 ; 5-3 p |
| 2002 |  BrazilRunner-up: Germany 2-0 | Germany | 2-0 |
| 1990s | |||
| 1998 | FranceRunner-up: Brazil 3-0 | Brazil | 3-0 |
| 1994 | BrazilRunner-up: Italy 0-0 ; 3-2 p | Italy | 0-0 ; 3-2 p |
| 1990 | GermanyRunner-up: Argentina 1-0 | Argentina | 1-0 |
| 1980s | |||
| 1986 | ArgentinaRunner-up: Germany 3-2 | Germany | 3-2 |
| 1982 | ItalyRunner-up: Germany 3-1 | Germany | 3-1 |
| 1970s | |||
| 1978 | ArgentinaRunner-up: Netherlands 3-1 a.e.t. | Netherlands | 3-1 a.e.t. |
| 1974 | GermanyRunner-up: Netherlands 2-1 | Netherlands | 2-1 |
| 1970 | BrazilRunner-up: Italy 4-1 | Italy | 4-1 |
| 1960s | |||
| 1966 |  EnglandRunner-up: Germany 4-2 a.e.t. | Germany | 4-2 a.e.t. |
| 1962 | BrazilRunner-up:  Czechoslovakia 3-1 | Czechoslovakia | 3-1 |
| 1950s | |||
| 1958 | BrazilRunner-up:  Sweden 5-2 | Sweden | 5-2 |
| 1954 | GermanyRunner-up:  Hungary 3-2 | Hungary | 3-2 |
| 1950 |  UruguayRunner-up: Brazil 2-1 | Brazil | 2-1 |
| 1930s | |||
| 1938 | ItalyRunner-up: Hungary 4-2 | Hungary | 4-2 |
| 1934 | ItalyRunner-up: Czechoslovakia 2-1 a.e.t. | Czechoslovakia | 2-1 a.e.t. |
| 1930 | UruguayRunner-up: Argentina 4-2 | Argentina | 4-2 |
Detailed statistics
Recurrent finalists
Highlights
Since its creation in 1930 in Uruguay, the tournament's host and first champion, the World Cup has established itself as the most widely followed sporting competition on the planet. Only eight nations have ever won it: Brazil, with five titles, stands as the undisputed record holder, ahead of Italy and Germany, each crowned champions four times. Argentina and France have won three and two titles respectively.
The tournament's format has changed considerably over the decades: only thirteen teams took part in the inaugural 1930 edition, compared with thirty-two at every edition held between 1998 and 2022, before expansion to forty-eight teams from 2026 onwards. The competition has only been interrupted twice in its history, in 1942 and 1946, due to the Second World War.
Brazil remains the only nation to have competed at every edition ever held. The tournament has also showcased some of the greatest players in football history, from three-time champion Pele to Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane, while Lionel Messi joined this exclusive club in 2022, completing a quest that began almost two decades earlier in Argentina's colours.