The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) or the International Federation of Association Football is the international governing body of football. FIFA was established in 1904 in Paris, France. It is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It comprises 211 national associations and 6 regional confederations (AFC, CAF, UEFA, CONCACAF, OFC, and CONMEBOL). It primarily aims to promote and develop football globally. Global development, inclusivity, social impact and sustainability are its key objectives. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is to be jointly hosted by the United States Canada and Mexico. This will be the first time that 3 nations will co-host this event.

The FIFA World Cup featured 32 teams until 2022, but now it will expand to 48 teams in 2026. There has always been a great debate among fans and analysts on deciding THE BEST team in FIFA World Cup history.

Here's a list of the most successful and recognised teams in the FIFA World Cup :

5.England

The England National Football Team has a rich history in the FIFA World Cup. It entered the World Cup in 1950 and since then it has won 16 tournaments. In 1990 and 2022, England reached the semi-finals. In 1986, they lost to Argentina. In 2002, 2006 and 2022, they reached the quarterfinals.

Their greatest achievement came in 1966 when they won the World Cup as the host nation and defeated West Germany (4-2). In 2022 England topped Group B defeating Iran and Senegal with 6/2 and 3-0 respectively. It was also awarded the FIFA Fair Play trophy in the same year. England's footballing team has a strong fan base.

The top player in the England FIFA World Cup team is Jude Bellinghman who is renowned for his exceptional skills. Harry Kane has also been a noticeable player because of his gaming style and goal-scoring capability, winning the Golden Boot in the 2018 World Cup.

Phil Foden is another player and is known for his technical ability. Raheem Sterling, on the other side, is famous for dribbling. Declan Rice, Jordan Pickford, Mason Mount and Harry Tripper have also done well for the team in recent years.

4.Paraguay

The Paraguay National Football team has a rich history in FIFA. It played its first international match in 1919, however, it lost to Argentina (5-1). It won the Copa America in 1953 and 1979. The team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup many times and performed well in the years 1986, 1998 and 2010 as they reached the quarter-finals.

The team has a strong defensive setup and effective counter-attacking strategies. Paraguay's most historic win was against Uruguay in the 1958 World Cup qualifiers at 5-0. Paraguay finished as runner-up in 1980, 1991, 1993 and 2011.

José Luis Chilavert is among the renewed players in the team who became famous for his goalkeeping skills and his ability to score from set pieces. He is good at scoring goals from free kicks and is famous for his shot-stopping ability.

Roque Santa Cruz is another player who has contributed a lot to the team's success with his prolific striker. Carlos Gamarra and Édgar Barreto are also among the top players. The team is also known as "La Albirroja" or "The Red and White," which refers to their home kit's colour.

The team is governed by the Paraguayan Football Association (Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol - APF). It has qualified for the World Cup several times, in 1930, 1934, 1950, 1958, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010.

3.Germany and Italy

Germany is among the best teams in FIFA World Cup history, Winning the tournament 4 times. In 1954, West Germany triumphed over Hungary (3-2) which was later known as the "Miracle of Bern". In 1974, West Germany won against the Netherlands (2-1). In 1990 and 2014, West Germany defeated Argentina (1-0). In total, Germany has participated in 20 World Cups and made their appearance in finals on 8 occasions.

In 2018 Germany was eliminated in the group stage, however, in the 2022 World Cup, it reclaimed its status. Franz Beckenbauer, Miroslav Klose, and Lothar Matthäus are among the notable players contributing to Germany's success in the World Cup.

Italy is another successful national team in FIFA World Cup history, winning the tournament 4 times. Italy won its first World Cup in 1934 over Czechoslovakia (2-1). Similarly, in 1938, Italy defeated Hungary and won the title (3-1).

In 1982, it claimed the title by defeating West Germany in Madrid. Likewise, in 2006, it won the title over France. Italy has also won the UEFA European Championship twice in 1968 and 2020.

The team is also known as "Gli Azzurri" (The Blues), reflecting the blue colour of their kits, which is associated with the royal house of Savoy. Giuseppe Meazza, Paola Maldini, Gianluigi Buffon and Francesco Totti are key players in the team.

2.France

Another big name in the history of football is the French National Football team, popularly known as "Les Blues" or "The Blues". This nickname is derived from the blue colour of their home jerseys.

France has won the tournament twice, their first victory came in 1998 over Brazil (3-0) which was held in France. In 2018, France claimed its second victory over Croatia (4-2). In 2006 and 2022, France reached the finals but lost to Italy and Argentina in respective order. France has participated in 16 FIFA World Cups till now. The emblem features a rooster, the national symbol of France, representing pride and resilience.

Kylian Mbappé is among the top players in the team and is renowned for his speed and goal-scoring ability. Another standout player is Antoine Griezmann, who is known for his playmaking skills. N'Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba are also versatile players having defensive capabilities and technical skills.

The French football team is very strong and had several victories, including the UEFA European football championship, France won this title twice in 1984 and 2000. France also won the FIFA Confederations Cup twice in 2001 and 2003. The current head coach is Didier Deschamps, who captained the team in 1998 and led the team towards victory and making France get its first FIFA World Cup Title.

France has also participated in the Olympic football tournament and won gold in 1984. It also won the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2021.

1. Argentina

The Argentina national football team is among the most successful teams in the FIFA World Cup. With its great tactics, it has reached the finals 6 times and claimed the title three times in 1978, 1986 and 2022. In 1930, the team reached the inaugural final but lost to Uruguay (4-2).

However, in 1978 and 1986, Argentina triumphed over the Netherlands (3-1) and West Germany (3-2) respectively, marking their first and second World Cup title. In 1990, Argentina lost to West Germany (1-0), with Andreas Brehme scoring a controversial penalty in the 85th minute.

Similarly, in 2014 it again lost to Germany(1-0). In contrast, in 2022, Argentina won against France (4-2), after a 3-3 draw. This time Lionel Messi played a pivotal role.

Lionel Messi, the captain of the team, is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, setting numerous records and has been named the world's best player by FIFA 8 times. He is the all-time highest goalscorer, with 112 goals.

He has etched his name on many records and has also won the Copa America. Ángel Di María is also a key player in the team who has also performed well in the 2021 Copa America.

Along with them, Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, Enzo Fernandez and Rodrigo De Paul are also among the well-recognised and key players in the Argentina team.

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