Football
How Many World Cups Italy Has Won and When?
The Italy football team is joint-second along with Germany for the most FIFA World Cup titles won as of November 2024. The Azzurri have won four FIFA World Cup titles throughout their history. In this article, we will take you through all of their magical FIFA World Cup triumphs, magical moments, and more!
Fabio Cannavaro of Italy lifts the World Cup trophy//Getty Images
Italy’s FIFA World Cup victories
| Champions | FIFA World Cup Year |
| Italy | 1934 |
| Italy | 1938 |
| Italy | 1982 |
| Italy | 2006 |
Former Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon kept five clean sheets at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This was a record at the time. What a goalkeeper!
Relive the story of Italy’s FIFA World Cup triumphs
As we can see from the above table, Italy won the FIFA World Cup in 1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006. Every FIFA World Cup which Italy won had special moments which will live long in the memory of fans all around the world. Here we take you back in time, and rewind the clock to Italy’s FIFA World Cup victories in 1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006.
Italy win their first-ever FIFA World Cup title in 1934
Italy won their first-ever FIFA World Cup title when the Azzurri beat Czechoslovakia 2-1 in a thrilling final in Italy. The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second edition of the FIFA World Cup tournament.
Italy won their second FIFA World Cup title in 1938
The Azzurri won back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles when they beat Hungary 4-2 in the 1938 FIFA World Cup final. Italy became the first-ever team to successfully defend a FIFA World Cup triumph.
Italy win the 1982 FIFA World Cup
Italy beat West Germany 3-1 to win a third FIFA World Cup title. The Azzurri showed their class and football skills with breathtaking football throughout the tournament and some spectacular goals.
Inspirational captain Marco Materazzi leads Italy to 2006 FIFA World Cup glory
Zinedine Zidane headbutted Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final. The captain of the France soccer team made headlines, and received a red card in this match, and the Azzurri went on to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup final on a penalty shootout. This was a match for the ages!
Why do Italy have such a good record at the FIFA World Cup?
Italian soccer is suited to the high pressure stakes at a FIFA World Cup. The Italian soccer style is a defensive masterclass. Italy’s players are physical, and they are very tactical in their approach to the beautiful game of soccer. The Italian Serie A is one of the best soccer leagues in the world. The Italian national team has players that play in the Serie A, and players that play all over the world. Italy also has high expectations of their national team, and nothing less than bringing home the FIFA World Cup will cut it for the passionate, and demanding fans. It is both the expectations, and the work done on the training field that makes Italy successful at the FIFA World Cup.
Italy vs Germany - two FIFA World Cup heavyweights collide
We have chosen to go back in time to the cauldron of Signal Iduna Park, in Munich for a 2006 FIFA World Cup thrilling semi-final between hosts Germany, and Italy. Don’t go anywhere this match will leave you on the edge of your seat! This game had absolutely everything you would expect from a FIFA World Cup semifinal. The Azzurri scored two goals in extra time to send Italy into party mode, and break the hearts of Germany, and over 60,000 fans at the stadium. In our next FIFA World Cup winners series, we have a look at Germany, and we felt that this is an interesting, and thrilling match to read about.
What Italy said after winning the 2006 FIFA World Cup
“When you win a World Cup everyone will always recognise you for what you have done, wherever you go. All of this is wonderful, just like it’s gratifying to know that you have brought joy to a whole nation. You remain etched into the history of this sport, and the history of an entire country.” - Former Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro on winning the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
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Josh has over ten years of experience as a Sports Writer. Josh has created content for some of the biggest sports brands and publications in South Africa. Josh is a creative writer who puts you in the game with his unique content. Josh writes about Soccer, Rugby, Cricket, Basketball, Darts, Golf, and all major sports.