Eight different nations have won the World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1930. Which countries are those?
In less than a month, 48 teams will descend upon North America for the FIFA World Cup, hoping to join one of the most elite clubs in sports: the list of nations who have won the most important competition in world football.
As the World Cup goes on, the contenders and pretenders will separate themselves until, eventually, one team will stand atop the podium at the New York-New Jersey Stadium on July 19, confetti streaming upon it and the sport’s most iconic trophy in its captain’s arms.
It’s a feeling known by a select few; in the prior 22 editions of the World Cup, only eight different nations have tasted victory, and several of them are counted among the favorites for this summer’s competition. Below, I’ll lay out each triumphant nation and break down each’s odds of adding another star to its badge, starting with the only nation to win five times.
Though football was first popularized in the British Isles, arguably no nation is more synonymous with the sport than Brazil.
The Seleçao were the second (and most recent) team to successfully defend their world title, winning both the 1958 and 1962 editions. The 1958 team was led by Pelé, who netted twice in the final as a 17-year-old, and the 1962 team was led by Garrincha, who was named the tournament’s best player. After falling far short of expectations in the 1966 World Cup, being eliminated in the group stage after Pelé left injured, Brazil stormed back to the top in 1970, winning all six matches behind legends Pelé, Jairzinho, and Carlos Alberto Torres. The Seleçao then triumphed in 1994 — the last time the tournament was held on United States soil — behind Romário. Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho then led Brazil to its fifth and most recent triumph in 2002.
The Seleçao’s current squad isn’t quite as dangerous on paper as some of the legendary rosters of its past, but they should never be counted out. At No. 6 in the FIFA World Rankings, Brazil is still a force to be reckoned with, and it has plenty of talent at every position, from goalkeeper Alisson to center-back Marquinhos to its standout winger duo of Vinicius Júnior and Raphinha. The Seleçao don’t have a standout No. 9 as they did in the past, but João Pedro has put together a strong season for a disappointing Chelsea side and Endrick remains one of the world’s most intriguing wunderkinds after rehabilitating his value at Lyon.
Brazil has +800 odds to win the 2026 World Cup at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Seleçao will open their 2026 competition with a 6 p.m. ET game against Morocco on June 13. They’ve been placed in Group C with Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti, and have -370 odds to top the group.
Italy had a spell of dominance early in the tournament’s history, becoming the first team to win back-to-back editions by lifting the trophy in both 1934 and 1938. The 1930’s Azzurri were led by Giuseppe Meazza, who captained the team in 1938 in France, and Angelo Schiavio, who scored the winning goal in extra time of the 1934 final on home soil. Then, after 44 years of variable results, Italy finally got back to the pinnacle in 1982 behind Golden Ball winner Paolo Rossi and Marco Tardelli. The Azzurri’s fourth and most recent title came on penalties in 2006, when a new superstar generation led by 2006 Ballon d’Or winner Fabio Cannavaro and legendary goalie Gianluigi Buffon provided the country with a triumphant return to glory.
Italy’s current squad still has plenty of elite talents. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was a key aspect of the Azzurri’s Euro 2021 triumph and of Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory in 2024-25, and in theory, Alessandro Bastoni, Riccardo Calafiori, and Gianluca Mancini form one of the strongest back lines in Europe, and Sandro Tonali is an excellent pivot. However, Italy currently lacks a star-level striker, and its recent performances have famously fallen far short of its on-paper ability.
Of course, the Azzurri are the only previous winner who will not participate at this summer’s World Cup. They missed out on qualifying for the third consecutive campaign after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties in the playoff final. They are currently without a full-time manager, as Gennaro Gattuso resigned following the defeat.
