Lionel Messi finally lifted football’s greatest trophy on December 18, 2022, ending a decade-long pursuit that had seen Argentina fall just short in World Cup finals. Argentina defeated France 4–2 in a penalty shootout at Lusail Stadium in Qatar, completing a remarkable journey that began with heartbreak and ended in glory.

Last World Cup Winner: Argentina · Year: 2022 · Host Nation: Qatar · Runner-Up: France · Final Score: 3–3 (a.e.t., 4–2 pens) · Top Scorer: Kylian Mbappé (8 goals)

Who Won the Last World Cup?

Argentina claimed the 2022 FIFA World Cup on December 18, 2022, defeating France in a penalty shootout at Lusail Stadium in Qatar (FIFA). The match ended 3–3 after extra time, with Argentina winning 4–2 in the shootout (FIFA Training Centre). Lionel Messi, captaining the side, scored twice and was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player (AS USA).

Argentina’s 2022 Victory

Argentina’s path to the title included a 2–1 round-of-16 win against Australia on December 3, followed by a 3–0 semi-final victory over Croatia on December 13 (Goal). The final itself produced a dramatic contest: Messi opened the scoring with a penalty in the 23rd minute, and Ángel Di María added a third goal in the 36th minute. Kylian Mbappé responded with three goals for France—a penalty in the 80th minute, an 81st-minute equalizer, and another penalty in the 118th minute—to force extra time (ESPN). The decisive penalty in the shootout came from Gonzalo Montiel (Wikipedia).

The Final Match Summary

The match drew 88,966 spectators to Lusail Stadium, marking one of the largest attendances in recent World Cup finals (StadiumDB). The 2022 final is widely recognized as one of the greatest World Cup matches ever played, given the high-scoring drama, the late equalizer, and the shootout conclusion (ESPN). Messi became the first player in World Cup history to score in every round of a single tournament edition—group phase, round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final, and final (AS USA).

When Was the Last World Cup Held?

The 22nd edition of the men’s FIFA World Cup ran from November 20 to December 18, 2022, in Qatar (FIFA). It was the first World Cup ever held in the Middle East and the first to be moved from its traditional summer slot to avoid Qatar’s extreme heat.

Dates and Timeline of the 2022 World Cup

The tournament featured 32 teams competing across 64 matches over 29 days. FIFA’s official records show 172 goals were scored across the competition—the highest total in any World Cup, surpassing the previous record of 171 goals set in 1998 and 2014 (FIFA Publications).

Why the Tournament Was Held in November–December

Qatar’s summer temperatures regularly exceed 40°C, making outdoor football physically hazardous. FIFA moved the tournament to late November and December, when Qatari temperatures drop to around 20–25°C, to protect player safety and spectator comfort.

What Is the FIFA World Cup Winners List?

Twenty-two different nations have competed in World Cup finals since the tournament began in 1930, with Brazil leading all countries with five titles.

Complete List of Champions from 1930 to 2022

Countries with the Most Titles

Brazil’s five victories (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) remain the most of any nation. Germany and Italy each have four titles, while Argentina now has three after their 2022 triumph (Olympics.com). Uruguay and France have two titles each, while England, and Spain have one title apiece.

How Many World Cups Has Argentina Won?

Argentina has won the FIFA World Cup three times: in 1978, 1986, and 2022 (Olympics.com). The nation has reached the final six times, also finishing as runner-up in 1930, 1990, and 2014.

Argentina’s Three Titles

• 1978: Argentina won on home soil, defeating Netherlands 3–1 in the final after extra time in Buenos Aires.
• 1986: Diego Maradona led Argentina to victory in Mexico, famously scoring the “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century” against England in the quarter-finals. Argentina beat West Germany 3–2 in the final.
• 2022: Lionel Messi captained the side to a dramatic penalty shootout victory over France after a 3–3 draw in Qatar.

Key Players in Each Victory

Mario Kempes scored twice in the 1978 final against Netherlands. Diego Maradona’s four goals and five assists in the 1986 tournament cemented his status as one of football’s greatest players. In 2022, Messi contributed seven goals across the tournament, including two in the final, while goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez made crucial saves in the quarter-final and semi-final before the shootout heroics against France (Olympics.com).

When Is the Next World Cup?

The next men’s FIFA World Cup is scheduled for 2026, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It will be the first tournament to feature 48 teams, expanded from the 32 that competed in Qatar.

2026 World Cup Details

The expanded format means more nations will participate for the first time, increasing from 32 to 48 teams. Matches will be distributed across 16 host cities in the three North American nations. The tournament is scheduled to begin in June 2026, returning to a summer schedule after the winter 2022 edition.

Upcoming Host Nations

The 2026 tournament marks a return to multi-nation hosting, last seen when Japan and South Korea co-hosted in 2002. This will be the first World Cup held entirely across three different countries. The 2030 World Cup centenary edition is set to be co-hosted by Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, with Morocco and Spain also expressing interest in hosting matches.

World Cup Champions: A Timeline

The evolution of World Cup champions reveals patterns in regional dominance and the rise of footballing superpowers.

Confirmed vs Unclear

The 2022 World Cup left some questions answered and others still hanging.

What They Said

“I said to my teammates that I was sure we were going to win, even before the penalties. I was calm. I knew we were going to do it.”

— Lionel Messi, after the 2022 World Cup final (ESPN)

“This was the best World Cup of all time. We had 172 goals—that is a record. The stadiums, the infrastructure, the fans, everything was exceptional.”

— FIFA President Gianni Infantino, closing ceremony address (FIFA)

Messi’s post-final words captured the weight of a career-defining moment. After years of falling short—losing finals in 2014, Copa América finals multiple times—the victory in Qatar completed a narrative arc that had eluded football’s greatest player for nearly two decades. FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s declaration of Qatar 2022 as the “best World Cup of all time” reflected the tournament’s unprecedented drama and record-breaking statistics (FIFA Publications).

Bottom line

Argentina’s 2022 World Cup victory was more than a trophy lifted on a December evening in Lusail. It closed the chapter on one of football’s longest-running debates—where Messi stands among the greatest—by giving him the one prize his career had lacked. For French football, Mbappé’s hat-trick in defeat proved that the next generation of global superstars is already reshaping the sport, even in loss. And for the tournament itself, 172 goals across 64 matches set a benchmark that may stand for decades. The next World Cup arrives in 2026 with an expanded format, new host nations, and a defending champion facing the age-old question: can anyone stop them from doing it twice?

Related reading: **Iconic football photos** (This evergreen article likely features the 2022 World Cup final and Argentina’s championship moment among its iconic images) · **Di María heart celebration** (Ángel Di María scored a crucial goal in the 2022 World Cup final for Argentina, making this directly related to the winning team and match)

For a detailed look at how Lionel Messi finally secured his first World Cup title, read about Argentinas 2022 World Cup victory.

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