One of the most prestigious trophies in all of sports is up for grabs.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is almost here, with 48 nations from around the globe competing for the chance to be called champions.
It’s an increase from the previous field of 32 teams, so the odds to make history will be tougher.
So, which nations have hoisted the World Cup trophy the most? Let’s comb through the tournament’s history to break down the numbers:
2026 FIFA World Cup
Who has won the most World Cups?
Brazil is the nation that has won the most World Cups with five, though one other European country is hoping to tie the record this year. The other European nation with four World Cups stunningly failed to qualify for the third straight time.
Here’s a breakdown of the 22 World Cup winners dating back to 1930:
- Brazil: 5 (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
- Germany: 4 (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)
- Italy: 4 (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)
- Argentina: 3 (1978, 1986, 2022)
- France: 2 (1998, 2018)
- Uruguay: 2 (1930, 1950)
- Spain: 1 (2010)
- England: 1 (1966)
Has any nation won back-to-back World Cups?
Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962) are the only two nations to win back-to-back titles in World Cup history. Italy beat Czechoslovakia 2-1 in 1934 and Hungary 4-2 in 1938, while Brazil defeated Sweden 5-2 in 1958 and Czechoslovakia 3-1 in 1962.
Which teams have made the World Cup Final but didn’t win?
Five countries have reached a World Cup Final but are still waiting to hoist the trophy: the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Sweden and Croatia.
Here’s a breakdown of every runner-up in the final, including nations that have won a World Cup:
- Germany: 4 (1966, 1982, 1986, 2002)
- Netherlands: 3 (1974, 1978, 2010)
- Argentina: 3 (1930, 1990, 2014)
- Brazil: 2 (1950, 1998)
- Italy: 2 (1970, 1994)
- France: 2 (2006, 2022)
- Czechoslovakia: 2 (1934, 1962)
- Hungary: 2 (1938, 1954)
- Sweden: 1 (1958)
- Croatia: 1 (2018)
Which FIFA confederation has won the most World Cups?
With six confederations in FIFA, only two have seen their representative countries win the World Cup: UEFA (Europe) and CONMEBOL (South America). CONCACAF (North America/Caribbean), CAF (Africa), AFC (Asia) and OFC (Oceania) have not had a country reach the final.
Here’s the breakdown between UEFA and CONMEBOL in the World Cup Final:
- UEFA: 29 appearances, 12 wins, 17 runner-ups
- CONMEBOL: 15 appearances, 10 wins, 5 runner-ups
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