On the eve of the 2026 World Cup draw, FIFA once again made its historical stance on title counting clear, where it only recognizes championships won in World Cups. With this reaffirmation, the entity led by Gianni Infantino once again contradicts the position held exclusively by Uruguay, which insists on counting the gold medals obtained at the 1924 Olympic Games (Paris) and 1928 (Amsterdam) as world titles.
Through its social media and in line with what has been published on other occasions on its official website, the organization released a historical table where Brazil appears as the leader with five titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002), followed by Italy and Germany with four championships each, and by Argentina with three (1978, 1986, and 2022).
The list leaves Uruguay behind the main powers, where La Celeste is listed with only two official World Cups, those of 1930 and 1950, equal to France (1998 and 2018) and above England (1966) and Spain (2010). The detail once again exposes that FIFA doesn't recognize Olympic achievements as world championships, despite the persistent claim of the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF).
