The Men’s Football World Cup History as 2026 preparations underway
The World Cup 2026 countdown has begun. We at AfricasNow are well aware of the thrill of being in the World Cup host cities.
See our comprehensive World Cup guide below if you’re new to the tournament or just want to brush up on your knowledge of the details.
Senior men’s national teams from several nations compete in the World Cup, an international soccer competition.
One of the most watched international sporting events, the 2022 championship is expected to draw 1.5 billion viewers.
Supporters from all over the world journey to watch their preferred teams play against some of the best soccer players in the world.
Teams representing Africa, Asia, Europe, North and Central America and the Caribbean, Oceania, and South America compete in the World Cup.
Every four years, the world’s most prestigious soccer competition, the World Cup, takes place.
This schedule gives the 48 national teams that will compete in the month-long tournament enough time to complete their qualification rounds and playoffs.
Jules Rimet, who wanted to establish an international competition between men’s football teams (soccer was not included in the Summer Games at the time), proposed the first World Cup, which was held in 1930.
Uruguay hosted the competition, which featured thirteen invited teams and was won by Uruguay.
There have been 22 World Cups in total; the most recent one was held in 2022. The first one was held in 1930.
In the 2022 World Cup Final, Argentina triumphed to win their third World Cup.
After extra time, the score was tied 3-3, and a penalty shootout was used to determine the winner. Argentina won 4 to 2.
Brazil has five World Cup victories to its credit. Germany and Italy follow closely behind with four apiece.
The 2026 World Cup qualification process involved 211 teams in total.
48 teams will advance past the qualifying round in order to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup competition.
The 2026 World Cup will take place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It starts on June 11 and ends on July 19 with the World Cup Final.
All-time World Cup Winners List
- 1930 in Uruguay: Uruguay def. Argentina 4-2
- 1934 in Italy: Italy def. Czechoslovakia 2-1 (ET)
- 1938 in France: Italy def. Hungary 4-2
- 1950 in Brazil: Uruguay def. Brazil 2-1
- 1954 in Switzerland: West Germany def. Hungary 3-2
- 1958 in Sweden: Brazil def. Sweden 5-2
- 1962 in Chile: Brazil def. Czechoslovakia 3-1
- 1966 in England: England def. West Germany 4-2 (ET)
- 1970 in Mexico: Brazil def. Italy 4-1
- 1974 in West Germany: West Germany def. the Netherlands 2-1
- 1978 in Argentina: Argentina def. the Netherlands 3-1 (ET)
- 1982 in Spain: Italy def. West Germany 3-1
- 1986 in Mexico: Argentina def. West Germany 3-2
- 1990 in Italy: West Germany def. Argentina 1-0
- 1994 in USA: Brazil def. Italy 0-0 (3-2 PKs)
- 1998 in France: France def. Brazil 3-0
- 2002 in Japan: Brazil def. Germany 2-0
- 2006 in Germany: Italy def. France 1-1 (5-3 PKs)
- 2010 in South Africa: Spain def. the Netherlands 1-0 (ET)
- 2014 in Brazil: Germany def. Argentina 1-0 (ET)
- 2018 in Russia: France def. Croatia 4-2
- 2022 in Qatar: Argentina def. France 3-3 (4-2 PKs)
