Fourth World Cup Final in a row with FC Barcelona presence

The 2022 World Cup reaches its climax on Sunday with the final between Argentina and France, with Koundé and Dembélé hoping to help their country to become the first back-to-back winners since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

This is the eighth time that the club has been represented in the final, and the fourth in a row, thus surpassing the run of three from 1994 to 2002.

Record number in 2010

At Russia 2018, Barça had players on both teams. Umtiti and Dembélé won it for France while Rakitic was on the losing Croatian side.

At Brazil 2014, Messi and Mascherano were both playing for Argentina, but it was Germany who won 1-0. 

And in the final of South Africa 2010, a record number of eight different Barça players were in the Spain side (Piqué, Puyol, Iniesta, Villa, Xavi, Busquets, Pedro and Valdés) that won the country's only title by defeating the Netherlands in extra time.

2006 was the time the club had no players. Deco got the furthest with Portugal, but France knocked them out in the semis.

Dutch and Brazilians

From 1974 to 2002, every one of Barça's finalists was from the Netherlands or Brazil. At West Germany 1974, Cruyff and Neeskens lost out to the hosts in the final. Neeskens also appeared at Argentina 1978, and once again lost the final to the host nation.

At USA 1994, Romario was one of the heroes of the team that beat Italy on penalties, but in the France 1998 edition there was less fortune for for Rivaldo and Giovanni as Brazil got beat by the French. In Japan/South Korea 2002, it was another Brazilian, Rivaldo, who was flying the Barça flag, and the canarinha won their fifth title.