Cricket World Cup Final Winners
Australia have won the most Cricket World Cup finals, with six titles in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015 and 2023. Across the thirteen men’s ODI World Cup finals played from 1975 to 2023, West Indies and India have won two each, and Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England have won one each. This is the complete list of every World Cup final, with winners, runners-up, scores, margins and venues.
All Cricket World Cup Finals, 1975 to 2023
The table below gives the full score of every final. The first three tournaments were played with 60 overs per side; from 1987 onwards the format has been 50 overs per side. The 2007 final was shortened by rain, and the 2019 final was tied twice, in the match and in the Super Over, before England were declared winners on boundary count.
| Year | Winner | Winner’s Score | Runner-up | Runner-up’s Score | Margin | Final Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | West Indies | 291 for 8 (60 overs) | Australia | 274 all out (58.4 overs) | West Indies by 17 runs | Lord’s, London |
| 1979 | West Indies | 286 for 9 (60 overs) | England | 194 all out (51 overs) | West Indies by 92 runs | Lord’s, London |
| 1983 | India | 183 all out (54.4 overs) | West Indies | 140 all out (52 overs) | India by 43 runs | Lord’s, London |
| 1987 | Australia | 253 for 5 (50 overs) | England | 246 for 8 (50 overs) | Australia by 7 runs | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 1992 | Pakistan | 249 for 6 (50 overs) | England | 227 all out (49.2 overs) | Pakistan by 22 runs | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| 1996 | Sri Lanka | 245 for 3 (46.2 overs) | Australia | 241 for 7 (50 overs) | Sri Lanka by 7 wickets | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore |
| 1999 | Australia | 133 for 2 (20.1 overs) | Pakistan | 132 all out (39 overs) | Australia by 8 wickets | Lord’s, London |
| 2003 | Australia | 359 for 2 (50 overs) | India | 234 all out (39.2 overs) | Australia by 125 runs | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg |
| 2007 | Australia | 281 for 4 (38 overs) | Sri Lanka | 215 for 8 (36 overs) | Australia by 53 runs (D/L) | Kensington Oval, Barbados |
| 2011 | India | 277 for 4 (48.2 overs) | Sri Lanka | 274 for 6 (50 overs) | India by 6 wickets | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 2015 | Australia | 186 for 3 (33.1 overs) | New Zealand | 183 all out (45 overs) | Australia by 7 wickets | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| 2019 | England | 241 all out (50 overs) | New Zealand | 241 for 8 (50 overs) | Tied; England won on boundary count | Lord’s, London |
| 2023 | Australia | 241 for 4 (43 overs) | India | 240 all out (50 overs) | Australia by 6 wickets | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
Final Appearances by Team
Seven teams have reached a men’s ODI World Cup final, and six have won one. Australia’s record stands apart: eight final appearances and six titles. England have reached four finals but won only one, while New Zealand have lost both of the finals they reached. The table below summarises every team’s record in finals.
| Team | Finals Played | Won | Lost | Title Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 8 | 6 | 2 | 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, 2023 |
| West Indies | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1975, 1979 |
| India | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1983, 2011 |
| England | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2019 |
| Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1992 |
| Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1996 |
| New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 2 | None |
The West Indies Era: 1975 and 1979
The first two World Cups belonged to Clive Lloyd’s West Indies. In 1975 at Lord’s, Lloyd scored 102 and West Indies posted 291 for 8, before Australia were bowled out for 274, losing by 17 runs. Four years later, again at Lord’s, Vivian Richards scored an unbeaten 138 and West Indies made 286 for 9, beating England by 92 runs. West Indies looked set for a third consecutive title in 1983, but Kapil Dev’s India bowled them out for 140 and won by 43 runs in one of the greatest upsets in cricket history. That 1983 final is the match that changed the sport in India forever.
Australia’s Three Peaks
Australia’s six titles came in three distinct waves. The first came in 1987 at Eden Gardens, when Allan Border’s side beat England by 7 runs in the first final played outside England. The second wave was the hat-trick of 1999, 2003 and 2007 under Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting: an eight-wicket win over Pakistan at Lord’s in 1999, a 125-run demolition of India at Johannesburg in 2003 built on Ponting’s unbeaten 140, and a rain-affected 53-run win over Sri Lanka at Barbados in 2007 featuring Adam Gilchrist’s 149, the highest individual score in any World Cup final.
