Argentina are one win away from becoming just the third nation in history to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup, with European champions Spain standing between them and a place among football’s greatest teams.
Here’s how previous defending champions fared when they reached the following World Cup final:
Italy (1934 & 1938)
Italy became the first team to retain the World Cup, defeating Hungary 4-2 in the 1938 final after winning the tournament on home soil four years earlier.
Brazil (1958 & 1962)
Despite losing Pelé to injury during the tournament, Brazil successfully defended their title by beating Czechoslovakia 3-1, with Garrincha playing a starring role.
Argentina (1986 → 1990)
Diego Maradona led Argentina back to the final, but they were beaten 1-0 by West Germany after Andreas Brehme’s late penalty.
Brazil (1994 → 1998)
A star-studded Brazil side featuring Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos reached another final but suffered a 3-0 defeat to hosts France, inspired by Zinedine Zidane.
France (2018 → 2022)
France came within touching distance of retaining their crown as Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick in a dramatic 3-3 draw, but Argentina triumphed in the penalty shootout.
Argentina now have the opportunity to join Italy (1938) and Brazil (1962) as the only teams to successfully defend the World Cup title if they defeat Spain in the 2026 final.
