Read 3 minutes19 July 2026 09:00 PM IST
Lionel Messi’s Argentina are looking for a second consecutive FIFA World Cup title in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday night.
The Albiceleste relied on miraculous comeback wins in the knockout stages to beat Cape Verde (3-2), Egypt (3-2), Switzerland (3-1) and England (2-1) in the seventh final to advance to France 2022 after winning the title in Qatar for the second consecutive edition.
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Messi’s Argentina are aiming to retain the title for the first time in 64 years since Brazil won the first two World Cups in 1958 and 1962.
The Albiceleste won their first title on home soil in 1978, beating the Netherlands 3-1 in the final in Buenos Aires. The Diego Maradona-inspired unit lifted the crown again eight years later in 1986 before Messi’s 28-year wait ended in 2022.
Meanwhile, Spain have reached the World Cup finals for only the second time since winning the title for the first time in 2010, defeating the Dutch 1-0 in Johannesburg.
FIFA World Cup Finals: Complete list of winners and runners-up
| year | the winner | score | runner-up | place | location |
| 1930 | Uruguay | 4-2 | Argentina | Estadio Centenario | Montevideo, Uruguay |
| 1934 | Italy | 2-1 (aet) | Czechoslovakia | Stadio Nacional PNF | Rome, Italy |
| 1938 | Italy | 4-2 | Hungary | Stade Olympique de Colombes | Columbus, France |
| 1950 | Uruguay | 2-1 | Brazil | Maracana Stadium | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 1954 | West Germany | 3-2 | Hungary | Wankdorf Stadium | Bern, Switzerland |
| 1958 | Brazil | 5-2 | Sweden | Rasunda Stadium | Solna, Sweden |
| 1962 | Brazil | 3-1 | Czechoslovakia | Estadio Nacional | Santiago, Chile |
| 1966 | England | 4-2 (aet) | West Germany | Wembley Stadium | London, England |
| 1970 | Brazil | 4-1 | Italy | Estadio Azteca | Mexico City, Mexico |
| 1974 | West Germany | 2-1 | The Netherlands | Olympiastadion | Munich, West Germany |
| 1978 | Argentina | 3-1 (aet) | The Netherlands | Estadio monument | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| 1982 | Italy | 3-1 | West Germany | Santiago Bernabeu | Madrid, Spain |
| 1986 | Argentina | 3-2 | West Germany | Estadio Azteca | Mexico City, Mexico |
| 1990 | West Germany | 1-0 | Argentina | Stadio Olimpico | Rome, Italy |
| 1994 | Brazil | 0-0 (aet) (3-2 Pen.) |
Italy | A bowl of roses | Pasadena, California, United States |
| 1998 | France | 3-0 | Brazil | Stade de France | Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France |
| 2002 | Brazil | 2-0 | Germany | International Stadium | Yokohama, Japan |
| 2006 | Italy | 1-1 (aet) (5-3 Pen.) |
France | Olympiastadion | Berlin, Germany |
| 2010 | Spain | 1-0 (aet) | The Netherlands | Soccer City | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| 2014 | Germany | 1-0 (aet) | Argentina | Maracana Stadium | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 2018 | France | 4-2 | Croatia | Luzhniki Stadium | Moscow, Russia |
| 2022 | Argentina | 3-3 (aet) (4-2 Pen.) |
France | Lusell Stadium | Lusail, Qatar |
| 2026 | MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States |
Most FIFA World Cup titles won
5: Brazil (1958, ’62, ’70, ’94, 2002)
4: Germany (1954, ’74, ’90, 2014)
4: Italy (1934, ’38, ’82, 2006)
3: Argentina (1978, ’86, 2022)