Which country won the World Cup as host in 1978?

Argentina won the 1978 World Cup as the host country. The tournament was held in Argentina from 1 to 25 June, and the hosts defeated the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final.

The final took place at Buenos Aires’ Estadio Monumental. Mario Kempes opened the scoring for Argentina, but Dick Nanninga equalised late in normal time. Kempes scored again in extra time, and Daniel Bertoni added a third goal to secure Argentina’s first World Cup title.

The victory made Argentina the fifth nation to win the World Cup on home soil, following Uruguay, Italy, England and West Germany. Kempes finished as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals and was widely recognised as its outstanding player.

A frequent confusion comes from the Netherlands, who were runners-up, and Brazil, who finished third. West Germany were the defending champions from 1974 but did not win in Argentina. The 1978 tournament also remains associated with controversy surrounding Argentina’s large second-round victory over Peru, though Argentina’s title itself was officially recorded without being overturned.