The 2022 FIFA World Cup was one for the ages. It was the 22nd edition of the event and was unique from the beginning – having started in late-November, opposed to its normal June-July start date. It was also the last time we’ll see a field of 32 teams, with the field increasing to 48 teams for the 2026 World Cup.
And while the tournament featured a number of exciting storylines – for example, all five African teams won at least one game and two of them (Morocco, Tunisia) advanced to the knockout stage – it was Lionel Messi and Argentina that stole the show with their first FIFA World Cup victory since 1986.
Argentina bounced back after an upset loss to Saudi Arabia in their first game of the tournament, winning their next two games and advancing to the knockout stage. The team went on to beat Australia, the Netherlands (PKs), and Croatia before facing France in the FIFA World Cup Final – winning it in PKs.
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A Brief History of Past FIFA World Cup Champions
The history of the FIFA World Cup dates back to 1930, when the first tournament final was held in Montevideo, Uruguay. Since then, the World Cup has been held every four years – the only exceptions are 1942 and 1946, due to World War II. Many countries have tried, but only a few have won it all.
Over the past 22 tournaments, a total of 80 countries have had a shot at winning it all. Unfortunately, only nine of those countries – eight if you want to treat Germany and West Germany as the same – have won the FIFA World Cup Final, with six of them winning it more than once. Oh, and the US isn’t one of them.
Since the next men’s FIFA World Cup isn’t for another four years, let’s take a moment to reminisce about the tournament’s rich history since 1930. Since we already discussed Argentina’s run in 2022, we’ll go through the past 21 champions and how they got there – warning: it’s a lot of Brazil, Italy, and Germany.
21. 2018 FIFA World Cup – France
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was held in Russia between June 14 and July 15. France went unbeaten in the group stage, finishing with two wins and one draw – they beat Australia 2-1 on June 16 and followed that up with a 1-0 win against Peru on June 21st. Their June 26 match against Denmark ended in a 0-0 tie.
In the knockout stage, France beat Argentina 4-3 thanks to two goals by Kylian Mbappé that came in the 64th and 68th minutes. They then beat Uruguay 2-0 and Belgium 1-0 to advance to the World Cup Final, where they defeated Croatia 4-2. Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann each had four goals in the Cup.
20. 2014 FIFA World Cup – Germany
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was held in Brazil between June 12 and July 13. Germany went unbeaten in the group stage, finishing with two wins and one draw – they beat Portugal 4-0 behind a hat-trick by Thomas Müller, tied Ghana 2-2, and defeated the United States 1-0 behind another Müller finish.
In the knockout stage, Germany almost didn’t make it past the first round, but defeated Algeria 2-1 in extra time. They then beat France 1-0 and routed Brazil 7-1 before defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the World Cup Final. Müller finished the tournament with 5 goals – just one away from the Golden Boot.
19. 2010 FIFA World Cup – Spain
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was held in South Africa between June 11 and July 11. Spain had never won a World Cup prior to 2010. They ended the group stage with two wins and one draw, having lost their first match of the tournament to Switzerland, but bounced back to beat Chile and Honduras to advance.
Spain barely made their way through the knockout stage, beating Portugal, Paraguay, and Germany – all of which were 1-0 finishes – to advance to the World Cup Final, where they defeated Netherlands by a score of, you guessed it, 1-0 (in extra time, no less). David Villa (Silver Boot) led the team with 5 goals.
18. 2006 FIFA World Cup – Italy
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was held in Germany between June 9 and July 9. Italy had already won three titles before securing their fourth in 2006. They went unbeaten in the group stage with wins against Ghana and the Czech Republic, and a tie to the United States. They really hit their stride in the KO stage.
In their three games leading up to the World Cup Final, Italy outscored Australia, Ukraine, and Germany 6-0 – which included two goals in overtime to secure a 2-0 win over Germany in the semi-finals. They ended up beating France in penalties to win the Cup. Italy had 11 different players score in the tourney.
17. 2002 FIFA World Cup – Brazil
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was held in South Korea and Japan between May 31 and June 30. Brazil had already won four World Cups before securing their fifth in 2002. The team went a perfect 3-0 in the group stage as their three-headed monster of Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, and Ronaldo combined for seven goals.
In the knockout stage, Brazil outscored their opponent 5-1 in their lead up to the World Cup Final – where they defeated Germany 2-0. Brazil finished the tournament 7-0-0 with 18 goals for and 4 goals against. Ronaldo led all goalscorers with a whopping 8 goals and Rivaldo came in second with 5 goals of his own.
16. 1998 FIFA World Cup – France
The 1998 FIFA World Cup was held in France between June 10 and July 12. As of today, it’s the most recent World Cup where the host nation won it all. France went a perfect 3-0-0 in the group stage, outscoring their opponents 9-1 behind three goals by Thierry Henry. They were absolutely coasting.
