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The World Cup offers Australian football a chance to build momentum (Photo by Joosep Martinson - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
FIFA World Cup history is full of legendary names, teams and tournaments. Played every four years, the list of past winners, best players and leading goalscorers is a veritable who’s who of footballing royalty.
In 2022 it was Argentina who won the Cup after arguably the greatest final ever, with France’s Kylian Mbappe losing the decider but taking home the golden boot courtesy of a hat-trick on the biggest stage of all.
He’d pip Lionel Messi for the title, who scored two goals himself, though the Argentinian great would claim the golden ball for player of the tournament, becoming the first player to claim the award twice having previously won in 2014.
Below is a list of the winners, runners-up, best performers and leading goalscorers of each World Cup.
The World Cup is a chance for each country to showcase its best players. The grand tournament has allowed young players to get the national recognition they deserve and older veterans to continue their legacy.
The now-retired Miroslav Klose holds the legendary status of most goals scored ever in World Cup finals matches.
Below is a list of the top scorers in the competition’s history.
Rank
Player
Country
Number of goals
1
Miroslav Klose
Germany
16
2
Ronaldo
Brazil
15
3
Gerd Müller
West Germany
14
4
Just Fontaine
France
13
5
Pelé
Brazil
12
6
Sándor Kocsis
Hungary
11
Jürgen Klinsmann
Germany
11
8
Helmut Rahn
West Germany
10
Gary Lineker
England
10
Gabriel Batistuta
Argentina
10
Teófilo Cubillas
Peru
10
Thomas Müller
Germany
10
Grzegorz Lato
Poland
10
14
Eusébio
Portugal
9
Christian Vieri
Italy
9
Vava
Brazil
9
David Villa
Spain
9
Paolo Rossi
Italy
9
Jairzinho
Brazil
9
Roberto Baggio
Italy
9
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
West Germany
9
Uwe Seeler
West Germany
9
Most successful World Cup nations
No national team has been as successful in World Cups than Brazil. The Selecao have won the tournament a record five times, the last of which came in 2002 when a star-studded team featuring Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho defeated Germany 2-0 in the final.
The Germans are next on the list of most successful World Cup nations, having lifted the trophy on four occasions – three as West Germany and once more as a unified nation in 2014. Italy, the first nation to win two World Cups, sit equal with Die Mannschaft on four victories.
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Uruguay were the inaugural champions, the first side to claim the Jules Rimet trophy in 1930, and won one more title in an upset in 1950. Argentina have also won two titles.
