The FIFA World Cup, the most watched sporting event in the world, is held every four years and every time some new records are set and old are broken which serve as a benchmark for future generations of players. It is the greatest and most significant soccer competition. Pele, Maradona, Zidane, and Ronaldo Nazario are the greatest and well renowned for their role in the world cup victory.
Most Successful Nations in the World Cup
There are 21 world cups have taken place from 1930 to 2018 and a total of 9 nations have won the tournament. This list includes a column for each country’s name, how many times it has won the world cup, advanced to the finals, and participated in the competition.
| Country | No. of Titles | No. of Finals | No. of Participation |
| Brazil | 5 | 7 | 21 |
| Germany | 4 | 8 | 19 |
| Italy | 4 | 6 | 18 |
| Argentina | 2 | 5 | 17 |
| France | 2 | 3 | 15 |
| Uruguay | 2 | 2 | 13 |
| England | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| Spain | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| Netherlands | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Hungary | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| Czechoslovakia | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Sweden | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| Croatia | 0 | 1 | 5 |
Brazil is the only nation that has participated in all the world cup tournaments and won a maximum 5 times. Germany is the runner ups for the maximum 8 times.
Most goals scored by teams in the FIFA world cup from 1930 to 2018
The first world cup was held in 1930 since then it is occurring every four years except on two occasions (1942 and 1946) due to world war II. The last time, it was held was in 2018. There are 9 nations in total who won this tournament. The teams who scored the highest number of goals in the tournament from 1930 to 2018 are:
| Country | No. of Goals |
| Brazil | 229 |
| Germany | 226 |
| Argentina | 137 |
| Italy | 128 |
| France | 120 |
| Spain | 99 |
| England | 91 |
| Hungary | 87 |
| Uruguay | 87 |
| Netherlands | 86 |
There should be no doubt that, why Brazil and Germany are in the top positions. These two teams are the most successful teams in the world with the most appearances in the finals of the World Cup.
Players with the most World Cup appearances
This list consists of players who played the most world cup matches in the history of the tournament.
| Players | Country | No. of Games |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 26 |
| Lothar Matthaus | Germany | 25 |
| Miroslav Klose | Germany | 24 |
| Palolo Maldini | Italy | 23 |
| Christiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 22 |
| Uwe Seeler | Germany | 21 |
| Wladyslaw Zmuda | Poland | 21 |
| Diego Maradona | Argentina | 21 |
| Cafu | Brazil | 20 |
| Bastian Schweinsteiger | Germany | 20 |
| Philipp Lahm | Germany | 20 |
| Grzegorz Lato | Poland | 20 |
This time, Messi with 19 matches can reach at the top of the list if Argentina makes it to the world cup final and he plays all 3 group games and 4 knockout matches in the 2022 tournament. Cristiano Ronaldo with 17 matches can also enter the list if he plays all the group matches.
Top Goalscorers in a single World Cup
These are the players who scored maximum goals in a world cup tournament
| Just Fontaine | 13 | France | 1958 |
| Sándor Kocsis | 11 | Hungary | 1954 |
| Gerd Müller | 10 | West Germany | 1970 |
| Eusébio | 9 | Portugal | 1966 |
| Guillermo Stábile | 8 | Argentina | 1930 |
| Ademir | 8 | Brazil | 1950 |
| Ronaldo | 8 | Brazil | 2002 |
| Leônidas | 7 | Brazil | 1938 |
| Jairzinho | 7 | Brazil | 1958 |
| Grzegorz Lato | 7 | Poland | 1974 |
The performances of Ronaldo in 2002 with 8 goals and Jairzinho in 1958 with 7 goals proved vital because Brazil won the world cup on both occasions.
Clubs with the most players participating in the World Cup 2022
This list consists of clubs from which a maximum number of players participating in the world cup 2022. Without a doubt, the majority of players come from top clubs of different soccer leagues.
| Club | No. of Players |
| Manchester City | 17 |
| Bayern Munich | 17 |
| Barcelona | 17 |
| Al Sadd (Qatar) | 15 |
| Real Madrid | 14 |
| Manchester United | 14 |
| Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) | 12 |
| Chelsea | 11 |
| Juventus | 11 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 11 |
| Ajax | 11 |
| Atletico Madrid | 11 |
Youngest Squad at the World Cup 2022
This time many teams are relying on their players. The youngest team in the world cup is Ghana. The USA also relied on their young guns and their team was second youngest in the tournament with an average age of 25. The five youngest teams in the FIFA World Cup 2022 are:
| Country | Average Age |
| Ghana | 24.7 |
| USA | 25 |
| Spain | 25.3 |
| Ecuador | 25.5 |
| Morocco | 25.9 |
Also Read:
- Top 8 Forwards to watch for in this World Cup 2022
- Top 8 Midfielders to watch for in World Cup 2022
- Top 8 Defenders to watch for in this World Cup 2022
FAQ
Who played most world cup matches?
Lothar Matthaus played 25 matches for Germany in the 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, and 1998 world cups.
Who has scored the highest no. of goals in the world cup?
Miroslav Klose with 16 goals in 24 matches across 4 world cups (2002,2006,2010,2014).
Who has the most FIFA World Cup wins?
Brazil won the world cup on 5 occasions (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002).
Who scored the first goal in the 1930 world cup?
The first goal was scored by French player Lucien Laurent at the Uruguay FIFA World Cup in 1930.
Who scored the maximum number of goals in a single world cup tournament?
Just Fontaine of France scored 13 goals in the 1958 world cup.