Which countries have won the FIFA World Cup?

Which countries have won the FIFA World Cup?  The FIFA World Cup was inaugurated in 1930 and, bar a brief hiatus for the duration of World Wat II, has been staged once every four years ever since. Up to, and including, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a total of 80 national teams have competed in the finals tournament, but just eight have won the elusive trophy.

Brazil, who have the distinction of being the only team to play at each of the 22 World Cup finals tournaments, have the best record, with five titles so far. Indeed, The Seleção were awarded the original World Cup trophy, known as the Jules Rimet Trophy, after winning it for a third time in Mexico City in 1970. Brazil had previously won in Sweden in 1958 and Chile 1962 and went on to win the replacement trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, in the United States in 1994 and Japan in 2002.

Germany have won the World Cup four times, three times as West Germany and once as a unified country. Prior to reunification, Die Mannshaft lifted the trophy in Switzerland in 1954, as hosts in 1974 and in Rome in 1990 and, afterwards, in Brazil in 2014. Italy, too, have four titles to their name, winning as hosts in 1934, defending their title in 1938 and recording more recent successes in Spain in 1982 and Germany in 2006.

Beyond Brazil, Germany and Italy, Uruguay (1930 and 1950), Argentina (1978 and 1986) and France (1998 and 2018) have won the World Cup twice apiece. The only other countries to win the World Cup are England who, as hosts, beat West Germany 4-2 after extra time in the legendary ‘…they think it’s all over…’ at Wembley Stadium in 1966, and Spain, who also needed extra time to beat the Netherlands 1-0 in South Africa in 2010.