What happened to the World Cup favourites?
'The Wunderteam', 'The Magical Magyars', Italy of 1990, Argentina of 2002 and several Brazil sides feature as FIFA+ looks at what happened to the pre-tournament favourites at the 21 previous FIFA World Cups.
Spain are the marginal favourites to win the FIFA World Cup 2026™. That is not, however, a good omen for the men in red. Pre-tournament forerunners have, indeed, rarely emerged triumphant. FIFA looks at which nations started each of the previous 22 World Cups as the favourites, and which emerged triumphant.
Favourites: Argentina and Uruguay Champions: Uruguay
Going into the tournament Argentina had won the last two South American titles. Uruguay had grabbed the last two Olympic golds and would have home advantage. Both had star-stacked squads. It was a toss-up which one of them would become the first world kings. What happened Argentina and Uruguay both won their semi-finals 6-1 to set up the final everyone expected. After the fierce enemies warred over which ball to use, they agreed to play with an Argentinian one in the first half and a Uruguayan one in the second. La Albiceleste led 2-1 at half-time. La Celeste won 4-2.
Favourites: Austria Champions: Italy Going into the tournament There was a consensus going into its sophomore edition: it would belong to ‘The Wunderteam’. Austria had, under Hugo Meisl, gone on a 14-game undefeated run and thrashed Scotland 5-0, Germany 5-0 and 6-0, Hungary 8-2 and Switzerland 8-1. ‘The Paper Man’, Matthias Sindelar, had already penned the script.
What happened Italy had won just one of their previous 12 meetings with Austria, losing 4-0 in Genoa and 4-2 in Turin in their previous two, heading into the teams’ semi-final. La Nazionale nevertheless sneaked a 1-0 victory, and went on to vanquish Czechoslovakia in the final.
Favourites: Brazil Champions: Uruguay Going into the tournament Brazil had finally emerged. They had scored 46 goals and conceded just seven en route to winning the South American title the previous year, and boasted a devastating attack featuring Zizinho and Ademir de Menezes. They had even built the Maracana for their coronation. Uruguay had lost seven of their last nine outings and were seemingly a spent force. What happened Brazil destroyed Sweden 7-1 and Spain 6-1 in the four-team final round. Uruguay drew 2-2 with Spain and edged Sweden 3-2. It meant a draw would be sufficient to crown Brazil. ‘Here Are The World Champions’, above a photo of the Brazil side, read the headline in O Mundo on the day of the game. Uruguay captain Obdulio Varela bought 20 copies, scattered them on the toilet floor of the hotel restaurant, and ordered his team-mates to urinate on them. La Celeste were 1-0 down with 25 minutes remaining, but emerged 2-1 victors.
Favourites: Hungary Champions: West Germany Going into the tournament ‘The Magical Magyars’ remain arguably the most overwhelming pre-tournament favourites in World Cup history. Ferenc Puskas, Sandor Kocsis and Co had destroyed England twice in preparation – 6-3 at Wembley at 7-1 at the Nepstadion – and had cruised on a world-record unbeaten run.
What happened Hungary thumped Korea Republic 9-0 and West Germany 8-3 in the group stage. They met the latter again in the final, were 2-0 up after eight minutes, but lost 3-2 in ‘The Miracle of Bern’.
Favourites: West Germany Champions: Brazil Going into the tournament West Germany started as the team to beat, although Yugoslavia, who had thrashed Italy 6-1 and England 5-0, were also heavily fancied. What happened West Germany edged Yugoslavia in the quarter-finals before being dumped out by Sweden. The first goalless draw in World Cup history prompted Brazil coach Vicente Feola to unleash ungovernable Garrincha and 17-year-old Pele for their last group game. The duo magically combined to propel A Seleção to their first title.
Favourites: Brazil Champions: Brazil Going into the tournament Brazil had won 14 and drawn one of their previous 15 games. European champions Soviet Union and Yugoslavia had designs on global gold, but few foresaw them stopping Garrincha, Pele and amigos.
What happened Pele hobbled out of Brazil’s second game and the competition. It mattered not. Garrincha was unstoppable as the Seleção retained their crown.
Favourites: Brazil Champions: England Going into the tournament The holders sent an ageing set across the Atlantic, but were still the slight favourites. England and West Germany both looked strong, as did a Eusebio-spearheaded Portugal at their first World Cup. What happened Pele was brutally kicked into international retirement as Brazil crashed out at the group stage. Eusebio electrified for Portugal, but it was England who received the Jules Rimet Trophy from Queen Elizabeth II after an epic 4-2 defeat of West Germany.
