Sport Question

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.

The FIFA World Cup was established in 1930 and, in the 21 tournaments staged so far, a total of five countries have appeared in the final without winning. Sweden and Croatia have made just one appearance apiece, but Sweden, as hosts, were beaten 5-2 by Brazil at the Rasunda Stadium in Solna in 1958, while Croatia were beaten 4-2 by France at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow in 2018.

Similarly, two countries have experienced double heartbreak in the World Cup final, losing on both appearances. Hungary had the dubious distinction of scoring twice in normal time on both occasions, but lost 4-2 to defending champions Italy at the Stade Olympique de Colombes in Paris in 1938 and 3-2 to West Germany at the Wanksdorf Stadium in Bern in 1954. Long before the country split to become the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, Czechoslovakia experienced a comparable fate, losing out 2-1, after extra time, against hosts Italy at Stadio Nazionale del PNF in Rome in 1934 and 3-1 to defending champions Brazil at Estadio Nacional in Santiago in 1962.

Arguably the unluckiest country in the history of the World Cup, though, is the Netherlands, who have made three appearances in the final and finished runner-up on all three occasions. In 1974, the Netherlands, captained by Johann Cruyff, faced hosts West Germany and took the lead after just two minutes, courtesy of a Johan Neeskens penalty. However, they conceded twice later in the first half and eventually lost 2-1. In 1978, a late equaliser from Dutch forward Dick Nanninga took the match against Argentina at the Estadio Monumental into extra time, but the hosts scored twice in the first period to make the final score 3-1. Oranje, as the team is known colloquially, made it third time unlucky with a 1-0 defeat, again after extra time, against Spain at Soccer City, Johannesburg in 2010.

At the time of writing, the player who has made the most appearances at the FIFA World Cup finals is the former captain of Germany – and, before that, West Germany – Lothar Matthäus. Matthäus has the distinction of being the most capped German player of all time, having represented his country on 150 occasions, including 23 prior to German reunification in October, 1990. Over two decades after his retirement, Matthäus remains one of just six players to have played in five World Cups and his 25 appearances at the global showpiece remain a record.

Matthäus made his World Cup debut at Estadio El Molinón in Gijón, Spain on June 20, 1982, replacing Paul Breitner after 61 minutes during a 4-1 victory over Chile in the first group stage. He also replaced Karl-Heinz Rummenigge after 66 minutes of a controversial 1-0 win over Austria at the same venue five days later, subsequently dubbed the ‘Disgrace of Gijón’, but took no further part in the second group or knockout stages.

Four years later, Matthäus was a regular starter in Mexico, scoring a late winner against Morocco in the round of 16 and again in a penalty shoot-out against the hosts in the quarter-finals. West Germany reached the final, as they had done in 1982, but lost 3-2 to Argentina. At Italia ’90, which was the last World Cup to feature a team from West Germany, Matthäus, as captain, enjoyed his finest hour. He scored twice in the opening fixture against Yugoslavia – once with his left foot and once with his right – to lay the foundations of a unbeaten run to the final, which West Germany won 1-0, courtesy of a late Andreas Brehme penalty.

In 1994, in the United States, featured as a sweeper, although he did score a penalty against Bulgaria in the quarter-final, which Germany ultimately lost 2-1. In 1998, in France, Matthäus fulfilled a similar role, at the age of 37, to cement his reputation as one of the most talented, versatile and intelligent footballers of all time, both in midfield and defence.