The last five World Cup finals: Winners, scorelines & key moments

Ladbrokes takes a look back at each of the last five World Cup finals, with winners, scorelines and key moments outlined from 2006 to 2022.

Whether it's Lionel Messi crowning his career in style, or Kylian Mbappe becoming the youngest man to score in the final since Pele, the World Cup final always brings unmissable entertainment - but who else has prevailed in the last 20 years?

Read on to step back into World Cup history - and don't forget to check out our 2026 World Cup content hub ahead of this summer's highly anticipated tournament, as England arrive as one of the favourites.

2006

Italy 1-1 France (Italy win 5-3 on penalties)

The 2006 World Cup had an unforgettable climax with this final between Italy and France, as Zinedine Zidane stole the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

It started off so well for the France captain in the last match of his illustrious career, scoring an iconic chipped penalty inside 10 minutes to give his side the lead and write his name into the history books - but then he saw red. A now infamous headbutt into the chest of Italy goalscorer Marco Materazzi in the second half of extra time saw Zizou receive a red card, leaving his team short as penalties lingered.

A penalty shootout was indeed required to split the sides in the end, and without Zidane's calming presence, France fell to defeat - with Italy claiming their fourth World Cup. Incredibly, Italy have now failed to qualify for each of the last three tournaments, with this 2006 victory still their most recent World Cup knockout game.

2010

Netherlands 0-1 Spain (aet)

Between 2008 and 2012, Spain had a stranglehold on the world of international football, and the ultimate crowning moment came in July 2010 when they claimed their first-ever World Cup trophy.

Back-to-back Euros triumphs sandwiched this win over the Netherlands, but it's Andres Iniesta's 116th-minute winner in South Africa that remains their greatest footballing moment, with his right-footed strike deciding a game that certainly wasn't short of drama.

An astonishing Iker Casillas save to deny Arjen Robben, a ridiculous chest-high lunge from Nigel de Jong into the ribs of Xabi Alonso, and a total of 14 yellow cards being shown across the 120 minutes - two of which went to John Heitinga - all came together to bring us a World Cup final that won't be forgotten any time soon.

2014

Germany 1-0 Argentina (aet)

For the second tournament in a row, the 2014 World Cup final was decided by a single goal in extra time - this time courtesy of Germany's Mario Gotze, whose 113th-minute strike was enough to earn his country football's greatest prize.

Argentina thought they'd taken the lead through Gonzalo Higuain's first-half finish, only for the offside flag to spoil their celebrations, before a thumping header from Germany's Benedikt Howedes crashed against the post at the other end.

Lionel Messi and Rodrigo Palacio also missed decent chances, but Gotze's 88th-minute introduction from the bench proved to be decisive. Taking a cross down on his chest, the German volleyed into the far corner to win the World Cup and ruin Argentina's dreams of glory - but their time would come soon enough.

2018

France 4-2 Croatia

In stark contrast to the finals in years before, the 2018 World Cup final between France and Croatia was an absolute cracker, with both sides showcasing their attacking quality - but it was France who came out on top.

Didier Deschamps' side took the lead midway through the first half when Antoine Griezmann's free kick was flicked into his own net by Mario Mandzukic, but the advantage only lasted 10 minutes, with Ivan Perisic smashing in from the edge of the box to level the scores.

The Croatia winger went from hero to zero inside five minutes, however, conceding a penalty for handball that was duly dispatched by Griezmann, before a gorgeous strike from Paul Pogba doubled France's lead on the hour. The cherry was put on France's cake five minutes later when Kylian Mbappe scored from 25 yards to become the first teenager to score in a World Cup final since Pele, cementing his place in the history books.

Mandzukic grabbed a consolation goal for Croatia not long after, but the damage was done, and France held on to win their second World Cup.

2022

Argentina 3-3 France (Argentina win 4-2 on penalties)

2022 saw France take to the pitch for the second World Cup final in succession, and for the second tournament in a row, they contributed to a game for the ages - but this wasn't to be their year.

Argentina took the lead on 22 minutes when Lionel Messi - looking to crown his glittering career - scored from the penalty spot, before Angel Di Maria doubled the advantage less than 15 minutes later after great work from a number of teammates - and that's how it stayed until the 78th minute, when Kylian Mbappe made his mark.

The France star scored from the penalty spot to set up a nervy final 10 minutes, and had completely wiped out Argentina's lead within two minutes as his fierce volley ripped past Emi Martinez. This took us to an unlikely period of extra time - but the drama didn't end there.

Lionel Messi scored his second to restore Argentina's lead in the 108th minute, before an Argentine arm gave Mbappe the chance to complete his hattrick from the penalty spot in minute 117, which he did with ease. And with the final kick of the game, Randal Kolo Muani drew one of football's most iconic saves out of Emi Martinez, meaning yet another World Cup final was being decided by a penalty shootout.

One Martinez save and one Tchouameni miss meant Argentina's flawless shootout saw them crowned, with Lionel Messi finally getting his hands on the elusive World Cup trophy for the first time.

That wraps up our look at the last five World Cup finals, so why not have a read of some more World Cup content, from a piece on the top goalscorers in history and a dive into England's record at tournaments, to the complete 2026 fixture schedule and a detailed World Cup betting guide.

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