If you’re searching for who won the world cup in 2016, you’re probably scratching your head right now. You might even feel like you’ve slipped into a parallel universe. Here’s the blunt reality: Nobody won the FIFA World Cup in 2016. It didn't happen.
The biggest tournament in sports operates on a strict four-year cycle, and 2016 was a massive "gap" year between the 2014 madness in Brazil and the 2018 spectacle in Russia. If you remember seeing a trophy being lifted or fans screaming in the streets that summer, you aren't crazy—you’re just thinking of different tournaments that felt every bit as big as a World Cup.
The Confusion Around the 2016 World Cup Keyword
People search for this all the time. Seriously. Thousands of folks hop on Google every month asking about the 2016 winner. Why? Well, 2016 was arguably the most packed year in modern soccer history. We had the UEFA European Championship (Euro 2016) and the Copa América Centenario happening almost simultaneously.
When you have Cristiano Ronaldo crying on a sideline and Lionel Messi "retiring" from international play in the same month, it’s easy to see why your brain would label that "The World Cup." But technically, if we’re talking about the FIFA World Cup—the one with the gold trophy—the seat was empty in 2016.
Portugal’s Shocking Euro 2016 Victory
If you’re thinking of the team that "ruled the world" that year, it was Portugal. This is usually what people are actually looking for.
Portugal didn't even win a single game in the group stage during regulation time. They limped through. They looked mediocre. Then, they somehow grinded their way to the final against France. Everyone expected France to steamroll them, especially after Cristiano Ronaldo went down with an injury early in the match. Instead, a guy named Eder—who most fans hadn't even thought about—scored a long-range screamer in extra time. Portugal won their first major trophy, and for many fans, that was their World Cup.
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The Other "World Cup" of 2016: Copa América Centenario
Then there’s the South American side of things. To celebrate 100 years of the Copa América, they held a special "Centenario" edition in the United States.
It felt massive. It had the scale of a World Cup.
Chile won it. They beat Argentina on penalties. It was a brutal, heartbreaking night for Messi, who actually missed his penalty and briefly announced he was quitting the national team afterward. If you live in the Americas, this tournament likely dominates your memory of 2016. When someone asks who won the world cup in 2016, a Chile fan will almost certainly point to this trophy.
Why the Four-Year Cycle Exists (And Why It Trips Us Up)
FIFA is protective of its brand. By keeping the World Cup every four years, they ensure it stays the "holy grail."
If they held it every two years, the prestige would vanish. But the secondary tournaments—the Euros, the Copa América, the Asian Cup, and the Gold Cup—have become so high-level and so well-marketed that the distinction is blurring for casual viewers. In 2016, the quality of play in the Euros was arguably higher than some stages of the actual World Cup because the talent is so concentrated in Europe.
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The Underdog Narrative of 2016
2016 was a weird year for sports in general. It wasn't just international soccer. This was the year Leicester City won the English Premier League at 5,000-to-1 odds. It was the year the Chicago Cubs broke a 108-year curse.
Because the "vibe" of 2016 was all about massive, impossible sporting triumphs, the Portugal Euro win gets lumped into that "World Champion" category in our collective memory.
Other "World Cups" That Actually Happened in 2016
While the Men's FIFA World Cup was absent, other versions of the tournament did take place. If you're a hardcore fan, you might be thinking of these:
- 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup: Argentina actually won this one! They beat Russia 5-4 in a wild final in Colombia. If you're a fan of indoor soccer, Argentina did win a World Cup in 2016.
- FIFA Club World Cup: Real Madrid took the title, defeating Kashima Antlers. This is for clubs, not countries, but it carries the "World Cup" name.
- U-20 and U-17 Women's World Cups: North Korea dominated these, winning both the U-20 and U-17 titles in 2016.
How to Win Your Next Pub Quiz
Next time someone asks about the 2016 world cup winner, you can be that person who says, "Actually, there wasn't one."
But to be truly helpful, you should follow up by asking if they mean Portugal (Euro winners) or Chile (Copa América winners). Most of the time, they’re thinking of Ronaldo lifting the trophy in Paris.
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The 2016 season proved that soccer doesn't need the FIFA World Cup to produce world-class drama. We saw the rise of tactical "anti-football" from Portugal, the despair of Argentina’s golden generation, and the emergence of new global stars like Antoine Griezmann.
Wait, what about 2017? Same deal. No World Cup. The cycle jumped from 2014 (Germany) to 2018 (France).
How to Track International Tournaments Moving Forward
If you want to keep your years straight and avoid the "2016 World Cup" trap again, keep this simple mental map:
- World Cup Years: Always divisible by 4 (2014, 2018, 2022, 2026).
- Euro Years: Also every 4 years, but offset (2016, 2020/21, 2024).
- Copa América: These move around a bit more due to scheduling changes, but generally align with Euro years now.
Stop looking for a 2016 FIFA champion. He doesn't exist. Instead, go re-watch the highlights of Eder’s goal against France or Messi’s tears in New Jersey. Those are the real stories of 2016.
Your Next Steps:
Check the official FIFA archives if you need to settle a specific bet regarding Futsal or Club championships. If you’re preparing for the 2026 World Cup, start looking at the qualification brackets now—the format is changing to 48 teams, which means the "gap years" are going to feel even more crowded with qualifiers than they did back in 2016. Ensure your calendar is marked for June 2026, as that is the next time the true FIFA World Cup trophy will be contested on the global stage.