Arsenal are World Cup kings! Gunners boast most winners after Germany beat Argentina

By Gerard Brand for MailOnline Published: 06:23 EST, 14 July 2014 | Updated: 18:16 EST, 14 July 2014 143 View comments A player is only considered a World Cup winner if he made an appearance in a winning campaign.

Arsenal are World Cup kings! Gunners boast more winners than any other English team after Germany beat Argentina in Brazil

  • Arsenal now have six World Cup winners, overtaking West Ham and Man United, who have three
  • Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker lifted the trophy at the Maracana
  • Cesc Fabregas (2010), Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit (both 1998) are Arsenal's other winners
  • Juventus have the most  winners with 22, Bayern Munich have 21
  • Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have just nine each
  • Serie A leads the way with 90 winners, followed by the Bundesliga with 64
  • The Premier League has just 24 winners, behind the Brazilian, Argentinian and Uruguayan leagues

By Gerard Brand for MailOnline

Published: 06:23 EST, 14 July 2014 | Updated: 18:16 EST, 14 July 2014

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A player is only considered a World Cup winner if he made an appearance in a winning campaign.

There will have been plenty of Arsenal fans cheering on Germany on Sunday evening, attempting to share in the triumph of a World Cup win that seems to edge further away from England's dreams.

And rightly so, as the Gunners can now boast more World Cup winners than any other English club after Germany's dramatic 1-0 victory at the Maracana.


German trio Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker doubled Arsenal's winners' tally to six, overtaking Manchester United and West Ham.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch German players celebrating as they arrive back at hotel

Winners! Arsenal pair Mesut Ozil and Per Mertesacker celebrate after clinching the World Cup on Sunday

Winners! Arsenal pair Mesut Ozil and Per Mertesacker celebrate after clinching the World Cup on Sunday

Proud as punch: Lukas Podolski barely played in the tournament but couldn't wait to get his hands on the trophy

Proud: Lukas Podolski barely played in the tournament but couldn't wait to get his hands on the trophy

   

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Arsenal's other three winners were Cesc Fabregas (Spain, 2010), Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit (both France, 1998).

And 200 miles north of the Emirates, Manchester City fans were looking to register their first ever World Cup winners, but Argentinian trio Pablo Zabaleta, Sergio Aguero and Martin Demichelis missed out in extra-time to Mario Gotze's winner.

Two European powerhouses lead the way in the overall winners' tally; Juventus on 22 and Bayern Munich, now on 21, after seven of their stars took home a medal on Sunday night.

Inter Milan trail with 18 and Roma continue the Italian dominance with 13, with the Azzurri having won the World Cup four times - in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006 - with heavy Italian-based squads.
When it comes to divisions, Italy and Germany triumph again.

The Italian league, now seen as behind the Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga for entertainment and quality value, boasts 90 World Cup winners, while the German league has now leapfrogged the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A into second with 64.

Keeping it in the family: Patrick Vieria and Emmanuel Petit won the World Cup with France as Gunners

Keeping it in the family: Patrick Vieria and Emmanuel Petit won the World Cup with France as Gunners

Differing fortunes: Cesc Fabregas won with Spain four years ago but Martin Demichelis was on the losing side Differing fortunes: Cesc Fabregas won with Spain four years ago but Martin Demichelis was on the losing side

Differing fortunes: Cesc Fabregas won with Spain four years ago but Martin Demichelis was on the losing side

WINNERS FROM ENGLISH LEAGUES (24)

Mesut Ozil (Arsenal, 2014), Lukas Podolski (Arsenal, 2014), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal, 2014), Andre Schurrle (Chelsea, 2014), Fernando Torres (Liverpool, 2010), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal, 2010), Juninho (Middlesbrough, 2002), Patrick Vieira (Arsenal, 1998), Emmanuel Petit (Arsenal, 1998), Frank Leboeuf (Chelsea, 1998), Gordon Banks (Leicester City, 1966), George Cohen (Fulham 1966), Ray Wilson (Everton, 1966), Nobby Stiles (Manchester United, 1966), Jack Charlton (Leeds United, 1966), Bobby Moore (West Ham, 1966), Alan Ball (Blackpool, 1966), Jimmy Greaves (Tottenham Hotspur, 1966), Bobby Charlton (Manchester United, 1966), Geoff Hurst (West Ham, 1966), John Connelly (Manchester United, 1966), Terry Paine (Southampton, 1966), Ian Callaghan (Liverpool, 1966), Roger Hunt (Liverpool, 1966)

Golden boys: Geoff Hurst (left), Bobby Moore and Martin Peters all won the World Cup while at West Ham

Golden boys: Geoff Hurst (left), Bobby Moore and Martin Peters all won the World Cup while at West Ham

Big men: Blackpool's Alan Ball played for England in 1966 (left) as Moore paraded the trophy at Wembley Big men: Blackpool's Alan Ball played for England in 1966 (left) as Moore paraded the trophy at Wembley

