📜 All 22 tournaments
All FIFA World Cup tournaments from 1930. Click on a tournament for interesting facts.
2022 Qatar 🏆 Argentina 3–3 (4–2 e.str.) France
Winner
Argentina
Silver
France (3–3 (4–2 e.str.))
Top scorer
Kylian Mbappé 8 goals
(France)
Participating teams32
Matches64
Total goals172
🌟 Interesting facts
- First World Cup played in the host's winter (November–December) — due to Qatar's summer heat.
- Lionel Messi finally won the World Cup — in his fifth and final tournament — after a final that is called the best ever.
- Mbappé scored a hat-trick in the final and became the top scorer with 8 goals — yet France still lost.
- Morocco became the first African/Arab country to reach a World Cup semi-final.
- Saudi Arabia shocked Argentina 2–1 in the group stage — but Argentina still won the entire tournament.
2018 Russia 🏆 France 4–2 Croatia
Winner
France
Silver
Croatia (4–2)
Top scorer
Harry Kane 6 goals
(England)
Participating teams32
Matches64
Total goals169
🌟 Interesting facts
- First World Cup with video assistant referees (VAR) — introduced to reduce incorrect refereeing decisions.
- France won their second World Cup — 19-year-old Kylian Mbappé scored in the final and became a star.
- Croatia reached their first World Cup final ever, led by Luka Modrić who won the Golden Ball.
- Germany were eliminated already in the group stage — the first time in 80 years that they did not advance.
- First World Cup in Russia and the first in Eastern Europe — surrounded by political controversy.
2014 Brazil 🏆 Germany 1–0 (e.f.) Argentina
Winner
Germany
Silver
Argentina (1–0 (e.f.))
Top scorer
James Rodríguez 6 goals
(Colombia)
Participating teams32
Matches64
Total goals171
🌟 Interesting facts
- Germany's 7–1 against host nation Brazil in the semi-final — the "Mineiraço" — is one of the most shocking results in World Cup history.
- Germany became the first European team to win a World Cup in South America.
- Miroslav Klose became the greatest World Cup goal scorer of all time with his 16th career goal.
- First World Cup with goal-line technology — introduced after Lampard's disallowed goal in 2010.
- Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament, even though Argentina lost the final.
2010 South Africa 🏆 Spain 1–0 (e.f.) Netherlands
Winner
Spain
Silver
Netherlands (1–0 (e.f.))
Top scorer
delat (Forlán, Mueller, Sneijder, Villa) 5 goals
(shared)
Participating teams32
Matches64
Total goals145
🌟 Interesting facts
- First World Cup in Africa — hosted by South Africa 16 years after the end of apartheid.
- Spain won their first World Cup ever — after losing the opening match against Switzerland.
- The Vuvuzela became the soundscape of the tournament — to many people's annoyance and others' joy.
- Germany's Miroslav Klose overtook Pelé on the list of greatest goal scorers in World Cup history.
- First World Cup where the host nation was eliminated already in the group stage — South Africa did not advance.
2006 Germany 🏆 Italy 1–1 (5–3 e.str.) France
Winner
Italy
Silver
France (1–1 (5–3 e.str.))
Top scorer
Miroslav Klose 5 goals
(Germany)
Participating teams32
Matches64
Total goals147
🌟 Interesting facts
- Zinédine Zidane's headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final's extra time became one of sport's most famous images.
- Italy won their fourth World Cup — after penalties — in the middle of a bribery scandal at home (Calciopoli).
- First World Cup with Germany as host as a reunified nation — the "Summer Fairy Tale" became a revival of German football pride.
- Italy scored more goals at the start of the World Cup than any other team, but never scored more than two goals in a single match.
- Sweden advanced from the group stage and lost to Germany in the round of 16.
2002 South Korea & Japan 🏆 Brazil 2–0 Germany
Winner
Brazil
Silver
Germany (2–0)
Top scorer
Ronaldo 8 goals
(Brazil)
Participating teams32
Matches64
Total goals161
🌟 Interesting facts
- First World Cup with two host nations — South Korea and Japan — and the first in Asia.