The third wave came in the modern era. In 2015 at Melbourne, Michael Clarke’s Australia beat New Zealand by seven wickets, and in 2023 at Ahmedabad, Pat Cummins’ side beat hosts India by six wickets, chasing 241 with Travis Head scoring 137. Australia’s 359 for 2 in the 2003 final remains the highest team total in any World Cup final, and the unbeaten 234-run stand between Ponting and Damien Martyn in that match remains the highest partnership in a final. No team has matched Australia’s ability to peak for the biggest game across four decades.
The Closest Finals
The 2019 final at Lord’s is the closest World Cup final ever played. England and New Zealand both scored 241, the Super Over was also tied at 15 runs each, and England were declared winners on boundary count. It remains the only final decided by a tie-break, and the boundary-count rule was later removed from the playing conditions. The next closest finals were decided by seven runs: Australia beat England by seven runs at Kolkata in 1987, and by the same margin Sri Lanka beat Australia by seven wickets at Lahore in 1996. Pakistan’s 22-run win over England at Melbourne in 1992 is the third-narrowest final by runs.
The most one-sided finals tell the opposite story. Australia’s 125-run win over India in 2003 is the biggest margin by runs, followed by West Indies’ 92-run win over England in 1979. Australia’s eight-wicket win over Pakistan in 1999, chasing only 133 in 20.1 overs, is the most one-sided final by wickets and by balls remaining. Finals have generally become tighter over time: four of the last six finals were decided by seven wickets or fewer, or by a tie.
India’s Two Titles and Four Finals
India have reached four World Cup finals and won two. The 1983 win at Lord’s, defending a total of only 183, is the most famous upset in the tournament’s history and the result that made cricket the dominant sport in India. The 2011 win at Mumbai, chasing 275 against Sri Lanka, was built on Gautam Gambhir’s 97 and MS Dhoni’s unbeaten 91, and made India the first host nation to win the World Cup. India’s two final defeats both came against Australia: by 125 runs at Johannesburg in 2003 and by six wickets at Ahmedabad in 2023, in front of a home crowd.
India’s final record also features some of the greatest batting in World Cup history. The most runs World Cup history has seen belong to Sachin Tendulkar, who played in the 2003 and 2011 finals, while the 2011 World Cup final remains the most watched match in the tournament’s history. The 2011 triumph ended a 28-year wait for a second title.
One-Title Winners: Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England
Pakistan’s only title came in 1992 at Melbourne, where Imran Khan’s side beat England by 22 runs. Wasim Akram was Player of the Match for a spell that turned the final, and the win remains Pakistan’s defining moment in 50-over cricket. Sri Lanka’s only title came in 1996 at Lahore, where Aravinda de Silva scored an unbeaten 107 to beat Australia by seven wickets. England waited longest for a title: after losing finals in 1979, 1987 and 1992, they finally won in 2019 in the tied final at Lord’s, with Ben Stokes named Player of the Match. England’s journey from three final defeats to a title is the longest road to a World Cup trophy of any team.
New Zealand remain the only team to have reached a World Cup final without winning one. They lost to Australia by seven wickets at Melbourne in 2015 and to England on boundary count at Lord’s in 2019. Both defeats were narrow in different ways: the 2015 final was lost after a batting collapse to 183, while the 2019 final was lost by the finest margin in the sport’s history. The biggest World Cup upsets include several matches involving these sides, but the finals themselves have rarely produced upsets since 1983.
FAQs
Which team has won the most Cricket World Cup finals?
Australia have won six Cricket World Cup finals, in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015 and 2023, the most by any team.
How many World Cup finals has India won?
India have won two World Cup finals: in 1983 against West Indies at Lord’s and in 2011 against Sri Lanka at Mumbai.
Which World Cup final was tied?
The 2019 final between England and New Zealand was tied at 241 runs each, and the Super Over was also tied. England were declared winners on boundary count.
What is the highest score in a World Cup final?
Adam Gilchrist’s 149 for Australia against Sri Lanka in the 2007 final is the highest individual score in a World Cup final. Australia’s 359 for 2 in 2003 is the highest team total in a final.
Which venue has hosted the most World Cup finals?
Lord’s in London has hosted five World Cup finals: 1975, 1979, 1983, 1999 and 2019. The Melbourne Cricket Ground has hosted two.
When is the next ODI World Cup final?
The next men’s ODI World Cup is scheduled for 2027, to be hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The final venue had not been confirmed at the time of writing.