Big men: Blackpool's Alan Ball played for England in 1966 (left) as Moore paraded the trophy at Wembley

LEADING THE WAY - JUVENTUS (22)

Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Del Piero, Mauro Camoranesi, Gianluca Zambrotta (all Italy, 2006), Didier Deschamps, Zinedine Zidane (both France, 1998), Dino Zoff, Antonio Cabrini, Claudio Gentile, Gaetano Scirea, Marco Tardelli, Paolo Rossi (all Italy, 1982), Alfredo Foni, Pietro Rava (both Italy, 1938), Luigi Bertolini, Felice Borel, Gianpiero Combi, Giovanni Ferrari, Luis Monti, Raimundo Orsi, Virginio Rosetta (all Italy, 1934)

Totting up: The disgraced Paulo Rossi is one of the 24 Juventus players to win a world title (in 1982)

Totting up: The disgraced Paulo Rossi is one of the 24 Juventus players to win a world title (in 1982)

The English top flight, for all its foreign imports over the past two decades and more, can only register 24 winners, seventh behind the Spanish, Uruguayan and Argentinian leagues.

Spanish failure in major competitions before the turn of the century mean two of the world's most successful clubs - Barcelona and Real Madrid - have just 18 winners between them.

West Ham, forever regarded as the team that won the World Cup for England in 1966, have as many winners associated with them as the likes of United, Borussia Dortmund, Fluminense and Monaco.
But no club can boast such an impact from just three of their players on a World Cup finals.

Winning captain Bobby Moore, World Cup final hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst and final goalscorer Martin Peters were all playing at Upton Park at the time England beat West Germany 4-2 at Wembley, and the three's achievements are immortalised in a statue outside of the Hammers' ground.

Fancy feet: Juninho was part of the triumphant Brazil side of 2002 while still playing for Middlesbrough

Fancy feet: Juninho was part of the triumphant Brazil side of 2002 while still playing for Middlesbrough

England's success has starved since, and with the globalisation of the Premier League and an increasing preference for club over country, fans can support other nations if their players are represented elsewhere.

Manchester United supporters adopted Holland in anticipation of signs of a change of fortune with manager Louis van Gaal, while Aston Villa fans took some comfort in seeing Dutchman Ron Vlaar keep the world's best in his pocket. Even fans of Championship side Charlton had something to cheer about, with midfielder Reza Ghoochannejhad representing Iran.

It's not the same, but it's something.

But while some in north London were looking to the continent to claim a World Cup win of their own on Sunday evening, we'll be hoping the wait for success on our own shores isn't too far around the corner.

FULL LIST OF WORLD CUP WINNERS BY DIVISIONS

ITALY (90)
Juventus (22), Inter (18), Roma (13), Milan (8), Fiorentina (5), Palermo (4), Bologna (4), Lazio, (4), Udinese (2), Triestina (2), Sampdoria (2), Lucchese (1), Sampdoria (1), Parma (1), Reggiana (1), Napoli (1), Lecce (1), Cagliari (1)

GERMANY (64)
Bayern Munich (21), Koln (7), Kaiserslautern (5), Monchengladbach (5), Eintracht Frankfurt (4), Schalke (3), Borussia Dortmund (3), Leverkusen (2), Stuttgart (2), Fortuna Dusseldorf (2), Hamburg (2), Werder Bremen (2), SpVgg Furth (1), Hessen Kassel (1), Rot-Weiss Essen (1), Nuremberg (1), FSV Frankfurt (1), Koln (1)
 
BRAZIL (62)
Santos (11), Botafogo (10), Sao Paulo (8), Palmeiras (6), Corinthians (5), Cruzeiro (4), Vasco da Gama (4), Flamengo (4), Gremio (3), Fluminense (3), Bangu (1), Portuguesa (1), Atletico Mineiro (1), Atletico Paranaense (1)

SPAIN (31)
Barcelona (9), Real Madrid (9), Valencia (5), Deportivo (2), Bilbao (2), Villarreal (1), Sevilla (1), Real Betis (1), Elche (1)

ARGENTINA (30)
River Plate (8), Independiente (6), Boca Juniors (5), Talleres de Cordoba (3), Argentinos Juniors (2), Racing Club (2), Newell's Old Boys (1), Velez Sarsfield (1), Ferro Carril Oeste (1), San Lorenzo (1)
 
URUGUAY (30)
Penarol (10), Nacional (10), Cerro (2), Bella Vista (2), Huracan (2), Central (1), Montevideo Wanderers (1), Rampla Juniors (1), Club Olimpia (1)

ENGLAND (24)
Arsenal (6), Manchester United (3), West Ham (3), Liverpool (2), Chelsea (2), Middlesbrough (1), Leicester (1), Fulham (1), Everton (1), Leeds (1), Blackpool (1), Tottenham Hotspur (1), Southampton (1)

FRANCE (13)
Monaco (3), PSG (2), Marseille (2), Auxerre (2), Bordeaux (1), Nantes (1), Lyon (1), Metz (1)

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