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Which teams have been the most common World Cup group-stage opponents of eventual champions?
How 2 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.
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First reported by N12 · Jun 24, 2026
What happened
A Sports 5 review found that 32 different national teams have faced eventual World Cup champions in the group stage. Mexico and Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic, lead the list with three such meetings each.
- 01Mexico and Czechoslovakia each met eventual World Cup winners three times in group play.
- 02Brazil faced Czechoslovakia on two title runs, in 1962 and 1970.
- 03Mexico last met a future champion in the previous World Cup, losing 2-0 to Argentina.
- 04Fifteen other teams also appeared on champions' group-stage paths.
- 05England, France and Italy are among the biggest names on the list.
Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.
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