From Cameroon to Argentina, International Teams That Won Back Tp Back Major Trophies
- International football is back, with exciting matches lined up across the world for two weeks before club football returns
- Argentina have enjoyed great success in the last few years, winning the Copa America, twice and the World Cup
- They are one of the few teams to win back-to-back major international trophies, joining the likes of Spain
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Club football has taken a brief pause to allow international teams to play in their respective tournaments, qualifiers or friendlies.
In 2024, we saw many international tournaments, including the Africa Cup of Nations, the Asian Cup, Copa America, and the Euros.
Ivory Coast and Spain won their AFCON and Euros, while Argentina and Qatar won back-to-back major trophies.
Source: UGC
Winning a major trophy is not easy, but winning back-to-back major trophies is an achievement that rarely happens.
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Argentina is the most recent country to win a World Cup and a continental crown back to back, following Spain, which did even better by winning two Euros and a World Cup. Here are the top five countries that won back-to-back major trophies, per Planet Football.
Teams with back-to-back trophies
Argentina - 2022 World Cup 2021 & 2024 Copa America
It would've been a travesty if Argentina didn't win a major trophy with Lionel Messi. Thankfully, a change of coach helped Messi win two Copa Americas and the World Cup. They became the only team to hold the two trophies in South America.
Those achievements helped Messi cement his status as one of if not the best players in history. With the Inter Miami star inching closer to retirement, it is hard to see Argentina reach those heights in the coming years.
Spain - 2010 World Cup, 2008 & 2012 Euros
By acclamation, Spain's 2010 team is considered the greatest ever assembled. It was stacked with talent in every position, and they won it all. Euro 2008 was the beginning of their four-year dominance. They beat Germany in the final under the late Luis Aragones and later electrified crowds in South Africa at the 2010 World Cup.
They narrowly beat the Netherlands in the final thanks to an epic Andres Iniesta winner. At the 2012 Euros, they beat 2006 World Cup winners Italy 4-0. That Spain team might be the best team ever assembled, per GOAL.
France - 1998 World Cup, 2000 Euros
Zinedine Zidane's France were on fire in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They thrashed the mighty Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 World Cup final to lift their second global crown.
Their Golden Generation were superb in the 2000 Euros and even won it with a stunning Sylvain Wiltord goal against Italy. Les Bleus would win the World Cup again in 2018.
Cameroon - AFCON 2000 & 2002
Cameroon are an African football giant. In the early 2000s, they were the best team on the continent by some distance. A young Samuel Eto'o, Geremi, Rigobert Song, and Marc Vivien Foe defeated Nigeria and Senegal in the final to win their two titles.
The Indomitable Lions won their fifth AFCON title in 2017 and are still chasing Egypt who have won seven.
Egypt - AFCON 2006, 2008, 2010
The Pharaohs were the kings of African football in the late 2000s. They became the first team to win three straight AFCON titles, and no one has come close to that achievement.
In 2006, they defeated the Ivory Coast Golden Generation on penalties, then beat Cameroon and Ghana in the following tournaments to etch their name in the history books. Interestingly, they have not tasted AFCON glory since.
Honourable mentions: Brazil (World Cup, Copa America), Ghana (AFCON), West Germany (World Cup Euros).
Players who switched nationality
YEN.com.gh earlier listed players who switched their nationalities as Mason Greenwood nears his switch from England to Jamaica.
Geoffrey Kondogbia switched from France to the Central African Republic, while Declan Rice switched from the Republic of Ireland to England.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
