France looking to defend title: Has any team won the World Cup twice in a row?
Only two countries have managed to become World Champions twice in a row and defend their title successfully.
Following their Semi-Finals win over Morocco, France will be hoping to lift consecutive World Cup titles when they take on Argentina on Sunday.
In 2018, Les Bleus won the World Cup title in Russia after defeating Croatia in the Finals, and it wasn’t their first time crowned champions. France also won the World title in 1998 after defeating Brazil 3-0.
Only two countries, however, have lifted the Jules Rimet trophy in back-to-back World Cup tournaments: Italy and Brazil.
Consecutive World Cup titles
Italy: 1934, 1938
The Italians didn’t enter the first World Cup 92 years ago but ended up winning the World Cup in 1934 and 1938, beating Czechoslovakia and Hungary respectively.
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A third world title followed in 1982 before Marcelo Lippi brought the dream back and led the Italians to victory over France on penalties in 2006.
Brazil: 1958, 1962
The only other team to have lifted consecutive World Cup titles took a little longer to make it. It wasn’t until 1958 that Brazil lifted their first trophy, but that triumph - inspired by a 17-year-old Pelé - began a journey of three victories in four tournaments.
The Seleção won the trophy four years later, in 1962, defeating Sweden and Czechoslovakia respectively. That was the start of the South Americans establishing themselves as a major force in the football world with a young Pelé that lived to be a legend.
In 1970 Brazil lifted the trophy again in what was Pelé's final World Cup and in what was widely considered the greatest team the finals have ever witnessed.
The team went on to win two more World Cup titles, in 1994 and 2002.