Argentina tries to break the curse of World Cup champions

The current world champions are close to their debut in the current edition of the World Cup. This Tuesday (16), Argentina takes the field at 10pm (Brasília time), in Kansas City, to face Algeria, in the duel that begins the campaign in search of the fourth championship.

In addition to winning the title once again, the Argentine team is trying to ward off a curse that affects the current winners of the competition. The World Cup has not seen a country become two consecutive champions since 1962.

In history, only two teams have managed to win two consecutive titles: Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962). Since then, five teams (Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Brazil and France) have participated in at least two consecutive decisions and none have reached both cups.

Brazilian team that won the World Cup in 1962 - Photo: Allsport/Hulton
Champion in 2018, the French team was the closest to achieving a second world championship. In Qatar, the European team was beaten by the Argentines, on penalties, in the grand final, after a match that ended 3-3.

Germany, winners in 2014, ended up falling in the group stage of the following edition, held in Russia. The same happened with Spain, champion in 2010 and eliminated early in the tournament hosted in Brazil, and with Italy, who lifted the cup in 2006 and came last in South Africa in a group with Slovakia, Paraguay and New Zealand.

See the ranking of the most valuable squads of the World Cup

Source: CNN