The 2022 World Cup final will conclude a ground breaking tournament in Qatar in the 22nd edition of the tournament.
FIFA’s controversial decision to grant hosting duties to Qatar has been met with fierce criticism throughout the competition.
The move to switch to a winter schedule, alongside concerns over human rights abuses and LGBTQ+ laws, dominated the build up to Qatar 2022, before a ball was kicked in the Middle East.
However, as attention turns to the final on December 18, the Arab nation will be hoping for a strong end, to match up with previous iconic finals.
FIFA World Cup Finals
The World Cup final is the showpiece event from the tournament with major expectation heading in the 2022 version as Lionel Messi chases history with Argentina.
| Year | Winner | Runner Up | Final Score | Stadium (City) |
| 1930 | Uruguay | Argentina | 4-2 | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo |
| 1934 | Italy | Czechoslovakia | 2-1 (AET) | Stadio Nazionale, Rome |
| 1938 | Italy | Hungary | 4-2 | Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris |
| 1950 | Uruguay | Brazil | 2-1 | Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro |
| 1954 | West Germany | Hungary | 3-2 | Wankdorf Stadium, Bern |
| 1958 | Brazil | Sweden | 5-2 | Rasunda Stadium, Solna |
| 1962 | Brazil | Czechoslovakia | 3-1 | Estadio Nacional, Santiago |
| 1966 | England | West Germany | 4-2 (AET) | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 1970 | Brazil | Italy | 4-1 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| 1974 | West Germany | Netherlands | 2-1 | Olympiastadion, Munich |
| 1978 | Argentina | Netherlands | 3-1 (AET) | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires |
| 1982 | Italy | West Germany | 3-1 | Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid |
| 1986 | Argentina | West Germany | 3-2 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| 1990 | West Germany | Argentina | 1-0 | Stadio Olimpico, Rome |
| 1994 | Brazil | Italy | 0-0 (AET) Brazil 3-2 on pens | Rose Bowl, Pasadena |
| 1998 | France | Brazil | 3-0 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
| 2002 | Brazil | Germany | 2-0 | International Stadium, Yokohama |
| 2006 | Italy | France | 1-1 (AET) Italy 5-3 on pens | Olympiastadion, Berlin |
| 2010 | Spain | Netherlands | 1-0 (AET) | Soccer City, Johannesburg |
| 2014 | Germany | Argentina | 1-0 (AET) | Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro |
| 2018 | France | Croatia | 4-2 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow |
World Cup Finals that went to extra time
The prospect of extra time is an added bonus for neutrals but stressful for fans and players alike in the biggest game in international football.
From 21 FIFA World Cup finals, seven have gone to extra time, including three of the last four, ahead of Qatar 2022.
- Italy 2-1 Czechoslovakia – 1934
- England 4-2 West Germany – 1966
- Argentina 3-1 Netherlands – 1978
- Brazil 0-0 Italy – 1994 (Brazil win on pens)
- Italy 1-1 France – 2006 (Italy win on pens)
- Spain 1-0 Netherlands – 2010
- Germany 1-0 Argentina – 2014
World Cup Finals that went to penalties
Extra time is nothing compared to the nerve-shredding situation of a World Cup final going to penalties.
Thankfully, only two finals have gone the full distance to spot kicks, with Brazil winning in 1994, and Italy in 2006.
- Brazil 0-0 Italy – 1994 (Brazil win 3-2 on pens)
- Italy 1-1 France – 2006 (Italy win 5-3 on pens)
Roberto Baggio famously missed Italy’s last spot kick in the 1994 final at the Rose Bowl but the Azzurri did bury that ghost in 2006, as Fabio Grosso slotted home to edge them past France.
World Cup Final attendances
Tickets for World Cup finals are like gold dust for fans, and Qatar 2022 could set a new record, if the Lusail Stadium reaches capacity.
The 88,966-capacity arena will break new ground, if full for the final, making it the highest attended final since the 1994 showpiece in the USA.
| Year | Attendance | Winner | Runner Up | Final Score | Stadium (City) |
| 1930 | 68,346 | Uruguay | Argentina | 4-2 | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo |
| 1934 | 55,000 | Italy | Czechoslovakia | 2-1 (AET) | Stadio Nazionale, Rome |
| 1938 | 45,000 | Italy | Hungary | 4-2 | Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris |
| 1950 | 173,850* | Uruguay | Brazil | 2-1 | Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro |
| 1954 | 62,500 | West Germany | Hungary | 3-2 | Wankdorf Stadium, Bern |
| 1958 | 51,800 | Brazil | Sweden | 5-2 | Rasunda Stadium, Solna |
| 1962 | 69,000 | Brazil | Czechoslovakia | 3-1 | Estadio Nacional, Santiago |
| 1966 | 96,924 | England | West Germany | 4-2 (AET) | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 1970 | 107,412 | Brazil | Italy | 4-1 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| 1974 | 75,200 | West Germany | Netherlands | 2-1 | Olympiastadion, Munich |
| 1978 | 71,483 | Argentina | Netherlands | 3-1 (AET) | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires |
| 1982 | 90,000 | Italy | West Germany | 3-1 | Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid |
| 1986 | 114,600 | Argentina | West Germany | 3-2 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| 1990 | 73,603 | West Germany | Argentina | 1-0 | Stadio Olimpico, Rome |
| 1994 | 94,194 | Brazil | Italy | 0-0 (AET) Brazil 3-2 on pens | Rose Bowl, Pasadena |
| 1998 | 75,000 | France | Brazil | 3-0 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
| 2002 | 69,029 | Brazil | Germany | 2-0 | International Stadium, Yokohama |
| 2006 | 69,000 | Italy | France | 1-1 (AET) Italy 5-3 on pens | Olympiastadion, Berlin |
| 2010 | 84,490 | Spain | Netherlands | 1-0 (AET) | Soccer City, Johannesburg |
| 2014 | 74,738 | Germany | Argentina | 1-0 (AET) | Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro |
| 2018 | 78,011 | France | Croatia | 4-2 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow |
*The 1950 World Cup did not feature a final, as FIFA opted for a round-robin tournament, with Uruguay confirmed as winners. Their final round clash with Brazil drew in 173,850 spectators at the Maracana Stadium but the 114,600 attendance for Argentina’s win over West Germany in Mexico ’86 is the record for a ‘final’.
