South American teams & their history in North American World Cups

South American teams have an excellent record at the World Cup, lifting the trophy on ten of the previous 22 editions of the prestigious international tournament.

Brazil (5), Argentina (3) and Uruguay (2) have etched their names into Word Cup folklore and will be hoping to add to their tally this summer.

The 2026 edition will be the fourth World Cup staged in North America. Intriguingly, South American teams have won each of the previous three tournaments.

Brazil and Argentina are amongst the front-runners in the betting to maintain the continent’s perfect record, while Uruguay are rated as dangerous dark horses.

According to Spreadex, Brazil are the betting favourites to be the second highest scorers at the tournament, highlighting their status as one of the main contenders this summer.

South American teams dominate in North America

The conditions in North America appear to suit South American teams judging by their track record of success in previous tournaments. Here is their overall record:

While the smaller South American nations don’t necessarily garner an advantage from playing close to home, Brazil and Argentina have undoubtedly benefited from that factor.

North America has hosted some of the most thrilling World Cups ever staged. They have each delivered some memorable South American storylines.

World Cup 1970: Pele claims his third title

North America was overlooked for the first eight editions of the World Cup before being handed the opportunity to stage the event in Mexico in 1970.

Many neutral observers believe that the tournament is the greatest in football history, and it is difficult to disagree with that viewpoint.

Brazil ultimately emerged victorious, scoring 19 goals in six games. Many members of their star-studded squad became legendary figures on the back of their exploits.

Their 4-1 victory over Italy in the final sealed a third World Cup crown. Star forward Pele was the headline act, completing a personal hat-trick of successes in the tournament.

FIFA subsequently allowed Brazil to keep the Jules Rimet Trophy forever, and commissioned a new trophy which is still the prize today.

The manner of Brazil’s performances rewrote the tactical handbook, with their implementation of the 4-4-2 formation used a template by other teams over the following couple of decades.

Mario Zagallo set a personal landmark at the tournament, becoming the first person to win the World Cup as a player and a manager.

World Cup 1986: Maradona hands Argentina their second title

Severe economic constraints, rising violence and an inability to meet FIFA’s demanding infrastructure requirements forced Colombia to relinquish the hosting rights for the 1986 World Cup.

With the infrastructure already in place, Mexico stepped into the breach and subsequently hosted one of the most memorable international tournaments ever staged.

Pele’s retirement from professional football in 1977 opened the door for a new superstar to be crowned, and Argentina’s Diego Maradona willingly grasped the opportunity.

Argentina defeated four former World Cup winners – Italy, Uruguay, England and West Germany – on their way to lifting the trophy for the second time.

The most iconic game from Mexico 1986 took place at the Aztec Stadium, where Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal made him public enemy number one in England.

His astounding solo goal a few minutes later deservedly earned the ‘Goal of the Century’ moniker, but his earlier transgression left a sour taste.

England fans had cause to celebrate eight years later as Maradona hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons at the 1994 edition of the tournament.

World Cup 1994: Failed drug test sullies Maradona’s reputation

The United States finally secured their moment in the World Cup spotlight when they were granted the honour of staging the 15th edition.

Soccer had previously struggled to gain recognition in the US due to the dominance of American Football, basketball, ice hockey and baseball.

However, sports fans embraced the tournament with open arms. The 1994 World Cup generated an average attendance of 70,000 in nine stadiums across the US.

Brazil ultimately emerged victorious after a hard-fought decider against Italy. The two sides failed to score during the game, resulting in the final being the first to be determined by penalties.

Roberto Baggio’s decisive miss handed Brazil their fourth World Cup, and left Italian fans pondering what might have been.

The tournament was marred by Maradona’s failed drug test following Argentina’s group stage victory over Nigeria. It was his last appearance at the tournament.

England fans revelled in his misfortune, believing that a modicum of justice had been served following their bitter exit from the tournament eight years earlier.