What is the most common score in a World Cup final? The answer will surprise you
World Cup finals are often associated with tension, but history shows the biggest game in soccer has produced plenty of goals.
No game in soccer has higher stakes than the World Cup final, which would probably lead you to believe the tournament’s showpiece games are tight, nervous affairs in which both teams are reluctant to give too much away. We have certainly seen examples of that in the past, but history suggests World Cup finals are higher-scoring than we might think.
Of the 22 World Cup finals that have been played before the 2026 edition, the most common score is 4-2, which has occurred on four occasions.
The surprising most common World Cup final score
Admittedly, the first two instances came in the 1930s, when you could argue soccer was played in a different spirit than it is today. That said, we do not have to go back far at all to find the most recent final to end 4-2, which came when France defeated Croatia in Russia in 2018.
France vs Croatia, 2018 World Cup Final. 🇫🇷🏆🇭🇷
— Football Vault (@FootballVault8) July 2, 2026
A six-goal thriller on the biggest stage.
France defeated Croatia 4-2 to lift their second World Cup title in an unforgettable final.
pic.twitter.com/gxwEU29Tji
World Cup finals that ended 4-2
- 1930: Uruguay 4-2 Argentina
- 1938: Italy 4-2 Hungary
- 1966: England 4-2 West Germany (a.e.t.)
- 2018: France 4-2 Croatia
The next most common scores are 1-0, 2-1 and 3-1, which have all happened three times.
World Cup final scoring trends
Surprisingly, only one World Cup final has ever ended 2-0, despite it being one of soccer’s most common scores. That came in Brazil’s 2002 victory over Germany, the most recent of the South American country’s five World Cup triumphs.
Brazil were involved in another first eight years earlier in the United States, taking part in the only goalless final in World Cup history. They defeated Italy in a penalty shootout in the 1994 final.
The 2022 final between Argentina and France, which La Albiceleste also won on penalties, was the first World Cup final to finish 3-3.
The lowest score that could happen for the first time when Spain and Argentina meet in 2026 is 2-2, which has somehow never occurred in a World Cup final.
World Cup finals 1930-2022: Full list of results
| Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Uruguay | 4-2 | Argentina |
| 1934 | Italy | 2-1 (a.e.t.) | Czechoslovakia |
| 1938 | Italy | 4-2 | Hungary |
| 1950 | Uruguay | 2-1 | Brazil |
| 1954 | West Germany | 3-2 | Hungary |
| 1958 | Brazil | 5-2 | Sweden |
| 1962 | Brazil | 3-1 | Czechoslovakia |
| 1966 | England | 4-2 (a.e.t.) | West Germany |
| 1970 | Brazil | 4-1 | Italy |
| 1974 | West Germany | 2-1 | Netherlands |
| 1978 | Argentina | 3-1 (a.e.t.) | Netherlands |
| 1982 | Italy | 3-1 | West Germany |
| 1986 | Argentina | 3-2 | West Germany |
| 1990 | West Germany | 1-0 | Argentina |
| 1994 | Brazil | 0-0 (3-2 on penalties) | Italy |
| 1998 | France | 3-0 | Brazil |
| 2002 | Brazil | 2-0 | Germany |
| 2006 | Italy | 1-1 (5-3 on penalties) | France |
| 2010 | Spain | 1-0 (a.e.t.) | Netherlands |
| 2014 | Germany | 1-0 (a.e.t.) | Argentina |
| 2018 | France | 4-2 | Croatia |
| 2022 | Argentina | 3-3 (4-2 on penalties) | France |
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