FIFA World Cup 2022: Will Brazil make Olympic and World Cup history in Qatar?

The 2022 FIFA World Cup has already served up its fair share of records, surprises and history-makers, including Cristiano Ronaldo, who became the first-ever player to score in five consecutive World Cups.

But just over a year ago, another great football tournament took place at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Brazil were crowned men’s football champions in Tokyo, having achieved the same feat four years earlier at Rio 2016. In Japan, they also counted on some of the same players that are playing for them in Qatar, such as Dani Alves and Richarlison. And the men in yellow and green could once again make history in Qatar by joining a select group of countries that have won Olympic gold followed by the World Cup.

Before their game in the last 16 of Qatar 2022 where the world will discover Brazil whether advance to the latter knockout stages, Olympics.com looks back at the teams who have found glory both at the Olympics and the World Cup.

Note: As England compete as Great Britain at the Olympics they will not be included in this list.

Nations that have won Olympic gold and the FIFA World Cup

Six nations throughout history have triumphed in both the Olympics and the World Cup, including three Latin American countries and three from Europe. Unsurprisingly, all of them have been dominant forces in international football. Each of the nations have also had success at the continental level, lifting on at least one occasion either the Copa America or Euros.

• Uruguay was the first team to do the double, achieving the feat in 1930 when they lifted the World Cup having world Olympic titles in both 1924 and 1928. Years later they went on to win another World Cup title in 1950.

• Italy were the first European nation to win both titles, after their World Cup triumph in 1934 was followed by victory a the Berlin Olympics in 1936. They won the World Cup a further three times in 1938, 1982 and 2006. Of all the nations to have won the Olympics and the World Cup, Italy are the only ones to not qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

• France also achieved the Olympic/World Cup double over half a century after the last nation did so back in 1936. In 1998, they lifted the World Cup having won gold at the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984. They doubled their World Cup tally with victory in 2018 and are among the favourites once again this year in Qatar.

• Argentina won Olympic gold at Athens 2004, having won two World Cups titles in 1978 and 1986, with the great Diego Maradona starring in the latter. In 2008, they also won their second Olympic title with legends of the game including Lionel Messi among the gold-winning squad.

• Spain are also a nation that have tasted glory on the World and Olympic stage, having won the Olympic gold at home in Barcelona 1992 and the World Cup title in 2010, with players such as Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique among their ranks.

• Brazil are the final team to have lifted both trophies, with five World Cup victories to their name (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002). However, they were made to wait for their first Olympic title when in 2016, buoyed on by their talisman Neymar, they won the gold medal in Rio. Five years later in Tokyo, they went on to secure a second gold medal in a row, and if they do win in Qatar they will have the chance to write another page in the history books.

Qatar 2022: How could Brazil make history?

Brazil are among the favourites to win the World Cup in Qatar after their thrilling group-stage wins have seen them qualify easily for the round of 16.

And if they do win the trophy this year, they will make history, not only as the only nation ever to have won six World Cups but also because they will be the first since Uruguay in 1930 to win consecutive Olympic golds followed by the World Cup. They will also become the first since Italy in 1938 to win the Olympic gold followed by a World Cup.

It will be another record in a growing list for Brazil, who are the only country in history to win consecutive Olympic golds (Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020) and World Cups (1958 and 1962).

Even so, not all the pages in the history books belong to Brazil.

While the last five winners of Olympic gold have been from Latin America, the last four World Cup winners have all come from Europe.

Can Brazil break the trend at Qatar 2022?