Which teams have been the most common World Cup group-stage opponents of eventual champions?

A special Sports 5 review looked back at every World Cup group stage to find which national teams appeared most often in the opening round against sides that eventually won the title. The analysis found 32 different teams have stood in the way of World Cup winners at the group stage.

Two teams lead the list with three meetings each: Mexico and Czechoslovakia, later the Czech Republic. Mexico has a long World Cup history and has hosted the tournament more than any other country, with the current edition its third. It faced Brazil on the road to the 1962 title and England on the way to its only title four years later. The last time Mexico met a future champion was in the previous World Cup, when it lost 2-0 to Argentina.

Czechoslovakia, described as a kind of lucky charm for Brazil, met the Seleção twice on its way to world titles, in 1962 and 1970. Its last group-stage meeting with a future champion came in 2006, when it lost 2-0 to Italy in the final round of group play.

Beyond those two, 15 other teams have met eventual champions in the group stage. Among them are England, France and Italy, the biggest names on the list, all of which also went on to win the World Cup themselves.