- South Korea reached the semi-final — the best by an Asian team ever — after disputed refereeing decisions against Italy and Spain.
- Brazil won their fifth World Cup title — still a record. Ronaldo scored twice in the final.
- France became the first reigning champions since 1966 to be eliminated already in the group stage — without scoring a single goal.
- Senegal beat France in the opening match 1–0 — one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
1998 France 🏆 France 3–0 Brazil
Winner
France
Silver
Brazil (3–0)
Top scorer
Davor Šuker 6 goals
(Croatia)
Participating teams32
Matches64
Total goals171
🌟 Interesting facts
- First World Cup with 32 teams — a format that became standard for 24 years afterwards.
- France won their first World Cup on home soil, with Zinédine Zidane as a two-goal scorer in the final.
- Brazil's Ronaldo suffered a mysterious seizure hours before the final — the circumstances are still debated.
- Iran beat the USA — a politically charged match played despite a decade of broken diplomatic relations.
- Croatia were a sensation and took bronze in their very first World Cup as an independent nation.
1994 USA 🏆 Brazil 0–0 (3–2 e.str.) Italy
Winner
Brazil
Silver
Italy (0–0 (3–2 e.str.))
Top scorer
delat (Salenko, Stoichkov) 6 goals
(Russia/Bulgaria)
Participating teams24
Matches52
Total goals141
🌟 Interesting facts
- First World Cup hosted in the USA — even though football there was a minor spectator sport.
- The first World Cup final ever decided by penalty kicks — Roberto Baggio's miss sank Italy.
- Three points for a win was introduced for the first time in a World Cup — to encourage attacking football.
- Colombia's Andrés Escobar scored an own goal against the USA and was murdered a few days later in Medellín — one of sport's darkest tragedies.
- Brazil won their fourth World Cup title — their first in 24 years.
1990 Italy 🏆 West Germany 1–0 Argentina
Winner
West Germany
Silver
Argentina (1–0)
Top scorer
Salvatore Schillaci 6 goals
(Italy)
Participating teams24
Matches52
Total goals115
🌟 Interesting facts
- The most goal-poor World Cup so far — only 2.21 goals per match on average.
- West Germany's last World Cup as a divided nation — after reunification the same autumn they played as Germany.
- Cameroon shocked the world by beating reigning champions Argentina in the opening match and reaching the quarter-final — the best by an African team to that point.
- The final was decided by a disputed penalty — Argentina's Maradona wept openly after his dreams were extinguished.
- Italy's Schillaci came from nowhere — the "Notti Magiche" tournament became his eternity.
1986 Mexico 🏆 Argentina 3–2 West Germany
Winner
Argentina
Silver
West Germany (3–2)
Top scorer
Gary Lineker 6 goals
(England)
Participating teams24
Matches52
Total goals132
🌟 Interesting facts
- Diego Maradona's tournament — he produced both the "Hand of God" and the "Goal of the Century" against England in the quarter-final.
- Mexico stepped in as host after Colombia was forced to withdraw for economic reasons.
- First World Cup with the modern round-of-16 format (16 teams in knockout) after the group stage — a framework that still stands.
- Argentina won their second World Cup title — now with Maradona as the undisputed world star.
- Gary Lineker became the first Englishman to win the top scorer title at the World Cup.
1982 Spain 🏆 Italy 3–1 West Germany
Winner
Italy
Silver
West Germany (3–1)
Top scorer
Paolo Rossi 6 goals
(Italy)
Participating teams24
Matches52
Total goals146
🌟 Interesting facts
- First World Cup with 24 teams instead of 16 — the tournament expanded significantly.
- Paolo Rossi went from being banned for match-fixing to top scorer and World Cup champion — one of sport's greatest comebacks.
- Italy–Brazil (3–2) in the second group stage is called one of the best matches in World Cup history.
- The "Disgrace of Gijón" — West Germany and Austria played suspiciously passively at 1–0 so that both would advance.
