
As qualified countries began the Round of 16 matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, Brazil retained its place as the nation with the most match victories in the tournament’s history.
FIFA updated the ranking after matches played on Saturday, July 4.
Brazil has reached the World Cup 23 times, playing 118 matches, winning 79, drawing 20 and losing 19 for a tournament-best win percentage of 67 per cent.
Germany follows with 70 victories from 116 matches across 21 World Cup appearances, while Argentina has amassed 51 wins from 92 matches in 19 participations.
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Among the countries still in contention for the 2026 title are Brazil, Argentina, France, England, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Belgium, Switzerland and Croatia, all of whom feature in the top 20 all-time list.
The Round of 16 began on Saturday with Morocco beating Canada 2-0 and France trumping Paraguay 1-0.
Sunday’s fixtures see Brazil meet Norway and England battle Mexico, with Portugal set for a blockbuster clash against Spain on Monday.
Below is the updated list of countries with the most FIFA World Cup match victories:
Rank
Country
World Cup wins
1
Brazil
79
2
Germany
70
3
Argentina
51
4
Italy
45
5
France
44
6
England
35
7
Spain
34
8
Netherlands
32
9
Uruguay
25
10
Belgium
23
11
Mexico
21
12
Sweden
20
=13
Portugal
19
=13
Russia
19
15
Serbia
18
=16
Poland
17
=16
Switzerland
17
=18
Croatia
15
=18
Hungary
15
20
Austria
13
Saheed Oyelakin
Saheed is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over two years of experience covering metro, technology, sports, politics, and human-interest stories. He focuses on producing clear, engaging reports across diverse beats. Saheed’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate and balanced journalism.
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