Every World Cup winner
| Year | Host | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | England | West Indies | Australia |
| 1979 | England | West Indies | England |
| 1983 | England | India | West Indies |
| 1987 | India/Pakistan | Australia | England |
| 1992 | Australia/NZ | Pakistan | England |
| 1996 | India/Pak/SL | Sri Lanka | Australia |
| 1999 | England | Australia | Pakistan |
| 2003 | South Africa | Australia | India |
| 2007 | West Indies | Australia | Sri Lanka |
| 2011 | India/SL/Bangladesh | India | Sri Lanka |
| 2015 | Australia/NZ | Australia | New Zealand |
| 2019 | England | England | New Zealand (tied final, super over) |
| 2023 | India | Australia | India |
| 2027 | South Africa/Zimbabwe/Namibia | TBD | — |
Titles by team
| Team | Titles |
|---|---|
| Australia | 6 |
| India | 2 |
| West Indies | 2 |
| Pakistan | 1 (1992) |
| Sri Lanka | 1 (1996) |
| England | 1 (2019) |
Every final, briefly
1975 — West Indies beat Australia by 17 runs (Lord's). The first one, 60 overs a side. Clive Lloyd's 102 off 85 balls turned the final, and a string of run-outs finished Australia off. The Calypso kings set the template: win it, then win it again.
1979 — West Indies beat England by 92 runs (Lord's). Viv Richards' unbeaten 138 and Collis King's 86 took West Indies to 286, and England never got close. Back-to-back titles — and nobody has matched the aura of that side since.
1983 — India beat West Indies by 43 runs (Lord's). The upset that changed cricket. India defended 183 against the mighty West Indies; Mohinder Amarnath's all-round final and Kapil Dev's running catch to dismiss Richards are folklore now. This win is a big reason a billion people watch the sport today.
1987 — Australia beat England by 7 runs (Eden Gardens). The first World Cup outside England. Allan Border's young side held their nerve in a tense finish, David Boon's 75 setting it up. Nobody had Australia down as champions — it was the start of something.
1992 — Pakistan beat England by 22 runs (Melbourne). Imran Khan's "cornered tigers" won five straight must-win games, beat New Zealand in the semi-final, then took the final: Imran 72, Miandad 58, and Wasim Akram's two-in-two that everyone still talks about. Full story: Pakistan's 1992 winning team.
1996 — Sri Lanka beat Australia by 7 wickets (Lahore). Aravinda de Silva's unbeaten 107 chased down 242, and the Jayasuriya–Kaluwitharana pinch-hitting revolution changed ODI batting forever. First-time champions, and wildly popular ones.
1999 — Australia beat Pakistan by 8 wickets (Lord's). Pakistan were bowled out for 132, Warne taking 4/33, and Waugh's men cruised it. Australia had stumbled early in the tournament, then didn't lose again — the first of three straight titles.
2003 — Australia beat India by 125 runs (Johannesburg). The most dominant campaign ever. Australia went unbeaten; Ponting's 140* off 121 took them to 359/2, and India, chasing, were never in it.
2007 — Australia beat Sri Lanka by 53 runs, D/L (Bridgetown). Three in a row. Gilchrist's 149 off 104 — with a squash ball in his glove, as the story goes — is one of the great final innings, in a rain-hit game.
2011 — India beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets (Mumbai). Gambhir's 97 held the chase of 275 together, then Dhoni promoted himself and finished it with that six — 91 not out. First host nation to win it. A billion people celebrated.
2015 — Australia beat New Zealand by 7 wickets (Melbourne). New Zealand's fairy-tale run ended in front of 93,000 at the MCG against Starc and company. Clarke's farewell; Australia's fifth.
2019 — England tied with New Zealand (won on super over, Lord's). The greatest final ever played, and the most controversial ending: 241 each, super over tied, England won on boundary count. Stokes' 84*, the deflected overthrows, Archer's super over. The rule was changed afterwards — which tells you everything.
2023 — Australia beat India by 6 wickets (Ahmedabad). India had been unbeatable all tournament; Head's 137 chased down 241 and silenced 100,000+ home fans. Australia's sixth — no one else has more than two.
World Cup records
| Record | Holder | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Most titles | Australia | 6 (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, 2023) |
| Most consecutive titles | Australia | 3 (1999, 2003, 2007) |
| Biggest win in a final (runs) | Australia | 125 runs vs India, 2003 |
| Biggest win in a final (wickets) | Australia | 8 wickets vs Pakistan, 1999 |
| First host nation to win | India | 2011 (Australia 2015 and England 2019 followed) |
| Unbeaten tournament wins | Australia | 2003 and 2007 |
Titles by decade
| Decade | Titles |
|---|---|
| 1970s | West Indies 2 |
| 1980s | India 1, Australia 1 |
| 1990s | Pakistan 1, Sri Lanka 1, Australia 1 |
| 2000s | Australia 2 |
| 2010s | India 1, Australia 1, England 1 |
| 2020s | Australia 1 (2023) |
Finals by margin
| Year | Winner | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | West Indies | 17 runs | Australia |
| 1979 | West Indies | 92 runs | England |
| 1983 | India | 43 runs | West Indies |
| 1987 | Australia | 7 runs | England |
| 1992 | Pakistan | 22 runs | England |
| 1996 | Sri Lanka | 7 wickets | Australia |
| 1999 | Australia | 8 wickets | Pakistan |
| 2003 | Australia | 125 runs | India |
| 2007 | Australia | 53 runs (D/L) | Sri Lanka |
| 2011 | India | 6 wickets | Sri Lanka |
| 2015 | Australia | 7 wickets | New Zealand |
| 2019 | England | Tied (super over) | New Zealand |
| 2023 | Australia | 6 wickets | India |
The final I remember best is 1992 — I was a kid, and my father woke me up for the last ten overs. I didn't understand reverse swing; I just knew Wasim was doing something magical.
The 2019 final I watched with a friend who supports New Zealand. We didn't speak for about an hour afterwards. Some games do that to you.
Road to the next one: CWC 2027 hub. For the ODI greats debate this history feeds: Babar vs Kohli ODI stats.
