List of FIFA World Cup finals: overview, format, winners and notable matches

Match format and tiebreakers

A final is played over 90 minutes of normal time. If the score is level at the end of regulation, two 15-minute periods of extra time are played. If the teams remain tied after extra time, the result is decided by a penalty shoot-out. The shoot-out winner is recorded as the match winner in lists and statistics, even though the match itself is officially recorded with the score after extra time followed by the shoot-out result.

Winners, appearances and records

Teams from Europe and South America have supplied every finalist in the tournament's history. The most successful nation is Brazil, which has won the title five times. Italy and Germany follow with four titles each. Other multiple winners include Argentina, Uruguay and France. Single-title winners include England and Spain. Lists of finals typically show the year, venue, finalists, final score (including extra time), and, where applicable, the penalty shoot-out score.

Notable repeated matchups and rare facts

Certain pairings have met more than once in finals. The matchup Brazil–Italy and Argentina–Germany have each produced multiple finals between the same national sides in different decades. Finals between nations making their first final appearance are rare; for example, the 1934 final featured two teams in their first final. Scheduling and venue choices have varied: most finals are played on weekends, though the inaugural final in 1930 and the 1966 final were exceptions.

Hosts, venues and notable finals

Some nations have won the tournament while hosting. Host-country winners include Uruguay, Italy, England, Germany, Argentina and France. Conversely, hosts have sometimes finished runners-up, as happened to teams such as Brazil and Sweden in past tournaments. The final of the 2018 tournament in Russia was staged at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, a venue chosen for its size and facilities.

What a "List of Finals" includes

• Year of the tournament and host country.
• Stadium and city where the final was played.
• Names of the two finalists and the final score (with extra time if used).
• Penalty shoot-out score when relevant and the declared champion.
• Notable match facts such as attendance, man of the match, or historical significance.

Such lists serve historians, statisticians and fans who want a concise record of who contested and won each final, and they are often accompanied by cross-references to team records, player achievements and broader tournament summaries. For detailed match reports and official records consult authoritative sources and databases linked from summary pages.