The FIFA World Cup began its journey in 1930 with just 13 teams. Uruguay hosted the inaugural tournament and became the first champion by defeating Argentina 4-2 in the final. Over the years, the number of participating teams gradually expanded to 16, then 24, and finally settled at 32 from 1998 to 2022. In the upcoming North American edition (2026), the tournament will feature 48 teams.
Throughout nearly a century of World Cup football, one question has constantly lingered in the minds of football fans:
"Which team is the greatest of all time?"
From 1930 to 2022, a total of 80 countries have stepped onto the World Cup stage at least once. Among them, Brazil is the only country to have featured in every single edition!
In comparison, Germany has placed 20 times, while Argentina and Italy have each participated 18 times. Here is the interesting information: Four-time world champions Italy have failed to qualify for three consecutive World Cups (2018, 2022, and 2026).
Brazil also leads everyone else in terms of match victories. Out of 114 matches played, Brazil has secured 76 wins. Germany follows with 68 wins from 112 matches, and Argentina sits in third place with 47 wins from 88 matches. The difference in World Cup match wins between Argentina and Brazil stands at a staggering 29.
Brazil also holds the record for the highest number of championship titles. Sitting just below the five-time world champions are Germany and Italy, each with four titles. Below them is Argentina, with three World Cup trophies. While some mock the Jules Rimet Trophy, the modern World Cup trophy exists today precisely because of Brazil. Back then, FIFA rules dictated that any country winning the tournament three times would get to keep the trophy permanently. By winning their third title in 1970, Brazil earned the right to keep the original cup forever. Consequently, FIFA designed a new trophy for the World Cup and named it after the organization itself. A new rule was established: 'The authentic new trophy would never be given to any country permanently'. Thus, Brazil remains the only team in history to have permanently kept a World Cup trophy.
From 1930 to 2022, a total of 80 countries have stepped onto the World
Cup stage at least once. Among them, Brazil is the only country to have
featured in every single edition.
Out of the 9 tournaments held between 1930 and 1970(Jules Rimet Trophy Period), Brazil participated in all of them and became champions 3 times. Germany participated 7 times and won once. Meanwhile, despite participating 5 times during this period, Argentina failed to win even once. Interestingly, in 1970-the very year Brazil won the trophy permanently and forced FIFA to change its rules-Argentina failed to even qualify for the World Cup.
Another unique milestone for Brazil in World Cup football is that they are the only team to have become world champions across 4 different continents: 1958 - Sweden (Europe); 1962 - Chile (South America); 1970 - Mexico; 1994 - USA (North America);2002 - South Korea & Japan (Asia)
Football fans might ask a contemporary question: "What does the current Brazilian team have that makes you support them?"
The answer lies with you: a team's fanbase does not vanish into thin air just because they haven't won a championship in 20 or 25 years. Any football lover can support a team based on its rhythm, style of play, and rich heritage. We can look at Argentina as an example. [Argentina is cited as an example here because football fans in Bangladesh primarily support either Brazil or Argentina; supporters of other teams are far fewer in our country.] Argentina won the World Cup in 2022 after a 36-year drought (for Brazil, the current drought is 12 years shorter), yet their fanbase did not disappear during this long period without a World Cup title.
Apart from the World Cup, there are other smaller tournaments, such as the Copa America . It is primarily a tournament for the member nations of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL). However, to increase the tournament's appeal, national teams from outside South America are now also invited to play. In the 47 editions of this tournament held so far, Argentina has won the most titles (16 times), followed by Uruguay (15 times) and Brazil (9 times). None of the other participating teams has managed to win it more than twice.
Historically, Brazil has shown a certain indifference toward the Copa America . They did not even participate in ten editions of the tournament. There are even instances where Brazil sent a regional or provincial team to compete. In the 10 editions that Brazil skipped, Argentina capitalized by winning the championship 5 times. Of the remaining five, Uruguay won 3 times, while Peru and Bolivia won once each.
While Brazil may have historically lacked interest in the Copa America, their dedication to the World Cup is absolute. A fascinating statistic: From 1930 to 2022, Brazil never appointed a foreign coach for any World Cup. Brazilian coaches held the reins in every single edition. However, that tradition is changing. The Selecao will take on the upcoming World Cup under the guidance of one of the most successful coaches in football history, Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti. After parting ways with Tite, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) handed this immense responsibility to Carlo, making him the first foreign coach in Brazil's history. This alone demonstrates how desperate Brazil is to reclaim the World Cup glory. To those who ask what the current Brazilian team has, I would like to remind them that Brazil has won the highest number of international trophies in the 21st century. In this century (from 2000 to the present), the two powerhouses of international football-Brazil and Argentina-have faced each other 31 times, with Brazil leading in the number of victories. In fact, across the entire history of football, the Selecao holds the upper hand in head-to-head encounters between these two teams. Furthermore, Brazil remains the global leader in exporting professional footballers worldwide.
The writer is a student, Department of Bangla, University of Chittagong
