The last FIFA World Cup winners

December 20, 2022

The FIFA World Cup is the most prestigious and widely-viewed soccer competition held every four years. Teams from different countries competing to be crowned world champions. Let’s look at the last 10 teams that won the FIFA World Cup.

1986 - Argentina

1986 FIFA World Cup took place in Mexico. Argentina won the match 3-2 against West Germany, with goals from Jorge Burruchaga and two from Diego Maradona. Maradona recieved the Golden Ball award for being the best player of the tournament. Sergio Goycochea recieved the Golden Glove award for being the best goalkeeper of the tournament. Argentina’s win marked their second World Cup victory, having previously won the tournament in 1978.

1990 - West Germany

1990 FIFA World Cup was held in Italy. West Germany defeated Argentina 1-0 with a late penalty kick taken by Andreas Brehme being the game’s only goal. West Germany’s victory marked their fourth World Cup win, having previously won the tournament in 1954, 1974, and 1990. Argentina, who were the reigning World Cup champions at the time, were seeking their second consecutive title but were unable to overcome a strong West German team.

1994 - Brazil

1994 FIFA World Cup took place in the United States. Brazil defeated Italy 3-2 on penalties, as the match ended 0-0 after extra time. Brazil’s victory was led by a number of standout players, including Romario, who was awarded the Golden Ball award for being the best player of the tournament, and Claudio Taffarel, who was awarded the Golden Glove award for being the best goalkeeper of the tournament. Brazil’s win marked their fourth World Cup victory, having previously won the tournament in 1958, 1962, and 1970.

1998 - France

1998 FIFA World Cup was held in France. France won the match 3-0 against Brazil, with goals from Zinedine Zidane, Emmanuel Petit, and Marcel Desailly. Zidane recieved the Golden Ball award for being the best player of the tournament. Fabien Barthez recieved the Golden Glove award for being the best goalkeeper of the tournament. France’s win marked their first World Cup victory, having previously reached the final in 1966 but losing to West Germany.

2002 - Brazil

2002 FIFA World Cup was held in South Korea and Japan. Brazil won the match 2-0 against Germany, with goals from Ronaldo and Rivaldo. Ronaldo recieved the Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals during the tournament. Cafu set a new record for the most appearances by a player in the World Cup. Brazil’s win marked their fifth World Cup victory, having previously won the tournament in 1958, 1962, 1970, and 1994.

2006 - Italy

2006 FIFA World Cup took place in Germany. The final featured Italy and France as the competing teams. The 2006 World Cup final was a closely contested match, with both teams having several chances to score throughout the game. Italy won the match 5-3 on penalties after the game ended in a 1-1 draw in regulation time and extra time. Fabio Cannavaro recieved the Golden Ball award for being the best player of the tournament, and Gianluigi Buffon recieved the Golden Glove award. Italy’s win marked their fourth World Cup victory, having previously won the tournament in 1934, 1938, and 1982.

2010 - Spain

2010 FIFA World Cup took place in South Africa. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1-0 in the final to win the tournament for the first time in their history. Spain’s victory was led by a number of standout players, including Andres Iniesta, who scored the winning goal in the final, and Iker Casillas, who recieved the Golden Glove award.

2014 - Germany

2014 FIFA World Cup was held in Brazil. Germany defeated Argentina 1-0 in the final to win the tournament for the fourth time in their history. Germany’s victory was led by a number of standout players, including Thomas Muller, who won the Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals during the tournament, and Manuel Neuer, who recieved the Golden Glove award for being the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

2018 - France

2018 FIFA World Cup took place in Russia. France defeated Croatia 4-2 in the final to win the tournament for the second time in their history, having previously won in 1998. France’s victory was led by a strong performance from their star player, Kylian Mbappé, who received the Best Young Player award for his efforts during the tournament.

2022 - Argentina

2022 FIFA World Cup took place in Qatar. Argentina leads 2-0 against France at halftime, but a hat trick for France by Kylian Mbappé and an extra goal for Argentina by Lionel Messi left the game tied 3-3. Argentina won the ensuing penalty shootout, 4-2. It was their third time in the history, having previously won in 1986 and 1978. The final has since been widely considered the greatest FIFA World Cup final of all time.