Few rivalries have shaped the FIFA World Cup™ like the battle between teams from South America and Europe. From the inaugural World Cup in 1930 to the , CONMEBOL and UEFA have produced many of the tournament's defining moments.
Across 252 World Cup meetings, CONMEBOL holds a narrow advantage with 104 wins to UEFA's 90, while 58 matches have ended level – a figure that includes the 13 ties decided on penalties, which are officially recorded as draws. CONMEBOL has also dominated from the spot, winning nine shootouts to UEFA's four.
Europe, however, leads the overall honours, with UEFA nations winning 12 World Cups to CONMEBOL's ten. Yet when the two confederations have met in the final, the balance shifts decisively to CONMEBOL, with eight victories compared to three for UEFA.
FIFA rounds every World Cup meeting between CONMEBOL and UEFA representatives.
CONMEBOL wins: 5 UEFA wins: 3 Argentina 1-0 France | Group stage Chile 1-0 France | Group stage Yugoslavia 2-1 Brazil | Group stage Yugoslavia 4-0 Bolivia | Group stage Romania 3-1 Peru | Group stage Uruguay 4-0 Romania | Group stage Paraguay 1-0 Belgium | Group stage Uruguay 6-1 Yugoslavia | Semi-finals
Spain 3-1 Brazil | Round of 16 Sweden 3-2 Argentina | Round of 16
Brazil 6-5 Poland | Round of 16 Brazil 1-1 Czechoslovakia (Brazil won tiebreaker 2-1) | Quarter-finals Italy 2-1 Brazil | Semi-finals Brazil 4-2 Sweden | Play-off for third place
CONMEBOL wins: 4 UEFA wins: 3 Draws: 3
Brazil 2-2 Switzerland | First-round group stage Brazil 2-0 Yugoslavia | First-round group stage England 2-0 Chile | First-round group stage Spain 2-0 Chile | First-round group stage Sweden 2-2 Paraguay | First-round group stage Italy 2-0 Paraguay | First-round group stage Brazil 7-1 Sweden | Final group stage Uruguay 2-2 Spain | Final group stage Uruguay 3-2 Sweden | Final group stage Brazil 6-1 Spain | Final group stage
CONMEBOL wins: 3 UEFA wins: 3 Draws: 1
Brazil 1-1 Yugoslavia | Group stage Uruguay 2-0 Czechoslovakia | Group stage Uruguay 7-0 Scotland | Group stage Hungary 4-2 Brazil | Quarter-finals Uruguay 4-2 England | Quarter-finals Hungary 4-2 Uruguay | Semi-finals Uruguay 1-3 Austria | Play-off for third place
CONMEBOL wins: 7 UEFA win: 3 Draw: 2
Argentina 1-3 West Germany | Group stage Argentina 3-1 Northern Ireland | Group stage Czechoslovakia 6-1 Argentina | Group stage France 7-3 Paraguay | Group stage Paraguay 3-2 Scotland | Group stage Paraguay 3-3 Yugoslavia | Group stage Brazil 3-0 Austria | Group stage Brazil 0-0 England | Group stage Brazil 2-0 Soviet Union | Group stage Brazil 1-0 Wales | Quarter-finals Brazil 5-2 France | Semi-finals Brazil 5-2 Sweden | Final
CONMEBOL wins: 8 UEFA wins: 5 Draws: 3
Yugoslavia 3-1 Uruguay | Group stage Soviet Union 4-4 Colombia | Group stage Soviet Union 2-1 Uruguay | Group stage Yugoslavia 5-0 Colombia | Group stage Chile 3-1 Switzerland | Group stage Chile 2-0 Italy | Group stage West Germany 2-0 Chile | Group stage Brazil 0-0 Czechoslovakia | Group stage Brazil 2-1 Spain | Group stage Argentina 1-0 Bulgaria | Group stage England 3-1 Argentina | Group stage Hungary 0-0 Argentina | Group stage Brazil 3-1 England | Quarter-finals Soviet Union 1-2 Chile | Quarter-finals Chile 1-0 Yugoslavia | Play-off for third place Brazil 3-1 Czechoslovakia | Final
CONMEBOL wins: 4 UEFA wins: 6 Draws: 2
England 0-0 Uruguay | Group stage Uruguay 2-1 France | Group stage Argentina 2-1 Spain | Group stage West Germany 0-0 Argentina | Group stage Argentina 2-0 Switzerland | Group stage Brazil 2-0 Bulgaria | Group stage Hungary 3-1 Brazil | Group stage Portugal 3-1 Brazil | Group stage Italy 2-0 Chile | Group stage Soviet Union 2-1 Chile | Group stage England 1-0 Argentina | Quarter-finals West Germany 4-0 Uruguay | Quarter-finals
CONMEBOL wins: 7 UEFA wins: 3 Draws: 1
