Football is the most popular sport in the world. And fans around the world are going crazy. It is world cup time again. The 2018 FIFA World Cup is underway now in Russia. Germany won the last world cup in 2014, which was held in Brazil.
There have been 20 world cups prior to the current one. And the excitement and craze for football has only increased with every world cup. The World Cup is the most widely viewed sport, surpassing even the Olympics. There are only eight countries that have won the world cup so far.
Interestingly, only Brazil has participated in all world cups since 1930. They have also lifted the trophy 5 times. They have also won more matches than anyone else in the football world cups.
Germany & Italy are second to Brazil with four world cup victories. Germany has entered world cup finals eight times, more than any other team. Argentina & Uruguay have won the cup twice. England, Spain and France have won the title once.
As per FIFA, 77 countries have participated in the football world cup atleast once since its inception in 1930. Only twelve countries have managed to play in a football world cup final.
Here we look at the teams that have won the football World Cups so far.
1.Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men’s association football. They have been a member of the FIFA since 1923. Brazil is the most successful team in the World Cups. They have lifted the World Cup five times: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002,and appearing in two finals:1950 & 1998.
Brazil has the best performance in the World Cups, with a record of 70 victories in 104 matches. Over the years, Brazil has been widely regarded as the most entertaining football team with amazing skills and talent.
2.Germany national football team
Germany is one of the most successful teams in international football competitions. They are a close second to Brazil, having won a total of four World Cups in 1954, 1974, 1990 & 2014 and appearing in four finals in 1966, 1982, 1986 & 2002.
Germany is the only nation to have won both the men’s and women’s World Cups. Germany has also played the maximum number of World Cup matches and finals. In 106 games, they have won 66 games.
3. Italy national football team
Italy is one of the most successful national teams in the history of the World Cup. They have won four titles like Germany. They have won in 1934, 1938,1982 & 2006. They have appeared in two finals in 1970 & 1994. In 1938, they became the first country to defend their World Cup title.
With an outbreak of World War II, they retained the title for a record 16 years. Italy has played in 83 World Cup matches, winning 45 of those.
4.Argentina national football team
Argentia is among the top countries representing football. They have two World Cups in 1978 & 1986. They have appeared in three finals in 1930, 1990 & 2014.
Argentina also happened to play the first World Cup final with Uruguay. They have played 77 World Cup matches, winning 42 of these games.
5.Uruguay national football team
The Uruguay team has won the FIFA World Cup twice. They were the winners of the first World Cup in 1930 as hosts. They defeated Argentina 4–2 in the finals. They won their second title in 1950, upsetting host Brazil 2–1 in the final match.
Uruguay won both the World Cup finals they played. They have played 51 World Cup matches and won 20 of them.
6.France national football team
France won one FIFA World Cup in 1998. They appeared in finals of 2006 as well. France lost the final to Italy in the penalty shoot out 5-3. France was one of the four European teams that participated in the inaugural World Cup in 1930.
France has played in 58 World Cup matches. They have won 28 matches
7.England national football team
England won the 1966 World Cup, when they hosted the finals. They have reached the finals only once. England beat West Germany 4-2 in the finals. They were the fifth nation to win the World Cup and third host nation to win after Uruguay in 1930 & Italy in 1934.
England has played in 62 World Cup matches. They have won 26 matches so far.
8.Spain national football team
Spain is among the top eight countries to be crowned as the World Cup champions. They won the 2010 tournament in South Africa. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 to become to first European country to win the World cup outside Europe. They have also played in only one final.
Overall, Spain has played 59 games at the World Cup so far, winning 29 of them.
The excitement of the 2018 football World Cup is now gripping people around the globe. It is the most expensive football championship in history, budgeted at US$11.8-14 billion reported USA today. The prize money and number of people who are following is astounding.
So, this is all about the Football World Cup champions. It will be intriguing to see whether who wins the Football World Cup 2018.
You can name your favorite team for the 2018 trophy in the comments below.