Germany is the final four-time champion. Die Nationalelf first triumphed at the 1954 World Cup when they were known as West Germany, as Fritz Walter helped bring an end to Hungary’s Golden Generation that had claimed the Olympic title in Helsinki two years prior. Then, after heartbreak in the 1966 final, Germany triumphed again in 1974, this time behind two-time Ballon d’Or winner Franz Beckenbauer and prolific striker Gerd Müller. Die Nationalelf won their final title as West Germany in 1990, when Andreas Brehme’s 85th-minute penalty was enough to exact revenge on Argentina for winning the final in the prior edition, and their only title after reunification came in 2014, beating the Albiceleste in extra time.
Die Nationalelf disappointed in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, being eliminated in the group stage in both competitions, but they have a strong squad entering the 2026 tournament and are ranked a solid 10th in the FIFA World Rankings. Long-time shot-stopper Manuel Neuer — widely considered one of the greatest goalies of all time — has retired internationally, but Germany has plenty of studs elsewhere on the roster. Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, and Lennart Karl are three of the most promising young attacking midfielders in the world, and though Die Nationalelf don’t have a No. 9 quite as potent as Miroslav Klose (the all-time leader in career World Cup goals), Nick Woltemade and Kai Havertz have done a solid job in the Premier League.
Germany has +1400 odds to win the World Cup and -310 odds to win Group E. It’ll begin its campaign with a 1 p.m. ET contest on June 14 against debutants Curaçao, and it’s been drawn in a defensive-oriented group alongside Curaçao, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador.
Argentina is the only nation to have won the World Cup exactly three times. The Albiceleste appeared in the first final in 1930, and after nearly a half-century, they reached the pinnacle of the sport for the first time in 1978 on home soil, led by Mario Kempes and Leopoldo Luque. Argentina then appeared in both the 1986 and 1990 finals with Diego Maradona leading the way, triumphing over Die Nationalelf in 1986 and losing to them four years later. After a 36-year drought, the Albiceleste then triumphed in an epic 2022 final behind captain Lionel Messi — arguably the greatest player in the sport’s history — and goalkeeper Emi Martínez, whose last-minute save against France’s Randal Kolo Muani ranks as arguably the most impactful stop of all time.
Repeating as World Cup champion is tough — no team has done it since Brazil in 1958-62 — but Argentina has as good of a chance as any. Although he’s now 38 years old, Messi is still one of the world’s best players, and Julian Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez stack up with any front line in the world. Emi Martínez continues to thrive between the sticks for both club and country, and midfielders Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister should be even better than they were in 2022. The Albiceleste could be gettable in the back, as Cristian Romero is in doubt for the competition after suffering a knee injury on club duty with Tottenham Hotspur, but it wouldn’t be remotely surprising if they won it all.
Argentina has +850 odds to repeat as champion and -340 odds to win Group J. It’ll open its competition with a 9 p.m. ET matchup on June 16 against Algeria. The Albiceleste have been drawn into a doable group featuring Algeria, Austria, and debutants Jordan.
Uruguay was the first true powerhouse in world football, winning the Olympic gold medal — the premier competition at the time — in both 1924 and 1928. The Celeste then backed up their early dominance in the first-ever World Cup, held on home soil, in 1930, behind Pedro Cea, Santos Iriarte, and Héctor Castro, the latter of whom scored both the first and last goals of Uruguay’s triumph. The Celeste next competed in the World Cup in 1950 and again lifted the trophy, beating Brazil in the final. Though they haven’t made the semifinals since 2010, they remain a consistent fixture in the knockout stages and have won seven Copa Américas since their most recent World Cup title.
At No. 17 in the FIFA World Rankings, the Celeste have slipped a bit since their recent golden generation (led by Luis Suárez, Diego Forlán, and Edinson Cavani) retired, but they still have plenty of talent. Uruguay is led by midfielder Federico Valverde, who has lined up at all three levels with Real Madrid. While its talent drops off somewhat after Valverde, Darwin Núñez is still just 26 years old and has previously found success at a Premier League giant in Liverpool, and Manuel Ugarte, Maxi Araújo, and Ronald Araujo form the backbone of a strong defense.
