Defending champions Argentina and Spain are ready to take on each other for the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy on Sunday night. A team winning the prestigious trophy back-to-back has happened only twice before, and Lionel Messi’s Argentina can’t be the third if they can overcome Lamine Yamal’s Spain.
Italy and Brazil are the only teams to date to have won back-to-back World Cups. The Italians did it in 1934 and 1938, while Brazil did it in 1958 and 1962. There is an interesting piece of trivia that will discourage Argentina fans a lot. In 1986, they reached the final and beat West Germany to claim the trophy. In 1990, they again reached the final; however, this time they were beaten 1-0 by the same team. A win in the first final and a loss in the second final is something Argentina have experienced before, and history has a weird way of repeating itself.
Brazil experienced the same; in 1994, they won, and in 1998, they lost. France is also among the teams that won the first final but lost the second in 2018 and 2022 respectively.
Teams have also lost back-to-back finals. The Netherlands (1974 and 1978) and West Germany (1982 and 1986) have done it in the past. However, West Germany won in 1990. West Germany and Brazil (1994, 1998 and 2002) are the only teams to have reached the final three times in a row.
Messi can make it two in two!
Twice in Ballon d’Or history, a player has won it based on their performance in the World Cup. Overwhelmingly, it’s been a player who has won a major continental or international silverware. In 2006, Fabio Cannavaro of Italy won the prestigious trophy after winning the World Cup in Germany. Messi, when last time he won the World Cup in 2022, was playing for Paris Saint Germain in France but it was his triumph in Qatar that fetched him the Ballon d’Or. Since 2023, he has been playing for Inter Miami and in the last season, they won the Major League Soccer (but it’s a domestic title). So, his World Cup win – if he wins, that is – will push him to another Ballon d’Or trophy based on his performance in the World Cup. Mind you, he has already scored 8 goals and provided four assists.
