FIFA World Cup Champions List: Every Winner, 1930–2026
Every men’s FIFA World Cup champion and runner-up from 1930 to 2026, with context for Germany’s titles, the missing editions and the 1950 format.
Spain are the latest men’s FIFA World Cup champions, beating Argentina 1–0 after extra time in the 2026 final. Ferran Torres scored the winner in the 106th minute, giving Spain their second title after 2010. The result is recorded in Associated Press’s final report and Reuters’ tournament history.
Brazil remain the record holders with five championships. Eight national teams have won the men’s tournament across its 23 completed editions, counting West Germany’s titles within Germany’s total. NBC Sports’ winners list gives the year-by-year results and country totals.
World Cup winners by year
This list covers the men’s senior FIFA World Cup, not the Women’s World Cup, youth competitions or Club World Cup. It includes every completed tournament through 2026, checked as of 27 October 2026.
The champions and runners-up below follow FIFA’s history of the first 11 tournaments and NBC Sports’ year-by-year list, with the winning teams also listed in Reuters’ record.
| Year | Champion | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 1934 | Italy | Czechoslovakia |
| 1938 | Italy | Hungary |
| 1950 | Uruguay | Brazil |
| 1954 | West Germany | Hungary |
| 1958 | Brazil | Sweden |
| 1962 | Brazil | Czechoslovakia |
| 1966 | England | West Germany |
| 1970 | Brazil | Italy |
| 1974 | West Germany | Netherlands |
| 1978 | Argentina | Netherlands |
| 1982 | Italy | West Germany |
| 1986 | Argentina | West Germany |
| 1990 | West Germany | Argentina |
| 1994 | Brazil | Italy |
| 1998 | France | Brazil |
| 2002 | Brazil | Germany |
| 2006 | Italy | France |
| 2010 | Spain | Netherlands |
| 2014 | Germany | Argentina |
| 2018 | France | Croatia |
| 2022 | Argentina | France |
| 2026 | Spain | Argentina |
How to read the historical record
- There were no tournaments in 1942 or 1946. World War II and its aftermath interrupted the competition, leaving a 12-year gap between the 1938 and 1950 editions. GBH’s historical account explains the cancellations.
- 1950 had no standalone knockout final. A four-team final group decided the champion. Uruguay’s 2–1 victory over Brazil was the decisive match; Brazil are listed as runners-up because they finished second in that group. FIFA’s 1950 account explains the format and why Brazil needed only a draw while Uruguay needed a win.
- Germany’s four titles include West Germany’s three championships: 1954, 1974 and 1990, followed by Germany’s 2014 victory. The table preserves the historical team name; the all-time country ranking combines those victories.
Only Italy in 1934 and 1938, and Brazil in 1958 and 1962, have won consecutive men’s editions. Spain’s 2026 victory prevented Argentina from joining that group. FIFA’s early tournament history records the first two successful title defences, and AP’s 2026 final report confirms Brazil remain the most recent back-to-back champions.
A championship count measures how often a team finished first—not its match-winning percentage or current strength. Brazil’s five titles represent five of the 23 tournaments held. For the full country ranking, women’s record and individual player record, see who has the most World Cup championships.