The FIFA World Cup is easily one of the world’s biggest sporting events, if not the biggest. Started in the year 1930, the tournament was first held in Uruguay. The hosts were also the first nation to win it, defeating their South American opponents Argentina 4-2 in front of a 93,000-strong crowd.
The World cup is a competition contested by the senior men’s national teams of the members of FIFA. The event is held after every four years and Germany are the current champions after their stunning display at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Italy, Spain, France, England and Germany are the only eight nations to have won the World Cup, which has been organized 20 times so far. It has been played unfailingly after a gap of every four years since 1930, except for the years 1942 and 1946 – due to the Second World War.
The World Cup boasts the most number of viewers and followers, making it even more popular than the Olympic games. The 2006 World Cup final in Germany was viewed by 715.1 million people all over the world.
The tournament’s qualification phase is played around the world for a period of three years; this phase determines the teams that are eligible to enter the month-long showpiece event, which is also known as the ‘World Cup finals’.
The host of this elite competition automatically receives qualification in the tournament and is among the 32 teams competing against each other for over a month. Brazil are the only nation to have played in every tournament.
Brazil are the most successful team in World Cup history list
Brazil are considered to be football’s greatest nation, and not without reason – they have won this prestigious tournament as many as five times. They are a nation that has been gifted with a series of great footballing talents over the years including the likes of Pele, Ronaldo Lima and Neymar, who’s the current star for the Selecao.
The last time Brazil caught hold of this famous trophy was back in the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan where Ronaldo inspired them to a 2-0 victory over Germany in the final. Ronaldo also ended the tournament as the top scorer with eight goals. Prior to that triumph, Brazil had won the competition back in 1958, 1962, 1970 and 1994.
Germany and Italy are the competition’s second most successful teams; both have won the tournament four times. The last time Italy won the World Cup was in 2006, when they defeated France in the final. Italy’s victory, however, was overshadowed by Zinedine Zidane’s infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi.
Die Mannschaft won their last World Cup in Brazil 2014, when Mario Gotze scored the winner in extra-time after coming on as a super-sub.
The two South American countries Argentina and Uruguay have won the tournament twice each. Argentina’s 1986 World Cup triumph was inspired by captain Diego Maradona who scored the “Hand Of God” goal, coupled with his incredible solo goal against England in the tournament’s semifinal. The latter goal was voted as the “best goal of the century”.
The three European nations England, France and Spain have all won the World Cup once. Zidane was the star player in World Cup 1998 which was held in France; the hosts went on to defeat the former champions Brazil in the final by three goals.
England won their first (and only) World Cup in 1996, while Spain won it in 2010, two years after they won the Euro 2008.
Here is the all-time FIFA World Cup winners list:
| National Team | Wins | Appearance in the Finals | Years Won |
| Brazil | 5 | 7 | 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 |
| Germany | 4 | 8 | 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014 |
| Italy | 4 | 6 | 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006 |
| Argentina | 2 | 5 | 1978, 1986 |
| Uruguay | 2 | 2 | 1930,1950 |
| England | 1 | 1 | 1996 |
| France | 1 | 2 | 1998 |
| Spain | 1 | 1 | 2010 |
