In the 96 years that the World Cup has existed, only twice has a country won the tournament back-to-back. The first to achieve the incredible feat was Italy. They lifted the trophy on home soil in 1934 after beating Czechoslovakia 2-1 in the final, before heading to France in 1938. Under Vittorio Pozzo, Italy became champions again, beating Hungary 4-2 in a thrilling clash.
30 years later, Brazil began their back-to-back story. 17-year-old Pele starred in the 1958 World Cup and Selecao won the tournament with a 5-2 final victory over hosts Sweden.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn Chile 1962, Brazil retained their crown despite Pelé suffering from a tournament-ending injury in the group stages. Czechoslovakia were the victims of another final defeat as Brazil won 3-1.
On three occasions, countries have been halted at the final hurdle, including France in 2022, who were looking to add to their 2018 victory.
Messi breaks another record
Although we are only two matches into the 2026 edition of the World Cup, Argentina look certain to put up a tough fight defending their title. At the heart of that is, of course, Lionel Messi. I’m sure you’ve heard plenty about him in recent weeks.
The birthday-boy-to-be stole the show again last night in Dallas as Argentina beat Austria 2-0. Despite missing a penalty early on, Messi netted a brace to become the all-time leading goalscorer at the World Cup.
The little magician now sits on 18, overtaking Miroslav Klose, who scored 16 between 2002 and 2014.
Those goals won’t be his last, but can his form actually take them all the way again?
Argentina’s route to the final
As things stand, Argentina’s route to the final would see them face Uruguay in the round of 32 at the Miami Stadium.
A familiar arena for Messi, who has scored four goals from seven there in 2026.
Should they progress through to the round of 16, they will face Australia or Iran.
In the quarters, their opponent would likely be Portugal, before a huge clash against England or Brazil in the semis.
In the final, they would likely face either favourites, France or Spain. A far from straightforward path to history to say the least.
With Messi firing as well as ever, their chances are much higher. It’s not just Messi making an impact though. Although the soon-to-be 39-year-old is currently the sole goalscorer for Lionel Scaloni’s side, Argentina’s team as a whole have performed really well.
Facundo Medina has impressed across the opening two matches, while Inter Miami counterpart Rodrigo De Paul has been key in Argentina’s midfield.
The ever-present Enzo Fernandez continues to prove his worth, and Lautaro Martinez’s play on and off the ball allows Messi to pick up vacant spaces to score or assist.
Who could get in their way?
Embed from Getty ImagesOf course the competition for this year’s tournament is as fierce as ever. Not only are the likes of France, England and Spain full of top-class players, but they also have the bench depth to punish tired legs.
Many will argue that there would be a beautiful symmetry to a Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal win, adding more fuel to a debate that many hope will never die.
One thing is for sure: this is still Messi’s Argentina. If La Albiceleste do achieve the impossible, he will most certainly be at the core of it.
The tactics – watch now on YouTube
Written by Isabelle Martin
Leave a Reply