France will have the chance to join this elite list when they meet Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.
Winning the World Cup is the greatest achievement a national football team can achieve in the game. Only a few nations have achieved this honor. Brazil is the only nation to have won five times: Germany and Italy have won four times each, while Argentina, Uruguay and France have each won the World Cup twice. These nations have always been a dominant force in major tournaments, although few have won them twice in a row.
Although many of them reached back-to-back finals, they failed to retain their titles for a second time. Only two nations have reached and won back-to-back World Cup finals in history.
Italy – 1934, 1938
Italy is one of the most successful countries in the annals of the FIFA World Cup, having won four times, one less than Brazil. The Azzurri have competed in 18 of the 22 World Cups and have reached the final six times. Their last victory was in 2006, and they last appeared in 2014. Since then, Italy has failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
After their World Cup debut in 1934, the Italians became the first nation to win the World Cup twice in a row. They won the cup in Rome, defeating Czechoslovakia in the final with a score of 2-1. Italy then retained the title in 1938, reaching the final in France and beating Hungary 4-2 to become the first nation to successfully retain football’s most famous prize under then-manager Vittorio Pozzo.
Brazil – 1958, 1962
This achievement was later achieved by South American powerhouse Brazil, led by the young Pele and the outstanding Garrincha. In the final, they defeated the host Sweden 5-2 and successfully defended the cup in 1962, defeating Czechoslovakia 2-1, and Pele was again the protagonist of the match.
When it comes to the FIFA World Cup, no team can match Brazil’s dominance. With seven finals and five victories, they remain the team with the most prestige at this great event, as they have never missed a FIFA World Cup tournament.
