Winning the FIFA World Cup is often seen as the pinnacle of football. There is not much higher success than winning the world cup, but who has done it the most?
Who has the most FIFA World Cup wins? Brazil has the most FIFA World Cup wins. They have won the World Cup five times, with Italy and Germany in joint second, both with four titles.
Brazil is well known as one of the best football countries in the world. Their style and technique is something that pretty much every football fan is aware of. But their reputation comes with some reason. Brazil has been crowned the best football team in the world five times, more than any other nation.
Brazil’s five World Cup victories are the most by any country, one more than Germany and Italy who are tied for second.
Brazil’s World Cup wins
1958
Brazil’s first World Cup win came in 1958, which was their sixth tournament. The competition came eight years after Brazil had lost in the final in heartbreaking fashion. In 1950, Brazil lost in the World Cup Final which was being hosted in Brazil.
Both teams had a very similar group stage, with Brazil and finalists Sweden both topping their group with five points after two wins and a draw for both sides. Brazil had a difficult time in the quarter-finals, requiring a 66th-minute Pele goal to get past Wales before a comfortable 5-2 victory over France sent Brazil to their second World Cup final.
Sweden had a slightly more comfortable run to the final, with a 2-0 win over the Soviet Union in the first round, before two goals after the 80th minute led them to a 3-1 win over West Germany. Despite this easier run, Sweden struggled after taking the lead in the final.
Brazil would win the game 5-2 and there were multiple records set in that final. The records for both the youngest and oldest goal scorer in a World Cup final were set. It gave Brazil their first World Cup victory.
1962
They would not have to wait long to win their second World Cup title. Reigning champions Brazil once again got through the group stage with five points coming from two wins and a draw.
With Pele being the star of the last world cup, it was Garrincha who led Brazil to the final this time. He scored twice in both the quarter-final and the semi-final to send Brazil to their second World Cup in a row. They would face off against Czechoslovakia, who Brazil had drawn 0-0 with in the group stage.
There were a lot more goals in the final, with Brazil going behind in a World Cup final for the second tournament in a row. But the champions responded brilliantly, scoring three times through three different players to win the World Cup 3-1. It was a phenomenal achievement for Brazil, who were without Pele after he had been ruled out of the tournament after the second game.
1970
After disappointingly going out in the group stage in their defence of the title, Brazil came into the 1970 World Cup with big expectations and looked likely to fulfil those. They won all three of their group-stage games, including beating defending champions England 1-0.
Brazil played some very attacking football in the tournament and it showed in the knockout stages. In the quarter-final, Brazil scored four times to get past Peru, before netting another three to overcome an early one-goal deficit against Uruguay. It meant that Brazil headed into the final unbeaten.
Their opponents Italy had scraped through the group stage with disappointing draws to Israel and Uruguay. They took care of Mexico with a 4-1 victory before beating West Germany in one of the best World Cup games of all time, with Giovanni Rivera scoring the winner in the 111th minute during extra time.
It was Brazil’s attack that came out on top in the final, with Pele scoring the first of Brazil’s four goals to blow out Italy in front of a huge crowd of more than 107,000. It was an incredible game, where Mario Zagallo became the first person to win the World Cup as both a player and a coach.
1994
After a slight World Cup drought when you consider Brazil’s high standards, they headed to the United States in hope of bringing another World Cup title. Brazil would begin the tournament with comfortable wins over Cameroon and Russia before a 1-1 draw to Sweden in the final group-stage game.
The road to the final was an incredibly difficult one for Brazil. They began with a massive game against World Cup hosts United States, with the US defence holding up until the 72nd minute when Bebeto scored the winner for Brazil. In the quarter-final, a goal fest ended in the favour of Brazil thanks to an 81st-minute winner from Branco.
Brazil faced Sweden in the semi-final, who they had drawn with in the group stage. In a close game, Romario gave Brazil the win with an 80th-minute winner. The World Cup final would be a repeat of the 1970 final as Brazil faced off against Italy. Both teams failed to score in 120 minutes and the game went to extra time.
Both teams missed their first penalty, but Brazil scored their next three while Roberto Baggio and Daniel Massaro missed theirs to give Brazil their fourth World Cup title.
2002
Brazil lost to France in the 1998 World Cup final and so wanted revenge in 2002. They began the tournament with three comfortable wins to top the group, before an easy win over Belgium in the Round of 16. Brazil overcame a Michael Owen goal to beat England in the Quarter-final, before scraping past Turkey in the Semi-final.
The final would be against Germany and both teams struggled to score in the first hour. A mistake from German keeper Oliver Kahn gave Ronaldo the chance to give Brazil the lead, before Ronaldo doubled Brazil’s lead just twelve minutes later. It gave Brazil their fifth and most recent World Cup title.