- Algeria beat West Germany 2–1 in one of the World Cup's greatest upsets.
1978 Argentina 🏆 Argentina 3–1 (e.f.) Netherlands
Winner
Argentina
Silver
Netherlands (3–1 (e.f.))
Top scorer
Mario Kempes 6 goals
(Argentina)
Participating teams16
Matches38
Total goals102
🌟 Interesting facts
- Argentina won their first World Cup on home soil — during the rule of the military junta, which made the tournament politically controversial.
- The Netherlands lost their second World Cup final in a row, this time without Johan Cruyff who boycotted.
- Argentina's 6–0 against Peru in the final pool round is eternally disputed — many suspect a fixed match.
- Mario Kempes scored twice in the final and became both the top scorer and the hero.
- Tunisia became the first African country to win a World Cup match (3–1 against Mexico).
1974 West Germany 🏆 West Germany 2–1 Netherlands
Winner
West Germany
Silver
Netherlands (2–1)
Top scorer
Grzegorz Lato 7 goals
(Poland)
Participating teams16
Matches38
Total goals97
🌟 Interesting facts
- First World Cup with the current FIFA World Cup Trophy — designed by the Italian Silvio Gazzaniga.
- The Netherlands and Johan Cruyff's "total football" revolutionised tactical thinking, but lost the final.
- The final was decided by a penalty after just 80 seconds — before West Germany had even touched the ball.
- The first and only time East Germany participated — and they beat West Germany 1–0 in the group stage.
- Poland were a sensation and took bronze — Grzegorz Lato won the top scorer title.
1970 Mexico 🏆 Brazil 4–1 Italy
Winner
Brazil
Silver
Italy (4–1)
Top scorer
Gerd Müller 10 goals
(West Germany)
Participating teams16
Matches32
Total goals95
🌟 Interesting facts
- Brazil won their third World Cup title and got to keep the Jules Rimet Trophy forever.
- The first World Cup broadcast in colour TV — the world audience saw Brazil's yellow shirts as never before.
- Pelé won his third World Cup title — still alone in that club.
- The "Match of the Century" Italy–West Germany (4–3 after extra time) in the semi-final is called one of the best ever.
- First World Cup with sendings-off via red/yellow cards and the substitution rule — modern football took shape.
1966 England 🏆 England 4–2 (e.f.) West Germany
Winner
England
Silver
West Germany (4–2 (e.f.))
Top scorer
Eusébio 9 goals
(Portugal)
Participating teams16
Matches32
Total goals89
🌟 Interesting facts
- England's only World Cup gold ever — won on home soil at Wembley.
- Geoff Hurst's hat-trick in the final is still the only hat-trick in a World Cup final — one of the goals is eternally disputed (was the ball over the line?).
- North Korea shocked Italy 1–0 in the group stage and reached the quarter-final.
- The Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen in London before the tournament — and recovered by Pickles the dog.
- First World Cup with an official mascot (Willie the lion).
1962 Chile 🏆 Brazil 3–1 Czechoslovakia
Winner
Brazil
Silver
Czechoslovakia (3–1)
Top scorer
delat 4 goals
(shared (6 players))
Participating teams16
Matches32
Total goals89
🌟 Interesting facts
- Brazil defended the title — without an injured Pelé after the group stage — thanks to Garrincha taking over the role.
- The match "Battle of Santiago" between Chile and Italy became one of the dirtiest in World Cup history with police intervention.
- The top scorer title was shared by six players with four goals each — a statistical curiosity.
- Chile, hit by a major earthquake in 1960, managed to host the tournament and took bronze on home soil.
- First World Cup with goal difference as a tiebreaker in the group stage (instead of replays).
1958 Sweden 🏆 Brazil 5–2 Sweden
Winner
Brazil
Silver
Sweden (5–2)
Top scorer
Just Fontaine 13 goals
(France)
Participating teams16
Matches35
Total goals126
🌟 Interesting facts
- A 17-year-old Pelé made his debut, won the World Cup and became a star — the youngest ever to win the World Cup.
