World Cup Final Countdown: Exploring Fascinating Facts and Anecdotes

How many did you already know?

This Sunday night brings the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup with the final between Spain and Argentina. For the occasion, we’re revisiting the most curious anecdotes about World Cup finals.

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• The fastest goal in World Cup final history was scored by Johan Neeskens in the final between the Netherlands and West Germany, when the Germans had not even touched the ball yet.

• It took 60 years to see a team keep a clean sheet in a World Cup final. West Germany achieved this feat in the 1990 final against Argentina.

• Luca Monti is the only player in history to play in a World Cup final with two different countries. In 1930 with Argentina against Uruguay, and in 1934 with Italy against Czechoslovakia.

• Cafu played in the 1994, 1998, and 2002 World Cup finals. He is the only player in history to appear in three consecutive finals.

• Pelé is the youngest goalscorer in World Cup final history, with a brace against Sweden at 17 years and 249 days old.

• Only Kylian Mbappé, Vavá, Pelé, Zinedine Zidane, and Paul Breitner have scored in two different World Cup finals.

• The 1950 World Cup final, won by Uruguay, was not actually a final. That edition consisted of a group stage, and the last match between Brazil and Uruguay proved decisive, as Brazil came in with 4 points and Uruguay with only 3.

• West Germany is the only team in history to win a World Cup final after trailing by two goals. Hungary was 2-0 up after eight minutes in the 1954 final.

• The 2022 World Cup final is the only one in history in which both teams scored at least three goals.

• In 1966, the World Cup trophy was stolen in England. It was found a few days later next to a car wheel, thanks to a dog named Pickles.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪SPANISH here.