The World Cup since it’s inauguration has been dominated by the two continents Europe and South America with the likes Of Italy, France, Germany, England and others fighting it out with Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay mainly.
The Winners:
| Year | Host Country | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Uruguay | Uruguay | Uruguay 4-2 Argentina |
| 1934 | Italy | Italy | Italy 2-1 Czechoslovakia |
| 1938 | France | Italy | Italy 4-2 Hungary |
| 1950 | Brazil | Uruguay | Uruguay 2-1 Brazil |
| 1954 | Switzerland | Germany | Germany 3-2 Hungary |
| 1958 | Sweden | Brazil | Brazil 5-2 Sweden |
| 1962 | Chile | Brazil | Brazil 3-1 Czechoslovakia |
| 1966 | England | England | England 4-2 Germany |
| 1970 | Mexico | Brazil | Brazil 4-1 Italy |
| 1974 | Germany | Germany | Germany 2-1 Holland |
| 1978 | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina 3-1 Holland |
| 1982 | Spain | Italy | Italy 3-1 Germany |
| 1986 | Mexico | Argentina | Argentina 3-2 Germany |
| 1990 | Italy | Germany | Germany 1-0 Argentina |
| 1994 | US | Brazil | Brazil 3-2 Italy |
| 1998 | France | France | France 3-0 Brazil |
| 2002 | Japan / S. Korea | Brazil | Brazil 2-0 Germany |
| 2006 | Germany | Italy | Italy 1-1 (5-3) France |
Result: South America 9 – 9 Europe
Champions Gallery
South America
1930: FIFA president Jules Rimet presents the Jules Rimet trophy to Dr. Raul Jude of the Uruguayan Football Association
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1950: The Uruguayan team
1958:Glorious Brazilian team with Pele 3rd from left in bottom row
1962:Victorious Brazilian team
1970:Jubiliant Pele after winning
1978:Mario Kempes helps Argentina win the 1978 World Cup final
1986:Hands Of God
1994:Dunga with the World Cup
2002:The 2 R's- Ronaldo and Rivaldo
Europe
1934:The victorious Italian team carry their coach Vittorio Pozzo as they celebrate an historic victory.
1938:Victorious Italian team
1954: German Fritz Walter with the trophy
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1966:England winning World Cup
1974:Franz Beckenbauer with the World Cup
1982:Dino Zoff holds the World Cup aloft.
1990:Lothar Matthäus and Rudi Völler with the World Cup after the 1990 final in Rome
1998: Zizou with the World Cup
Italy do it again in 2006
Great Matchups
History is a witness of the fierce competition and rivalry among these heavyweights with the trophy being wobbled from one continent to another every four years since 1966. Some great matches have been played between European and South Americans , with the following being among the best:
1. Brazil 2-3 Italy – 1982 Second Round
This Brazilian team with the likes of Zico, Falcao, Bruno Conti was considered the best team not to have won the world cup courtesy Paolo Rossi’s hat-trick.Twice the Azzurri led, but twice Brazil hit back through Socrates and a Falcao screamer. With 16 minutes remaining Rossi scored the winner, turning home from a corner. This clash had everything – missed chances, end-to-end action and individual performances.
2.Brazil 1-1 France* – 1986 Quarter Final
This was the final World Cup for many Brazil legends such as Socrates, Junior and Zico. In the scorching sun, Brazil roared into the lead through Careca and missed a number of chances to extend their advantage. France equalised through Platini, and both teams exchanged blows in a truly epic encounter.The game went to penalties after more missed chances, but it was France who emerged victorious 4-3.
3.Germany 0-2 Italy – 2006 Semi Final
There has never been a more dramatic ending to a World Cup game than the Germany-Italy clash in Dortmund in 2006. There were no goals until the last minute of extra time but there were chances galore and so were misses, along with some heroic saves from Buffon. With the game seeming destined for penalties, the World Cup’s unlikely hero Fabio Grosso curled home into the corner in the 119th minute that sparked off unforgettable scenes of joy for the Italians. Substitute Alessandro Del Piero then added a second a minute later as Italy progressed to the final where they overcame France on penalties.
The likes of Brazil and Argentina have ensured that they are not outnumbered by the no. of European nations in the World Cup, but this trend will be broken with Uruguay ,the last hope of South America in 2010 out of the competition.
Watch this space for the Part II of this historic and momentous rivalry.
