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The World Cup kicked off this week, seeing 48 countries fighting for the coveted FIFA trophy.
But you might be surprised at just how few countries have picked up a trophy before. Despite the fact that players come from all over the world to compete in the tournament, only two continents are represented by the historic winners of the World Cup: South America and Europe. And with countries spread across both continents, a mere eight of them can claim they've won a World Cup, even though the tournament has been held 22 times starting back in 1930.
So who are the elite eight countries you’ll want to keep an eye on for this year's World Cup? Visual Capitalist compiled them into a map, along with a timeline:
Brazil: 5
Years won: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002
Brazil has a lead over its competitors with five World Cup wins, making it the most decorated country in the tournament’s history. Three of those wins were led by legendary soccer player Pelé, who remains the only player to have won three World Cups.
The late athlete’s first victory came in 1958 when he was only a teenager competing on the world stage, wowing fans with some of the most iconic goals in World Cup history. He ended up playing in four tournaments, winning three of them. (The team missed out on a win in 1966 after being eliminated in the first round).
Germany: 4
Years won: 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014
Germany has won the tournament four times. What’s interesting about their history in the World Cup is that the 1954, 1974, and 1990 victories all occurred when the country was split during the Cold War, with West Germany picking up those prizes.
The country's most recent win in 2014 including a 7-1 blowout against Brazil in the semi-final before beating Argentina in the final to win it all. It also marked the only World Cup win for the unified country compared to the Cold War divide.
Italy: 4
Years won: 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006
Only two teams have won back-to-back World Cups: Brazil in 1958 and 1962, and Italy in 1934 and 1938. The two wins came early in the history of the World Cup, as the Italian nation picked them up in the second and third tournaments before it shut down due to World War II.
Argentina: 3
Years won: 1978, 1986, 2022
Argentina comes into this year's World Cup as the defending champion, but it was their 1986 that may be the most well-known. That was the year legendary Argentinian Diego Maradona scored the Hand of God goal against England in the quarterfinals.
The controversial goal was allowed to stand despite Maradona breaking a cardinal rule of soccer: you can't touch the ball with your hand. But because the on-field officials didn't see him touch the ball while the game was going on, it was allowed to stand. After the game, Maradona described the goal as “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” The name stuck.
France: 2
Years won: 1998, 2018
It may be surprising to know that France's two wins hadn't come earlier in the history of the World Cup. After all, France is one of only 13 teams that participated in the first World Cup tournament in 1930. A French player named Lucien Laurent is considered the first player to score a goal in the history of the tournament.
Almost a century since their debut in the World Cup, France may be feeling this pressure in 2026 as they take on the World Cup again, hoping for a third win. The team lost in the 2022 final, with Argentina coming out on top that year.
Uruguay: 2
Years won: 1930, 1950
Uruguay has the distinction of winning the first World Cup—a feat that may have been helped by the fact that they were the host country. The team also has the distinction of being the winners when the World Cup restarted after being absent for 12 years due to World War II. The team pulled off a shocking win to secure the trophy against Brazil, which was also the host nation that year.
England: 1
Years won: 1966
England has only one win in the tournament, which it picked up in 1966 when it also served as the host nation. That caused controversy with other teams, particularly those from South America who accused the English team of rigging the tournament in their favor. Despite that, the team dominated at Wembley Stadium in London with a 4-2 win over West Germany that included a three-goal hat trick from Geoff Hurst.
Spain: 1
Years won: 2010
Like England, Spain only has one win to its name. The thrilling final game against the Netherlands in 2010 came down to penalties to set Spain up for a spectacular goal. Andrés Iniesta ended up being the hero for Spain, scoring the only goal of the game in extra time to bring his country its first World Cup win.