The Hosts Who Have Won
Winning the World Cup on home soil has happened more than once. The first was Uruguay back in 1930, who both hosted and won the inaugural tournament. Italy followed in 1934 on their own soil. England won their only World Cup at home in 1966, defeating West Germany at Wembley. West Germany then did the same in 1974. Argentina lifted the trophy as hosts in 1978 in Buenos Aires, and France joined the club in 1998 at the Stade de France, beating Brazil in Paris. Each of these wins came in front of a packed home crowd.
Why Home Advantage Matters
There are real reasons hosts tend to do well. The local team plays in familiar stadiums, in front of supporters that fill every match. The climate and altitude are usually the kind their players grew up with, while visiting teams may struggle to adapt. There is no long travel between camps and venues, and the schedule is usually arranged to suit the host as far as possible. Add to that the powerful effect of national excitement, and a competent host side often performs above expectations.
Why It Is Not a Guarantee
Even with all that going for them, plenty of hosts have failed to win. South Africa in 2010 became the first host nation ever to be eliminated in the group stage. Brazil, perhaps the most painful example, lost a famous semi-final 7–1 to Germany when they hosted in 2014. Qatar, the 2022 host, also bowed out at the group stage. The pressure of expectation can work both ways: the same crowd that lifts a team in one match can weigh on it in the next.
Hosts in 2026
The 2026 tournament will be the first World Cup with three host nations sharing the duty — the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Whether any of them can add to the list of host-winners remains to be seen. History says it is genuinely possible, but it has never been an easy road, and a shared hosting setup means the usual home-advantage factors will be split across three countries rather than concentrated in one.
Source
This article was written using information from Wikipedia.