Uruguay 2-0 Israel | Group stage Uruguay 0-0 Italy | Group stage Sweden 1-0 Uruguay | Group stage Brazil 4-1 Czechoslovakia | Group stage Brazil 1-0 England | Group stage Brazil 3-2 Romania | Group stage Peru 3-2 Bulgaria | Group stage West Germany 3-1 Peru | Group stage Soviet Union 0-1 Uruguay | Quarter-finals Uruguay 0-1 West Germany | Play-off for third place Brazil 4-1 Italy | Final
CONMEBOL wins: 1 UEFA wins: 7 Draws: 6
West Germany 1-0 Chile | Group stage Chile 1-1 East Germany | Group stage Brazil 0-0 Yugoslavia | Group stage Brazil 0-0 Scotland | Group stage Uruguay 0-2 Netherlands | Group stage Bulgaria 1-1 Uruguay | Group stage Sweden 3-0 Uruguay | Group stage Poland 3-2 Argentina | Group stage Argentina 1-1 Italy | Group stage Netherlands 4-0 Argentina | Second group stage Brazil 1-0 East Germany | Second group stage Netherlands 2-0 Brazil | Second group stage Argentina 1-1 East Germany | Second group stage Brazil 0-1 Poland | Play-off for third place
CONMEBOL wins: 8 UEFA wins: 2 Draws: 3
Argentina 2-1 Hungary | Group stage Argentina 2-1 France | Group stage Italy 1-0 Argentina | Group stage Sweden 1-1 Brazil | Group stage Brazil 0-0 Spain | Group stage Brazil 1-0 Austria | Group stage Peru 3-1 Scotland | Group stage Netherlands 0-0 Peru | Group stage Argentina 2-0 Poland | Second group stage Poland 1-0 Peru | Second group stage Brazil 3-1 Poland | Second group stage Italy 1-2 Brazil | Play-off for third place Netherlands 1-3 Argentina | Final
CONMEBOL wins: 3 UEFA wins: 6 Draws: 1
Italy 1-1 Peru | Group stage Poland 5-1 Peru | Group stage Chile 0-1 Austria | Group stage West Germany 4-1 Chile | Group stage Argentina 0-1 Belgium | Group stage Argentina 4-1 Hungary | Group stage Brazil 2-1 Soviet Union | Group stage Brazil 4-1 Scotland | Group stage Italy 2-1 Argentina | Second group stage Italy 3-2 Brazil | Second group stage
CONMEBOL wins: 7 UEFA wins: 2 Draws: 5 Decided on penalties: 1 (UEFA win)
Italy 1-1 Argentina | Group stage Argentina 2-0 Bulgaria | Group stage Paraguay 2-2 Belgium | Group stage Spain 0-1 Brazil | Group stage Northern Ireland 0-3 Brazil | Group stage Uruguay 1-1 West Germany | Group stage Denmark 6-1 Uruguay | Group stage Scotland 0-0 Uruguay | Group stage England 3-0 Paraguay | Round of 16 Brazil 4-0 Poland | Round of 16 Argentina 2-1 England | Quarter-finals Brazil 1-1 France (France won 4-3 on pens) | Quarter-finals Argentina 2-0 Belgium | Semi-finals Argentina 3-2 West Germany | Final
CONMEBOL wins: 3 UEFA wins: 4 Draws: 5 Decided on penalties: 2 (both CONMEBOL wins)
Argentina 2-0 Soviet Union | Group stage Argentina 1-1 Romania | Group stage Brazil 2-1 Sweden | Group stage Brazil 1-0 Scotland | Group stage Yugoslavia 1-0 Colombia | Group stage West Germany 1-1 Colombia | Group stage Uruguay 0-0 Spain | Group stage Belgium 3-1 Uruguay | Group stage Italy 2-0 Uruguay | Round of 16 Argentina 0-0 Yugoslavia (Argentina won 3-2 on pens) | Quarter-finals Argentina 1-1 Italy (Argentina won 4-3 on pens) | Semi-finals Argentina 0-1 West Germany | Final
CONMEBOL wins: 5 UEFA wins: 5 Draws: 2 Decided on penalties: 1 (CONMEBOL win)
Colombia 1-3 Romania | Group stage Switzerland 0-2 Colombia | Group stage Brazil 2-0 Russia | Group stage Brazil 1-1 Sweden | Group stage Germany 1-0 Bolivia | Group stage Bolivia 1-3 Spain | Group stage Argentina 4-0 Greece | Group stage Argentina 0-2 Bulgaria | Group stage Romania 3-2 Argentina | Round of 32 Netherlands 2-3 Brazil | Quarter-finals Sweden 0-1 Brazil | Semi-finals Brazil 0-0 Italy (Brazil won 3-2 on pens) | Final
CONMEBOL wins: 3 UEFA wins: 6 Draws: 6 Decided on penalties: 2 (both CONMEBOL wins)
Brazil 2-1 Scotland | Group stage Brazil 1-2 Norway | Group stage Italy 2-2 Chile | Group stage Austria 1-1 Chile | Group stage Paraguay 0-0 Bulgaria | Group stage Spain 0-0 Paraguay | Group stage Romania 1-0 Colombia | Group stage Colombia 0-2 England | Group stage Argentina 1-0 Croatia | Group stage Argentina 2-2 England (Argentina won 4-3 on pens) | Round of 16 France 1-0 Paraguay | Round of 16 Brazil 3-2 Denmark | Quarter-finals Netherlands 2-1 Argentina | Quarter-finals Brazil 1-1 Netherlands (Brazil won 4-2 on pens) | Semi-finals Brazil 0-3 France | Final