Favourites: Brazil (4/1)* Champions: Brazil (4/1) Pre-tournament England (9/2) had an even better side than the one that triumphed four years previous, Italy (5/1) were unbeaten in over two years and West Germany (11/2) had talent aplenty. All three were considered serious contenders to make the breakthrough for Europe on the Americas, but Brazil, for whom Pele was back, were the marginal favourites.
What happened England, who were without Gordon Banks, led 2-0 in the quarter-finals, only for West Germany to produce a stunning fightback. Italy then beat West Germany in ‘The Game of the Century’ to reach the final. There, however, they were no match for Brazil, who capped arguably the greatest-ever World Cup campaign with a 4-1 success.
Favourites: Netherlands (7/2) Champions: West Germany (4/1) Pre-tournament It was testament to just how breathtaking Johan Cruyff and Co were that, at their first global finals in 36 years, the Netherlands were considered more likely champions than a nation that had won three of the last four World Cups, and another that were reigning European champions and had home advantage. Dutch clubs had won four consecutive European Cups before Cruyff relocated to Barcelona in 1973, while a 4-1 creaming of Argentina just before the tournament had neutrals salivating.
What happened ‘Total Football’ transfixed spectators and the genius of Cruyff helped them take an early lead in the final. West Germany nonetheless rallied to win it 2-1.
Favourites: West Germany (7/2) Champions: Argentina (11/2) Going into the tournament The holders, who had finished runners-up at EURO 1976 and whose clubs had been dominant in Europe, just got the nod over Brazil (4/1). Argentina, it was felt, were on the brink of national humiliation. They hadn’t won the Copa America in almost two decades, hadn’t got past the World Cup quarter-finals since 1930, and had failed to win any of four warm-up matches against European opposition, losing 3-1 to West Germany and being largely outplayed in draws with England, Scotland and France. Furthermore, their captain quit the national team and their centre-backs stood at a mere 1.73 and 1.74 metres respectively.
What happened A limp West Germany finished third in their second-phase group, while Argentina pipped Brazil to reach the decider. In it they overcame a Cruyff-less Netherlands in extra time.
Favourites: Brazil (9/4) Champions: Italy (14/1) Going into the tournament Brazil were unbeaten in 20 matches – a run which included beating England in London, France in Paris and West Germany in Stuttgart. Italy had a truly disastrous run-up to the competition – one littered with humiliating results.
What happened Leandro, Junior, Falcao, Socrates, Zico and Eder ensured futebol-arte ensued. Brazil thrilled their way into the second round, where they began Group C by beating Argentina 3-1. A draw would have done against Italy, but Tele Santana’s team lost for the first time in 25 games in a monumental upset. Gli Azzurri went on to down West Germany 3-1 in the final.
Favourites: Brazil (3/1) Champions: Argentina (4/1) Going into the tournament Brazil were an ageing model of the symphony that had wowed the sport in ’82 – Junior, Falcao, Socrates and Zico were all in their 30s – but they nevertheless started as narrow favourites. Argentina’s squad hardly struck fear into opponents, but their No10 horror-struck the most indomitable of opponents, while Enzo Francescoli-embellished Uruguay (6/1) kicked off as the third favourites. What happened A Careca-propelled Brazil dazzled en route to the quarter-finals, where lost an epic to France on penalties. Diego Maradona was utterly unplayable as Argentina sunk Uruguay, England and Belgium to reach the final, before Jorge Burruchaga’s unforgettable goal earned a 3-2 victory over West Germany.
Favourites: Italy (3/1) Champions: West Germany (6/1) Going into the tournament La Nazionale entered the World Cup as hosts, having not conceded in over 12 hours, and boasting an outstanding squad featuring Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Giuseppe Giannini, Roberto Baggio and Gianluca Vialli. That proved enough for them to begin it as favourites – albeit only narrowly ahead of reigning European champions the Netherlands (7/2), who charged Ronald Koeman, Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten with seizing gold. What happened Gli Azzurri won five games and kept as many clean sheets to sail into the semi-finals. There, in a match headline-monopolised by the presence of Napoli darling Diego Maradona playing in Naples, Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea’s shootout heroics ended Italy’s trophy hopes. West Germany, meanwhile, edged fierce rivals the Netherlands in a fiery last-16 clash en route to their third crown, clinched via revenge against Argentina.
Favourites: Brazil and West Germany (7/2) Champions: Brazil (7/2) Going into the tournament Brazil were in a state of disarray going into the competition. The death of demigod Ayrton Senna had devastated an entire nation, and the Seleção had almost lost their proud record of being the only World Cup ever-presents. There was a feeling that the first Europeans to conquer the competition on another continent might be on the way. Many felt Germany, riding the reunification wave, would be the said side, though Italy (11/2) and the Netherlands (6/1) were also in the mix. What happened The Germans succumbed to minnows Bulgaria in the quarter-finals. Romario inspired Brazil into the final, and Taffarel propelled them to a shootout victory over Italy in the decider.