At +6500 to lift the trophy, the Celeste are the biggest long-shots among the former champions, and they’re just +370 to win Group H. They’ll open their competition at 6 p.m. ET on June 15 with a matchup against Saudi Arabia, the second-weakest team in a group that also includes Spain and debutants Cape Verde.
Despite producing plenty of individual greats throughout the decades, France never broke through in the World Cup until 1998, when Zinedine Zidane helped his nation lift the trophy on home soil. Les Blues also reached the final in 2006, but lost to Italy on penalties in the final after Zidane was sent off for a notorious head-butt. Then, after underwhelming performances at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, France again reached the pinnacle of the sport in 2018 behind young star Kylian Mbappé’s heroics. Les Blues nearly went back-to-back, but an Mbappé hat trick wasn’t quite enough to overcome Argentina in 2022.
France is once again at the center of the conversation in 2026 behind arguably its most talented generation yet. Les Blues are ranked No. 1 in the world, and they have Mbappé at the peak of his powers (41 goals in 41 matches for Real Madrid this season) as well as the reigning Ballon d’Or winner in Ousmane Dembélé and two of the world’s most talented young wingers in Michael Olise and Desiré Doué. Their defenders aren’t quite as high-profile as their attacking options, and Mike Maignan isn’t as dominant as Hugo Lloris was at his peak, but their back line is certainly good enough to contribute to a world title.
France is +500 to win the tournament, making it the joint-favorite. It’ll open up its competition with a 3 p.m. ET match against African giants Senegal on June 16, the headliner of an extremely difficult Group I that also features Norway and Iraq. Still, despite having the 14th-ranked Lions of Teranga and the 31st-ranked Løvene in their group, Les Blues are still -230 favorites to ultimately top it.
Despite England’s status in world football — the Premier League is widely considered the most prestigious domestic league in the world — it has only lifted the World Cup trophy once. In that 1966 tournament, the Three Lions were led by Bobby Charlton, Roger Hunt, and Geoff Hurst, the latter of whom became the first player to score a hat trick in the World Cup final. England has not finished better than fourth since, achieving that position in both 1990 and 2018.
The 2026 version of the Three Lions certainly stand a chance. England is currently ranked No. 4 in the latest FIFA World Rankings. The Three Lions are led by striker Harry Kane, who’s enjoying the best season of his illustrious career, netting 54 goals in 46 matches for Bayern Münich, but their midfield is arguably even stronger, with Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden. They also have plenty of intriguing defensive prospects, headlined by Marc Guéhi, Nico O’Reilly, Reece James, and Tino Livramento.
England has +650 odds to win the World Cup and -320 odds to top Group K. The Three Lions will open their World Cup campaign with a 4 p.m. ET match on June 17 against Croatia, the second-strongest team in a doable group that also features Ghana and Panama.
Among this elite group, Spain is a relatively recent riser, making only one appearance in the semifinals prior to lifting the trophy in 2010. Despite all of their talent, La Roja didn’t win a major title between the 1964 Euros and the 2008 Euros, but their major trophies came in bunches, as they won three in a row after also claiming the 2010 World Cup and 2012 Euros. That team was led by Sergio Ramos, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, and Iker Casillas, all of whom are considered among the greatest players of all time at their respective positions.
The current crop of Spaniards arguably matches the golden generation in talent. La Roja have two of the world’s most highly-touted midfield prospects in Pedri and Fermín López, a former Ballon d’Or winner in defensive midfielder Rodri, two of the best young defenders in Pau Cubarsí and Dean Huijsen and two bona fide No. 1 goalies in Joan García and David Raya. But none of those superstars headline’s Spain’s roster: Lamine Yamal finished second in Ballon d’Or voting as an 18-year-old in 2025 and has been even better in 2025-26. Though he’s currently dealing with an injury, he’s expected to be fit by the World Cup.
With a healthy Yamal expected to be available for at least the knockout stages, La Roja are +500 favorites to win the tournament. They’ll open their competition with a 12 p.m. ET match on June 15 against debutants Cape Verde, and they’re -450 favorites to top a group that also features Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
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