CONMEBOL wins: 7 UEFA wins: 5 Draws: 2
Uruguay 1-2 Denmark | Group stage France 0-0 Uruguay | Group stage Spain 3-1 Paraguay | Group stage Slovenia 1-3 Paraguay | Group stage Brazil 2-1 Türkiye | Group stage Argentina 0-1 England | Group stage Sweden 1-1 Argentina | Group stage Italy 2-0 Ecuador | Group stage Ecuador 1-0 Croatia | Group stage Germany 1-0 Paraguay | Round of 16 Brazil 2-0 Belgium | Round of 16 England 1-2 Brazil | Quarter-finals Brazil 1-0 Türkiye | Semi-finals Germany 0-2 Brazil | Final
CONMEBOL wins: 3 UEFA wins: 5 Draws: 2 Decided on penalties: 1 (UEFA win)
Poland 0-2 Ecuador | Group stage Ecuador 0-3 Germany | Group stage England 1-0 Paraguay | Group stage Sweden 1-0 Paraguay | Group stage Argentina 6-0 Serbia and Montenegro | Group stage Netherlands 0-0 Argentina | Group stage Brazil 1-0 Croatia | Group stage England 1-0 Ecuador | Round of 16 Germany 1-1 Argentina (Germany won 4-2 on pens) | Quarter-finals Brazil 0-1 France | Quarter-finals
CONMEBOL wins: 3 UEFA wins: 6 Draws: 3
Uruguay 0-0 France | Group stage Greece 0-2 Argentina | Group stage Italy 1-1 Paraguay | Group stage Slovakia 0-2 Paraguay | Group stage Portugal 0-0 Brazil | Group stage Chile 1-0 Switzerland | Group stage Chile 1-2 Spain | Group stage Netherlands 2-1 Brazil | Quarter-finals Argentina 0-4 Germany | Quarter-finals Paraguay 0-1 Spain | Quarter-finals Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands | Semi-finals Uruguay 2-3 Germany | Play-off for third place
CONMEBOL wins: 8 UEFA wins: 5 Draws: 2 Decided on penalties: 1 (CONMEBOL win)
Brazil 3-1 Croatia | Group stage Spain 0-2 Chile | Group stage Netherlands 2-0 Chile | Group stage Colombia 3-0 Greece | Group stage Uruguay 2-1 England | Group stage Italy 0-1 Uruguay | Group stage Switzerland 2-1 Ecuador | Group stage Ecuador 0-0 France | Group stage Argentina 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina | Group stage Argentina 1-0 Switzerland | Round of 16 Argentina 1-0 Belgium | Quarter-finals Brazil 1-7 Germany | Semi-finals Netherlands 0-0 Argentina (Argentina won 4-2 on pens) | Semi-final Brazil 0-3 Netherlands | Play-off for third place Germany 1-0 Argentina | Final
Conmebol wins: 4 UEFA wins: 6 Draws: 3 Decided on penalties: 1 (UEFA win)
Uruguay 3-0 Russia | Group stage Peru 0-1 Denmark | Group stage France 1-0 Peru | Group stage Argentina 1-1 Iceland | Group stage Argentina 0-3 Croatia | Group stage Brazil 1-1 Switzerland | Group stage Serbia 0-2 Brazil | Group stage Poland 0-3 Colombia | Group stage Uruguay 2-1 Portugal | Round of 16 France 4-3 Argentina | Round of 16 Colombia 1-1 England (England won 4-3 on pens) | Round of 16 Uruguay 0-2 France | Quarter-finals Brazil 1-2 Belgium | Quarter-finals
Conmebol wins: 4 UEFA wins: 1 Draws: 4 Decided on penalties: 3 (2 CONMEBOL wins, 1 UEFA wins)
Netherlands 1-1 Ecuador | Group stage Poland 0-2 Argentina | Group stage Brazil 2-0 Serbia | Group stage Brazil 1-0 Switzerland | Group stage Portugal 2-0 Uruguay | Group stage Netherlands 2-2 Argentina (Argentina won 4-3 on pens) | Quarter-finals Croatia 1-1 Brazil (Croatia won 4-2 on pens) | Quarter-finals Argentina 3-0 Croatia | Semi-finals Argentina 3-3 France (Argentina won 4-2 on pens) | Final
Conmebol wins: 4 UEFA wins: 1 Draws: 2 Decided on penalties: 1 (CONMEBOL win)
Scotland 0-3 Brazil | Group stage Türkiye 0-1 Paraguay | Group stage Ecuador 2-1 Germany | Group stage Uruguay 0-1 Spain | Group stage Argentina 2-0 Austria | Group stage Colombia 0-0 Portugal | Group stage Germany 1-1 Paraguay (Paraguay won 4-3 on pens) | Round of 32
Sources: FIFA Official
