Has any team won back-to-back World Cups? Messi and Argentina look to repeat
Lionel Messi reached soccer’s mountaintop four years ago. Now, he’s trying to hang onto his crown.
The legendary soccer player and Argentina are heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the defending champions, and they will have more competition that ever. The 2026 tournament will feature 48 teams playing across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, a dramatic jump from the 32 teams at the 2022 event in Qatar.
The World Cup has not been kind to defending champions historically. A handful of teams were on the cusp of repeating, while others were bounced before the knockout stage. Only an elite group has gone back-to-back on the global stage.
As Messi and La Albiceleste gear up for their title defense, let’s look back at the rarified air they would join by winning a second straight World Cup title.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Teams to win back-to-back FIFA World Cups
Only two countries have ever earned back-to-back World Cup titles, and it hasn’t happened in nearly 70 years.
Italy was the first repeat champion, winning the second and third ever World Cups in 1934 and 1938. Pele and Brazil later accomplished the feat in 1958 and 1962.
There has been World Cup parity ever since, especially in the 21st century. Not only have there been no repeat champions, but six different countries have won the last six World Cups dating back to 2002.
France nearly ended the drought of repeat champions in Qatar four years ago following their 2018 title, but the team fell to Argentina on penalty kicks in an epic final.
How defending champions fared at the next FIFA World Cup
Here’s a breakdown of every World Cup champion’s result in their bid to repeat:
| Year | Champion | Champion’s result in next World Cup |
| 1930 | Uruguay | Did not enter |
| 1934 | Italy | Champions |
| 1938 | Italy | Group stage |
| 1950 | Uruguay | Fourth place |
| 1954 | West Germany | Fourth place |
| 1958 | Brazil | Champions |
| 1962 | Brazil | Group stage |
| 1966 | England | Quarterfinals |
| 1970 | Brazil | Fourth place |
| 1974 | West Germany | Second round |
| 1978 | Argentina | Second round |
| 1982 | Italy | Round of 16 |
| 1986 | Argentina | Runners-up |
| 1990 | West Germany | Quarterfinals |
| 1994 | Brazil | Runners-up |
| 1998 | France | Group stage |
| 2002 | Brazil | Quarterfinals |
| 2006 | Italy | Group stage |
| 2010 | Spain | Group stage |
| 2014 | Germany | Group stage |
| 2018 | France | Runners-up |
| 2022 | Argentina | TBD |
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