Argentina won the 1978 FIFA World Cup, defeating the Netherlands in the final.
The tournament was hosted by Argentina from 1 to 25 June 1978. Argentina reached the final at Buenos Aires’ Estadio Monumental, where it beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time. Mario Kempes scored twice, including the decisive extra-time goal, while Daniel Bertoni added Argentina’s third.
The victory was Argentina’s first FIFA World Cup title. Kempes finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with six goals and was named its best player. The Netherlands had also reached the 1974 final, making its second consecutive World Cup final appearance.
Argentina’s win is sometimes confused with its later championships in 1986 and 2022. Those victories came in different tournaments and under different captains: Diego Maradona led the 1986 team, while Lionel Messi captained the 2022 champions.