Favourites: Brazil (3/1) Champions: France (6/1) Going into the tournament Brazil were not just the favourites, but the overwhelming favourites. The reason? A phenomenon who had scored 15 international goals the previous year and had cantered to the previous two FIFA World Player of the Year awards. France were billed as their closest challengers purely on being hosts. Their form heading into the tournament had been shocking and Zinedine Zidane’s place in the starting XI was a polarising topic.
What happened Zidane was sent off against Saudi Arabia and France limped past Paraguay courtesy of a golden goal, Italy on penalties and Croatia thanks to a Lilian Thuram fairy tale to reach the final. Ronaldo terrorised opponents from the get-go, registering four goals and three assists as Brazil joined them. Then, hours before the showpiece, Ronaldo suffered a convulsive fit. He was initially left out of the starting XI, then reinstated, but was a passenger for 90 minutes. Zidane, by contrast, uncharacteristically scored two headers to lead Les Bleus to ecstasy.
Favourites: Argentina (7/2) Champions: Brazil (7/1) Argentina had won the South American qualifiers by a staggering 12 points, and began the World Cup on a 17-game undefeated run – one which included victories over Italy in Rome and Germany in Stuttgart. Marcelo Bielsa’s men were the marginal favourites over France (4/1). Ronaldo had barely kicked a ball in two-and-a-half years, and Brazil had almost failed to qualify in his absence.
What happened The ’group of death’, which also comprised England, Nigeria and Sweden, proved fatal for Argentina, despite taking four points. France also fell at the first hurdle – without even scoring a goal. Ronaldo, meanwhile, penned the most improbable of comeback stories, hitting eight goals as Brazil prevailed.
Favourites: Brazil (5/2) Champions: Italy (10/1) Going into the tournament Brazil had smashed Argentina 4-1 in the previous year’s FIFA Confederations Cup final, had Ronaldinho at his electrifying peak, and boasted Kaka, Robinho, Adriano and Ronaldo. Italy, for their part, had been eliminated from the previous World Cup by Korea Republic in the last 16, and had finished beneath Sweden and Denmark en route to a group-stage exit at UEFA EURO 2004.
What happened Ronaldinho never got going and Zidane once again proved Brazil’s hangman, this time in the quarter-finals. ‘Zizou’ proved his own undoing in the decider, seeing red as Italy, who outlasted Germany in an unforgettable semi-final, won on penalties.
Favourites: Spain (9/2) Champions: Spain (9/2) Going into the tournament Spain had strode to UEFA EURO 2008 glory and gone on a 35-game undefeated stretch until 2009. Brazil (5/1), England (11/2) and Argentina (13/2) were also fancied, but was there any answer to tika-taka? What happened There wasn’t. Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Co vanquished the Netherlands at Soccer City.
Favourites: Brazil (11/4) Champions: Germany (11/2) Going into the tournament It would, so they said, belong to Neymar and Brazil or Lionel Messi and Argentina. The World Cup had, after all, been staged on the Americas seven times, and on every occasion a South American side had emerged triumphant.
What happened A knee in the back in the quarter-finals ended Neymar’s tournament. One of the most earth-shaking results in football history – a 7-1 defeat by Germany in the last four – ended Brazil’s. Messi helped get Argentina to the final, but an extra-time Mario Gotze volley saw Germany make history.
Favourites: Brazil and Germany (4/1) Champions: France (6/1) Going into the tournament There was little between Brazil, Germany, Spain and France pre-finals. The bookies also gave Argentina, Belgium and England a chance. What happened Germany became the third successive defending champions to crash out at the group stage, while Belgium eliminated Brazil in the quarter-finals. In the decider, N’Golo Kante, Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and France downed Croatia 4-2.
Favourites: Brazil (7/2) Champions: Argentina Going into the tournament Alisson, Thiago Silva and Casemiro added stability to the ability provided by Neymar, Raphinha, Vinicius Junior and Richarlison. It would be tough to stop Brazil. Lionel Messi and Argentina (9/2), Kylian Mbappe and France (5/1), Harry Kane and England (13/2) and Gavi and Spain (7/1) nonetheless had a chance.
What happened Spain were stunned by Morocco on penalties in the last 16. Brazil thrilled in a 4-1 thrashing of Korea Republic at the same stage, but fell victim to a Croatia comeback and shootout victory in the quarter-finals. Argentina went on to beat France on penalties in arguably the greatest final in World Cup history.
* Bookmakers’ odds began being publicised before Mexico 1970.