Defending a World Cup Title Is a Rare Achievement

Following a 2-1 victory over England in a game that could have gone either way, France are only two wins away from defending their title at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. It would be a historical feat, as only two nations have managed to win back-to-back titles at the FIFA Men’s World Cup since its inception in 1930: Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962.

Brazil came close again in 1998 but fell to Zinedine Zidane’s France in a final still shrouded in mystery over Ronaldo’s state of health that day. The only other reigning champion to even make it to the final since 1962 was Diego Maradona’s Argentina in 1990. It took a brutally efficient German team and a penalty converted by Andreas Brehme to deny Maradona the ultimate triumph in the country that shaped his career.

Back in the present, France will face off with surprise semifinalist Morocco, who beat Spain and Portugal in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively, and have thus far only conceded one goal (an own goal) in the tournament. It’s a testament to France’s seemingly endless talent pool that they have come this far despite missing key players such as N'Golo Kanté, Paul Pogba and Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema.

Even in the absence of these star players, France will be the favorites against Morocco and in an eventual final, as their squad is still stacked with world-class players such as Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann, and Olivier Giroud, who appear to be aging like French wine.