Argentina are one win away from becoming just the third nation in history to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup, with European champions Spain standing between them and another historic triumph.
Here’s how previous defending champions fared when they reached the following World Cup final:
Italy (1934 & 1938)
Italy became the first team to retain the World Cup after defeating Hungary 4-2 in the 1938 final, having won the previous tournament on home soil four years earlier.
Brazil (1958 & 1962)
Despite losing Pelé to injury during the tournament, Brazil successfully defended their title by beating Czechoslovakia 3-1, with Garrincha leading the way.
Argentina (1986 → 1990)
Diego Maradona guided Argentina back to the final, but they were beaten 1-0 by West Germany after Andreas Brehme converted a late penalty.
Brazil (1994 → 1998)
A star-studded Brazil side featuring Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos reached another final but were comfortably defeated 3-0 by hosts France, inspired by Zinedine Zidane.
France (2018 → 2022)
France came close to retaining their crown as Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw, but Argentina triumphed in a penalty shootout to lift the trophy.
Argentina now have the opportunity to join Italy (1938) and Brazil (1962) as the only teams to successfully defend the World Cup if they beat Spain in the 2026 final.
