WCompleting an innings in the FIFA World Cup is one of the most difficult accomplishments in sports. Doing it twice in a row is even rarer. In the nearly century-long history of the tournament, only two national teams have been able to defend their titles: Italy and Brazil.
Now, the next tournament is approaching and Lionel Messi and the Argentina national football team will try to join its exclusive club in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. If anyone can achieve that, it’s none other than one of the greatest soccer players of all time.
Lionel Messi’s magical goal shows he is ready for the World Cup
Italy’s first attempt
Italy was the first team to win consecutive World Cup titles. The Azzurri won the trophy at the 1934 FIFA World Cup on home soil, defeating Czechoslovakia in the final. Four years later, they entered the 1938 FIFA World Cup in France with a dominant record as defending champions.
Led by legendary head coach Vittorio Pozzo, Italy was in the midst of an incredible unbeaten run that eventually stretched to 30 games from 1935 to 1939. That record included an Olympic gold medal at the 1936 Olympic Soccer Tournament and further success at the World Cup.
Italy defeated Norway, France and Brazil to reach the final, where they faced Hungary. The championship match ended in a 4-2 victory for Italy, clinching their second consecutive world title. Their hopes of winning an unprecedented third straight title were interrupted by world events, as the outbreak of World War II postponed the tournament until 1950. When the competition resumed, Italy were eliminated in the group stage, ending their winning streak.
Brazil takes the stand
More than 20 years later, Brazil is the second country to be crowned world champions again. The team won the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden. Pele, 17, emerged as the tournament’s breakout star, helping Brazil reach the final, defeating the hosts 5-2.
Brazil defended their title four years later at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile. Pele was injured during the group stage and missed the rest of the tournament, but the team still had enough talent to dominate. Players such as Garrincha, Vava, and Amarildo played an active role, leading Brazil to advance to the final round.
In the final, Brazil defeated Czechoslovakia 3-1 and achieved their second consecutive title. The team sought to become the first team to win the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England for the first time in a row, but that record came to an abrupt end when Brazil lost to Hungary and Portugal in the group stage.
Many people have tried but all have failed
Several teams came close to joining Italy and Brazil, but fell just short. Argentina came close to achieving this feat in the early 1990s. After winning the 1986 FIFA World Cup led by Diego Maradona, the team returned to the finals at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, but lost to Germany.
Brazil had a chance to repeat the same thing decades later. The team won the championship in 1994 and entered the 1998 FIFA World Cup as defending champions, but suffered a crushing defeat to hosts France in the final. The most recent near miss occurred at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Following their victory in 2018, France came close to being crowned champions with just one game left, but Argentina won in a dramatic final that ended in a penalty shootout.
The result not only secured Argentina’s third world title, but also preserved exclusivity for one of soccer’s rarest feats. As the 2026 tournament approaches, Messi and Argentina will seek to achieve what only two teams have achieved before. History has shown us that this is highly likely, but Italy and Brazil’s chance to go on record remains one of the biggest storylines heading into the next World Cup.