- Just Fontaine's 13 goals remains the record for a single World Cup tournament.
- Sweden (the host nation) reached the final in Solna and lost 2–5 to Brazil — the best Swedish World Cup performance ever.
- The first and so far only time that all four British national teams (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) participated simultaneously.
- The first World Cup where a nation won outside its own continent — Brazil took gold in Europe.
1954 Switzerland 🏆 West Germany 3–2 Hungary
Winner
West Germany
Silver
Hungary (3–2)
Top scorer
Sándor Kocsis 11 goals
(Hungary)
Participating teams16
Matches26
Total goals140
🌟 Interesting facts
- The most goal-rich World Cup ever, with an average of 5.38 goals per match — a record that still stands.
- The final is known as "The Miracle of Bern" — West Germany won 3–2 against heavy favourites Hungary after trailing 0–2.
- Hungary's "Golden Team" with Puskás had been unbeaten for four years and had defeated the same Germans 8–3 in the group stage.
- Sándor Kocsis scored 11 goals — still one of the best results in World Cup history.
- The first World Cup to be televised (partially), and the first with quarter-finals in a modern knockout format.
1950 Brazil 🏆 Uruguay 2–1 Brazil
Winner
Uruguay
Silver
Brazil (2–1)
Top scorer
Ademir 8 goals
(Brazil)
Participating teams13
Matches22
Total goals88
🌟 Interesting facts
- The only World Cup without a formal final — the winner was decided in a concluding group-stage pool.
- The decisive Brazil–Uruguay match at the Maracanã is called the "Maracanazo" and shocked the whole of Brazil.
- The Maracanã reportedly held over 199,000 spectators — a world record for a football match.
- The USA beat England 1–0 in one of the World Cup's greatest upsets — Englishman Stanley Matthews sat on the bench.
- India withdrew — according to myth because they were not allowed to play barefoot, but in reality due to costs and lack of training.
1938 France 🏆 Italy 4–2 Hungary
Winner
Italy
Silver
Hungary (4–2)
Top scorer
Leonidas 7 goals
(Brazil)
Participating teams15
Matches18
Total goals84
🌟 Interesting facts
- Italy became the first team to defend the World Cup title — a feat not repeated until Brazil in 1962.
- Spain did not take part due to the civil war, and Austria was withdrawn after the Anschluss with Germany.
- Top scorer Leonídas of Brazil became legendary — according to myth he played one match barefoot.
- Sweden took bronze after thrashing Cuba an astonishing 8–0 in the quarter-final.
- The last World Cup before the Second World War — the next tournament was delayed until 1950.
1934 Italy 🏆 Italy 2–1 (e.f.) Czechoslovakia
Winner
Italy
Silver
Czechoslovakia (2–1 (e.f.))
Top scorer
Oldřich Nejedlý 5 goals
(Czechoslovakia)
Participating teams16
Matches17
Total goals70
🌟 Interesting facts
- First World Cup with qualifying — 32 teams competed for 16 places in the finals.
- To date the only World Cup where the reigning champion (Uruguay) did not participate, in protest at Europe's poor turnout in 1930.
- The entire tournament was played as a direct knockout from the first round — no group stage.
- Italy won the final 2–1 after extra time against Czechoslovakia in Rome.
- The tournament was extensively used as propaganda by Mussolini's fascist regime.
1930 Uruguay 🏆 Uruguay 4–2 Argentina
Winner
Uruguay
Silver
Argentina (4–2)
Top scorer
Guillermo Stábile 8 goals
(Argentina)
Participating teams13
Matches18
Total goals70
🌟 Interesting facts
- The very first World Cup tournament — held in Uruguay, which was also celebrating 100 years as an independent nation.
- Only 13 teams took part and just four European teams made the trip due to the long boat journey.
- All matches were played in the capital Montevideo across three stadiums.
- Host nation Uruguay won the final 4–2 against Argentina in front of around 68,000 spectators at the newly built Estadio Centenario.
- Top scorer Guillermo Stábile scored 8 goals — even though Argentina finished as runners-up.
