How defending champs have fared in World Cup: France eyes history
With defending champion France advancing to the 2022 World Cup final, Les Bleus will be looking to become the third team in men's history to win back-to-back titles.
The France-Argentina final (10 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App) will mark the fifth time a defending champion has returned to the title match since the tournament began in 1930.
Argentina is looking to win its first World Cup since 1986. Both nations have won the tournament twice.
Here's a look at how past champions have fared throughout World Cup history:
Five teams have returned to the final after winning the World Cup in the previous edition of the tournament
- Italy in 1938 (defeated Hungary)
- Brazil in 1962 (defeated Czechoslovakia)
- Argentina in 1990 (lost to West Germany)
- Brazil in 1998 (lost to France)
- France in 2022 (will play Argentina)
Only twice has a team won back-to-back World Cups
- Italy in 1934 and 1938
- Brazil in 1958 and 1962
Here's how each champion performed in the following World Cup
- 1930: Uruguay wins the first ever World Cup
- 1934: Uruguay did not play in the World Cup as Italy wins
- 1938: Italy wins it again after winning in 1934
- 1950: Uruguay wins after the tournament was not played from 1939 to 1949
- 1954: Uruguay loses to Hungary in the semifinals after winning in 1950
- 1958: West Germany loses to Sweden in the semifinals after winning in 1954
- 1962: Brazil wins it again after winning in 1958
- 1966: Brazil does not make it out of the group stage after winning in 1958 and 1962
- 1970: England loses to West Germany in the quarterfinals after winning it in 1966
- 1974: Brazil does not make it out of the second group and loses in the third-place game, after winning in 1970
- 1978: West Germany does not make it out of the second group after winning it in 1974
- 1982: Argentina does not make it out of the second group after winning it in 1978
- 1986: Italy loses to France in the round of 16 after winning it in 1982
- 1990: Argentina loses to West Germany in the final after winning it in 1986
- 1994: West Germany loses to Bulgaria in the quarterfinals after winning it in 1990
- 1998: Brazil loses to France in the final after winning it in 1994
- 2002: France does not make it out of the group stage after winning it in 1998
- 2006: Brazil loses to France in the quarterfinals after winning it in 2002
- 2010: Italy does not make it out of the group stage after winning it in 2006
- 2014: Spain does not make it out of the group stage after winning it in 2010
- 2018: Germany does not make it out of the group stage after winning it in 2014
- 2022: France makes it to final after winning it in 2018, will play Argentina
Only countries from Europe and South America have ever made the final
- Morocco had a chance to break this trend, but lost to France in the semifinals
Only two World Cup finals have gone to penalties
- 2006: Italy defeated France
- 1994: Brazil defeated Italy
Seven of the previous 21 World Cup finals have gone to extra-time, including three of the last four
- 2014: Germany 1, Argentina 0
- 2010: Spain 1, Netherlands 0
- 2006: Italy 1, France 1 (Italy 5-3 in penalties)
The Golden Boot winner has won the World Cup five times in the World Cup
- 1930: Guillermo Stabile, 8 goals (Uruguay)
- 1962: Vavá and Garrincha, 4 goals each (Brazil)
- 1978: Mario Kempes, 6 goals (Argentina)
- 1982: Paolo Rossi, 6 goals (Italy)
- 2002: Ronaldo, 8 goals (Brazil)
The Golden Ball winner has won the World Cup three times in the World Cup
- 1982: Paolo Rossi (Italy)
- 1986: Diego Maradona (Argentina)
- 1994: Romario (Brazil)
Will France do what hasn't been done in 60 years, or will Lionel Messi finally win the trophy that has eluded him for so long.
Tune in FOX Sports to watch the final on Sunday as these two titans clash.
Read more from the World Cup:
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- An angry Lionel Messi is good for Argentina — and scary for opponents
- Luka Modrić, the other living legend seeking World Cup redemption
- Penalty takers finding success down the middle at World Cup 2022
- World Cup 2022 odds: Kylian Mbappé favorite to win Golden Boot, Golden Ball
- Golden Boot Race Tracker: World Cup 2022 top goal scorers
- In the Gio Reyna-Team USA World Cup controversy, there are no winners
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