Squad retention between one World Cup and the next: the share of the later squad that also played four years earlier (same-player join by Transfermarkt id). Cache-only.
World Cup winners keep the band together: champions retain 49% of their squad into the next tournament, against the field average of 40%. The extreme is Spain 2010→2014 at 70% — the most-retained squad ever, which then went out in the group stage (the cost of holding on).
| Nation | Cycle | Kept | % | Reached |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇪🇸 Spain 🏆 | 2010→2014 | 16/23 | 70% | Group |
| 🇦🇷 Argentina 🏆 | 2022→2026 | 17/26 | 65% | Semi-final |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 2022→2026 | 17/26 | 65% | Quarter-final |
| 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 2010→2014 | 15/23 | 65% | Round of 16 |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | 2014→2018 | 15/23 | 65% | Semi-final |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 2014→2018 | 15/23 | 65% | Round of 16 |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | 2018→2022 | 16/25 | 64% | Group |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | 2018→2022 | 16/26 | 62% | Group |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | 2014→2018 | 14/23 | 61% | Round of 16 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 2006→2010 | 14/23 | 61% | Group |
| 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 2022→2026 | 15/26 | 58% | Group |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 2022→2026 | 15/26 | 58% | Round of 16 |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | 2022→2026 | 15/26 | 58% | Round of 16 |
| 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 2010→2014 | 13/23 | 57% | Group |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | 2002→2006 | 13/23 | 57% | Round of 16 |
| Nation | Cycle | Kept | % | Reached |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇫🇷 France | 2010→2014 | 4/23 | 17% | Quarter-final |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 2002→2006 | 4/23 | 17% | Group |
| 🇦🇷 Argentina | 2002→2006 | 4/23 | 17% | Quarter-final |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 2010→2014 | 4/23 | 17% | Round of 16 |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 2010→2014 | 5/23 | 22% | Semi-final |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 2010→2014 | 5/23 | 22% | Group |
| 🏴 England | 2014→2018 | 5/23 | 22% | Semi-final |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 2014→2018 | 5/23 | 22% | Group |
| 🇸🇳 Senegal | 2018→2022 | 6/26 | 23% | Round of 16 |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 2018→2022 | 6/26 | 23% | Round of 16 |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 2018→2022 | 6/26 | 23% | Round of 16 |
| 🇫🇷 France | 2014→2018 | 6/23 | 26% | Champion |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 2002→2006 | 6/23 | 26% | Round of 16 |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 2014→2018 | 6/23 | 26% | Quarter-final |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 2010→2014 | 6/23 | 26% | Round of 16 |