In the knockout stage, France faced a little more resistance with a sudden death victory over Paraguay, a 0-0 victory in penalties against Italy, and a narrow 2-1 win over Croatia to advance to the World Cup Final, where they beat Brazil 3-0. France was led by Henry with 3 goals and had nine total players score.
15. 1994 FIFA World Cup – Brazil
The 1994 World Cup was held in the United States between June 17 and July 17. It was the fourth title for Brazil, who finished the group stage with two wins and one draw. They outscored opponents 5-0 in their first two games – wins against Cameroon and Russia – but tied 1-1 to Sweden before advancing.
Brazil squeaked out a narrow 1-0 victory over the United States in the knockout stage and followed that up with another close 3-2 win over the Netherlands. They got their revenge with a 1-0 win against Sweden before beating Italy in the Final in penalties. Romário led the team with 5 goals in the tourney.
14. 1990 FIFA World Cup – West Germany
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was held in Italy between June 8 and July 8. It was the third title for West Germany and final title before appearing as just Germany. They went unbeaten in the group stage, finishing with two wins and one draw – outscoring opponents 10-3 in their first three games.
In the knockout stage, West Germany defeated the Netherlands 2-1, Czechoslovakia 1-0, and England 1-1 (in penalties) before making it to the World Cup Final – where they defeated Argentina 1-0. They were led by Lothar Matthäus with four goals, but had three other players score at least three goals in the Cup.
13. 1986 FIFA World Cup – Argentina
The 1986 FIFA World Cup was held in Mexico between May 31 and June 29. Argentina would win their second title – it would be another 36 years before they win their third (2022). They went unbeaten in the group stage, finishing with two wins and one draw. They outscored opponents 6-2 during that span.
Argentina easily advanced to the knockout stage and defeated Uruguay, England, and Belgium with a combined score of 5-1 – England was the only team to score on them. They defeated West Germany 3-2 in the World Cup Final. Diego Maradona led the team with 5 goals and was the clear Golden Ball winner.
12. 1982 FIFA World Cup – Italy
The 1982 FIFA World Cup was held in Spain between June 13 and July 11. Italy went on to win their third World Cup title – it would be another 24 years before they won their fourth. They went unbeaten in the first group stage, but failed to pick up a win with three draws and only scored 2 goals in those games.
They came alive in the second group stage, scoring 5 goals and winning both of their games before advancing to the knockout stage. There, they defeated Poland 2-0 in the semi-finals and beat West Germany 3-1 in the World Cup Final. Italy’s Paolo Rossi led all goalscorers with six goals in the tourney.
11. 1978 FIFA World Cup – Argentina
The 1978 FIFA World Cup was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25. Argentina not only won their first World Cup title, but became just the fifth country to win it all as the host nation. They started the tourney with two wins and one loss in the first round and were in second place in their group, behind Italy.
Argentina finished the second round with two wins and one draw, outscoring opponents 8-0. In the Final, Argentina was tied 1-1 with the Netherlands until Mario Kempes scored his second goal of the game in the 105th minute – Bertoni scored a dagger in the 115th minute. Kempes led all goalscorers with 6 goals.
10. 1974 FIFA World Cup – West Germany
The 1974 World Cup was held in West Germany between June 13 and July 7. This was the second time West Germany won the cup and the fourth time a country won it as the host nation. West Germany finished the first round with two wins and one loss – they stood just one point behind East Germany.
In the second round, West Germany played lights-out and won all three of their games – outscoring opponents 7-2 in that span, while East Germany failed to record a win. West Germany went on to defeat the Netherlands 2-1 in the World Cup FInal. The team was led by Gerd Müller, who scored four goals.
9. 1970 FIFA World Cup – Brazil
The 1970 FIFA World Cup was held in Mexico between May 31 and June 21. It was the third time Brazil would win the World Cup in a four-year span as they continued to roll through competition. They finished the group stage a perfect 3-0-0 and outscored opponents 8-3 to easily advance to the knockout stage.
Brazil went on to defeat Peru 4-2 and Uruguay 3-1 before finding themselves in the World Cup Final against Italy, who they defeated 4-1 – they outscored opponents 11-4 in the knockout stage. Jairzinho scored a goal in all three games and had 7 goals in the tourney – Pele had 4 goals in the tourney.
8. 1966 FIFA World Cup – England
The 1966 FIFA World Cup was held in England between July 11 and July 30. It was a special year for the host nation, who won their first ever title and became just the third country to win the Final as the host nation. They had two wins and one draw in the group stage, outscoring opponents 4-0 in those games.
England kept their run going in the knockout stage, defeating Argentina 1-0 and Portugal 2-1 before finding themselves in the Final against West Germany – who they defeated 4-2. Roger Hunt had 3 of the team’s 4 goals in the group stage, while Geoff Hurst had 4 of the team’s 7 goals in the knockout stage – including a hat-trick in the Final.
