Results of Defending Champions
Until 2002, defending champions were granted an automatic spot in the World Cup finals. Since 2006, they have to enter qualifying as well.
| Year | Defending champions | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Uruguay | Did not enter |
| 1938 | Italy | Champions |
| 1950 | Italy | Group Stage |
| 1954 | Uruguay | Fourth Place |
| 1958 | West Germany | Fourth Place |
| 1962 | Brazil | Champions |
| 1966 | Brazil | Group Stage |
| 1970 | England | Quarter-Final |
| 1974 | Brazil | Fourth Place |
| 1978 | West Germany | Round 2 (top 8) |
| 1982 | Argentina | Round 2 (top 12) |
| 1986 | Italy | Round of 16 |
| 1990 | Argentina | Runners-up |
| 1994 | Germany | Quarter-Final |
| 1998 | Brazil | Runners-up |
| 2002 | France | Group Stage |
| 2006 | Brazil | Quarter-Final |
| 2010 | Italy | Group Stage |
Read more about this topic: National Team Appearances In The FIFA World Cup
Famous quotes containing the words results of, results, defending and/or champions:
“There is not a single rule, however plausible, and however firmly grounded in epistemology, that is not violated at some time or other. It becomes evident that such violations are not accidental events, they are not results of insufficient knowledge or of inattention which might have been avoided. On the contrary, we see that they are necessary for progress.”
—Paul Feyerabend (1924–1994)
“There is not a single rule, however plausible, and however firmly grounded in epistemology, that is not violated at some time or other. It becomes evident that such violations are not accidental events, they are not results of insufficient knowledge or of inattention which might have been avoided. On the contrary, we see that they are necessary for progress.”
—Paul Feyerabend (1924–1994)
“I make this direct statement to the American people that there is far less chance of the United States getting into war, if we do all we can now to support the nations defending themselves against attack by the Axis than if we acquiesce in their defeat, submit tamely to an Axis victory, and wait our turn to be the object of attack in another war later on.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“Myths and legends die hard in America. We love them for the extra dimension they provide, the illusion of near-infinite possibility to erase the narrow confines of most men’s reality. Weird heroes and mould-breaking champions exist as living proof to those who need it that the tyranny of “the rat race” is not yet final.”
—Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939)