All 48 teams will start World Cup 2026 on equal footing but only a select few head to this summer’s tournament with true belief that they can go all the way.
Just eight nations have ever won football’s biggest prize, with five more reaching the final and falling short, since its inception in 1930.
Spain and France are tipped as the two favourites to get their hands on the silverware, while defending champions Argentina are seen as another major contender.
Brazil, Portugal, Germany, and the Netherlands will all believe this can be their year – and the likes of Morocco, Norway, and Belgium are seen as dark horses.
And then there is England. They came on leaps and bounds under Gareth Southgate but could not end 60 years of hurt and have turned to proven winner Thomas Tuchel to get the job done.
The Three Lions have lifted that famous trophy once previously but which national team has won the most World Cups?
Radio Times brings you the complete guide to which teams boast the most World Cup titles in history.
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Who has won the World Cup most?
Brazil are the most successful nation in the competition’s 96-year history, having won five World Cups.
A teenage Pele helped deliver Brazil’s first triumph in 1958, when they beat hosts Sweden 5-2 in the final.
The South American nation defended their title in Chile four years later and added a third star in 1970.
Brazil beat Italy on penalties in the final when the United States last hosted the World Cup in 1994, while the likes of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo secured their record fifth title in 2002.
Germany and Italy sit level in second on four World Cup wins, with Argentina fourth after winning a third at Qatar 2022.
Who won the last World Cup?
Argentina are the reigning World Cup champions after beating France on penalties in the final four years ago.
Goals from Lionel Messi and Ángel Di María put Argentina 2-0 up but Kylian Mbappe’s quickfire double inside the last minutes took the game to extra-time.
Messi looked to have won it early in the second period of extra-time, only for Mbappe to complete his hat-trick and ensure penalties were needed.
Emi Martinez made some key saves late on and was the hero in the shoot-out as Argentina secured their second World Cup title.
List of World Cup winners
- 1930 – Uruguay 4–2 Argentina
- 1934 – Italy 2–1 Czechoslovakia (aet)
- 1938 – Italy 4–2 Hungary
- 1950 – Uruguay 2–1 Brazil (de facto final; no formal final match)
- 1954 – West Germany 3–2 Hungary
- 1958 – Brazil 5–2 Sweden
- 1962 – Brazil 3–1 Czechoslovakia
- 1966 – England 4–2 West Germany (aet)
- 1970 – Brazil 4–1 Italy
- 1974 – West Germany 2–1 Netherlands
- 1978 – Argentina 3–1 Netherlands (aet)
- 1982 – Italy 3–1 West Germany
- 1986 – Argentina 3–2 West Germany
- 1990 – West Germany 1–0 Argentina
- 1994 – Brazil 0–0 Italy (3–2 on penalties)
- 1998 – France 3–0 Brazil
- 2002 – Brazil 2–0 Germany
- 2006 – Italy 1–1 France (5–3 on penalties)
- 2010 – Spain 1–0 Netherlands (aet)
- 2014 – Germany 1–0 Argentina (aet)
- 2018 – France 4–2 Croatia
- 2022 – Argentina 3–3 France (4–2 on penalties)
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Authors
Ned is a sports writer at RadioTimes.com. He has covered a host of sports from EFL football, international cricket and golf all the way through to bike polo and triathlon.
