Before 2026, two World Cups had all four semifinalists been previous champions.
The first was Mexico 1970. Brazil, Italy, West Germany and Uruguay made up the semifinals, and all four had already won the competition: Brazil in 1958 and 1962, Italy in 1934 and 1938, West Germany in 1954, and Uruguay in 1930 and 1950.
The second was Italy 1990. Argentina, West Germany, Italy and England reached the last four. Each had already lifted the trophy: Argentina in 1978 and 1986, West Germany in 1954 and 1974, Italy in 1934, 1938 and 1982, and England in 1966.
The statistic is easy to misread because many World Cup semifinals feature several former winners without all four meeting the condition. For example, Portugal's appearance in the 2006 semifinals prevented that edition from qualifying, while the Netherlands' semifinal places in 2010 and 2014 likewise left the quartet short of an all-champion lineup.