Has any team ever defended its title at FIFA World Cup?

FIFA World Cup 2018 winners France

Four years have gone by, and eagerness is building all over the world: the FIFA World Cup 2022 will begin on November 20 in Qatar. The FIFA World Cup, the largest tournament on the international football timeline, will witness the finest teams from across the world perform on the field in the Middle East for the prized trophy and title.

Defending the FIFA World Cup title is not everyone’s cup of tea. With France being the reigning title holder of the FIFA World Cup, will they be able to come back to the ground this year to defend its title?

Also Read: Is Qatar the first Arab country to host FIFA World Cup?

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Has any team defended their FIFA World Cup title?

In the 21 editions of the FIFA World Cup so far, only two nations have defended their prestigious FIFA World Cup title. Only Brazil and Italy have won the title in back-to-back editions. France will have the chance to defend the title in the 2022 FIFA World Cup as they won the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

When did Italy defend their FIFA World Cup title?

Hosts Italy became the first-ever European champions of the FIFA World Cup in the second edition of the budding competition in 1934.
Italy played Czechoslovakia to determine the winner of the FIFA World Cup in 1934.

Czechoslovakia got the upper hand with only 19 minutes left in the game as Antonín Puč scored. They could hold the lead for mere 10 mins Italy leveled with the goal of Raimundo Orsi. With the final ending in a draw, the encounter was obliged to into extra time. This was the first FIFA World Cup final to go into extra time. Italy clinched the lead with a goal from Angelo Schiavio and took away the FIFA World Cup trophy in 1934.

Italy and Hungary both won the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in 1938. Thus, Italy and Hungary played in the final in presence of 45,124 fans. Gino Colaussi gave Italy the top spot after six minutes. Hungary matched the score two minutes later through Pál Titkos. Silvio Piola gave Italy the lead back.

Italy increased their advantage to 3-1 with only 10 minutes until halftime on Colaussi’s second strike, which he scored while going unnoticed. György Sárosi, the captain of Hungary, pulled his team within one goal of the Italians halfway through the second half, but Piola’s second goal gave Italy a 4-2 victory with eight minutes remaining.

When did Brazil defend their FIFA World Cup title?

In 1958, the year when a 17-year-old named Pele made his debut to football fans all over the world, the beautiful, sun-kissed weeks of a Swedish summer offered a golden setting for Brazil’s first FIFA World Cup glory. Brazil defeated Sweden 5-2 in the championship game at Rasunda Stadium thanks to Pele and Garrincha, two of the best-attacking players in the world.

In the 1962 FIFA World Cup Final, Brazil and Czechoslovakia faced off. Josef Masopust, a player from the Czechoslovak Republic, scored the game’s opening goal after 15 minutes in the first half. However, just like in 1958, the Brazilian team was awakened by the goal, and two minutes later, in the 17th minute, the score was level 1.

Amarildo scored the goal, and Czechoslovakian goalkeeper Viliam Schrojf made a mistake that allowed the ball to go into the net.
Brazil had a sufficient amount of warm-up time before player Zito scored their second goal (69′) in the second half.
A little while later, the third and final goal was scored. This time, player Vavá (78′) scored, and goalie Viliam Schrojf committed another mistake.

In the World Cup final in Santiago, Chile, Brazil defeated Czechoslovakia 3-1 to comfortably retain their title. After Italy in 1934 and 1938, they became the second side to capture the World Cup twice in a row; no other team has since accomplished this feat.

⭐️⭐️#FRA

France have won the 2018 FIFA #WorldCup in Moscow! #FRACRO // #WorldCupFinal pic.twitter.com/fZhmJmxjVh
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 15, 2018

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the French team will attempt to reclaim their title and become the first side to accomplish this since Brazil won the competition in 1958 and 1962. Stars like Paul Pogba, Hugo Lloris, Aurelien Tchouameni, Kylian Mbappe, and others are prepared to compete on the international stage once more to lead Les Bleus to back-to-back triumphs.

Nonetheless, four of the previous five World Cup champions were unable to move past the group stage in their subsequent competition. This contains France’s 2002 team, which was eliminated after earning the trophy for the first time in 1998. So, will they be able to shatter the ‘holder’s curse’ and have an effective championship this time?