7. 1962 FIFA World Cup – Brazil
The 1962 FIFA World Cup was held in Chile between May 30 and June 17. Brazil defended their title from four years prior, becoming the second nation to win back-to-back World Cups. They went unbeaten in the group stage, advancing to the knockout stage with two wins and one draw – they stood atop their group.
Brazil opened up the knockout stage with a 3-1 win over England behind two goals by Garrincha and followed that up with a 4-2 win over Chile – again, Garrincha scored twice. He didn’t score in the Final, but he won 3-1 over Czechoslovakia and – along with teammate Vavá – led all goalscorers with 4 goals.
6. 1958 FIFA World Cup – Brazil
The 1958 FIFA World Cup was held in Sweden between June 8 and June 29. It was the first ever title for Brazil and the first of a back-to-back (see above). They finished the group stage with two wins and one draw, outscoring opponents 5-0 in that span. Altafini and Vavá scored two goals each in the group stage.
The team played even better in the knockout stage, which started with a 1-0 win over Wales – the lone goal was scored by Pelé. Brazil went on to beat France 5-2 in the semi-finals – Pelé scored a hat trick – and followed that up with a 5-2 win over Sweden in the Final – Pelé scored two goals for six total.
5. 1954 FIFA World Cup – West Germany
The 1954 FIFA World Cup was held in Switzerland between June 16 and July 4. It was the first ever World Cup title for West Germany, who finished the group stage with just one win and one loss – they beat Turkey 4-1, but lost to Hungary 8-3. West Germany then won a play-off 7-2 against Turkey.
In the knockout stage, they defeated Yugoslavia 2-0 and Austria 6-1 before meeting Hungary in the Final – where they got their revenge in a 3-2 win behind two goals from Helmut Rahn (also known as Der Boss). Max Morlock led the team with six goals in the tourney, while three others finished with four goals.
4. 1950 FIFA World Cup – Uruguay
The 1950 World Cup was held in Brazil between June 24 and July 16. It was the first time the World Cup was held in 12 years – World War II resulted in the 1942 and 1946 Cups being canceled. Uruguay would go on to win their second title after beating Bolivia 8-0 in the first round – five different players scored.
Uruguay opened the final stage with a 2-2 draw against Spain and followed that up with a 3-2 win against Sweden to advance to the Final – where they were met by a very good Brazil team. Despite going down 1-0 early in the second half, Uruguay scored in the 66th and 79th minutes to secure the victory. Óscar Míguez led the team with five goals.
3. 1938 FIFA World Cup – Italy
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was held in France between June 4 and June 19. It was Italy’s second title in as many years, becoming the first nation to win back-to-back titles – it has only been done one other time. Italy opened the Round of 16 with a 2-1 win against Norway in OT thanks to a goal in the 94th minute.
They were matched up against France in the Quarter-Finals, where they won 3-1 behind two goals from Silvio Piola – the same player who scored the game-winner the previous game. A 2-1 win over Brazil sent Italy to the Final, where they defeated Hungary 4-2 – Piola scored twice more and had five total in the tourney.
2. 1934 FIFA World Cup – Italy
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was held in Italy between May 27 and June 10. Italy not only became the second country to win a World Cup, but the second country to win it as the host nation – it was also the first of back-to-back titles (see above). It was a special year for Italy, who failed to qualify the year before.
They opened the tournament with a 7-1 win over the United States behind a hat-trick by Angelo Schiavio and two goals by Mumo Orsi. They beat Spain and Austria to advance to the Final. Czechoslovakia took a 1-0 lead in the 71st minute, but Orsi scored in the 81st minute and Schiavio scored in the 95th minute to secure a 2-1 win.
1. 1930 FIFA World Cup – Uruguay
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay between July 13 and July 30. It was the first ever World Cup and only drew around 600,000 total fans in attendance (a little over 30,000 fans per match). For reference, the 2022 World Cup had about 3.5 million fans in attendance (over 50,000 per match).
Uruguay went a perfect 2-0-0 in the group stage and outscored opponents 5-0 in that span. They had no problems against Yugoslavia in the Semi-finals, beating them 6-1 behind a hat-trick by Jose Cea and two goals by Juan Anselmo. They then beat Argentina 4-2 in the final and Cea finished with five total goals.
What’s Next for the FIFA World Cup?
The FIFA World Cup is one of the most watched sporting events in the world, drawing billions of viewers every four years. And while we won’t get to see teams take the field for another four years, all is not completely lost. In fact, football (soccer) fans still have the women’s FIFA World Cup to watch this year.
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be the ninth edition of the tournament and will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand – they beat out Colombia as the other potential host nation. Play will begin on July 20, 2023 with a match between host New Zealand and Norway in Eden Park, Auckland.
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The United States will be in a group with Vietnam, the Netherlands, and the winners of the Play-off Group A. The Americans will first take the field on July 22, 2023 in Eden Park, Auckland and will play against Vietnam. While the US is a favorite to win, they’re closely followed by England – who are just as good.
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