What if?
24 famous title changes, replayed the other wayWe took famous International title changes, flipped the result, and replayed every game since through the same rules. Sometimes the belt finds its way home within days. Sometimes it never does.
What if Italy had won?
Real result: Spain beat Italy 2–1 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by December 9, 2022, 429 days later, after 7 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: North Macedonia → Portugal → Switzerland → Ghana → Portugal → South Korea → Brazil
What if Scotland had won?
Real result: England beat Scotland 5–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by April 13, 1889, 392 days later.
The alternate belt: England
What if Germany had won?
Real result: Brazil beat Germany 2–1 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by July 12, 1998, 109 days later, after 2 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Croatia → France
What if England had won?
Real result: Scotland beat England 2–1 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by April 3, 1897, 364 days later.
The alternate belt: Scotland
What if Netherlands had won?
Real result: Germany beat Netherlands 2–1 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by July 26, 1979, 1,845 days later, after 5 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Belgium → German DR → Argentina → Paraguay → Brazil
What if Argentina had won?
Real result: Colombia beat Argentina 2–1 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by September 5, 1993, 21 days later.
The alternate belt: Colombia
What if Russia had won?
Real result: Italy beat Russia 2–1 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by June 30, 1996, 19 days later, after 1 reign that never happened.
The alternate belt: Germany
What if Netherlands had won?
Real result: Czech Republic beat Netherlands 3–1 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by September 5, 2009, 2,187 days later, after 12 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Scotland → Netherlands → Belgium → Spain → France → Italy → Croatia → North Macedonia → Israel → Finland → Russia → Argentina
What if Brazil had won?
Real result: France beat Brazil 3–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by June 29, 2000, 718 days later, after 5 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: South Korea → Belgium → Finland → Germany → Netherlands
What if Russia had won?
Real result: Belgium beat Russia 1–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by November 18, 2014, 149 days later, after 1 reign that never happened.
The alternate belt: Austria
What if Belgium had won?
Real result: Argentina beat Belgium 1–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by July 7, 2018, 1,463 days later, after 8 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Wales → Bosnia and Herzegovina → Republic of Ireland → Belarus → Netherlands → France → Spain → Russia
What if Argentina had won?
Real result: Germany beat Argentina 1–0 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by September 3, 2014, 52 days later.
The alternate belt: Brazil
What if Peru had won?
Real result: Denmark beat Peru 1–0 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by July 15, 2018, 29 days later, after 1 reign that never happened.
The alternate belt: France
What if Denmark had won?
Real result: Croatia beat Denmark 2–1 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by November 15, 2020, 868 days later, after 11 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Slovakia → Ukraine → Slovakia → Czech Republic → England → Netherlands → Portugal → Ukraine → Spain → Ukraine → Poland
What if Croatia had won?
Real result: France beat Croatia 4–2 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by November 15, 2020, 854 days later, after 8 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Spain → England → Netherlands → Portugal → Ukraine → Spain → Ukraine → Poland
What if Croatia had won?
Real result: Argentina beat Croatia 3–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by October 14, 2025, 1,036 days later, after 9 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Spain → Colombia → Argentina → Colombia → Bolivia → Argentina → Paraguay → Brazil → Bolivia
What if Ivory Coast had won?
Real result: Sierra Leone beat Ivory Coast 1–0 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by November 19, 2024, 35 days later, after 1 reign that never happened.
The alternate belt: Zambia
What if Sierra Leone had won?
Real result: Zambia beat Sierra Leone 2–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by July 19, 2026, 607 days later, after 5 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Egypt → Uzbekistan → Canada → Switzerland → Argentina
What if Zambia had won?
Real result: Russia beat Zambia 5–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by July 14, 2026, 476 days later, after 2 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Morocco → France
What if Russia had won?
Real result: Chile beat Russia 2–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by July 19, 2026, 246 days later, after 5 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Egypt → Brazil → Norway → England → Argentina
What if Chile had won?
Real result: New Zealand beat Chile 4–1 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by July 6, 2026, 98 days later, after 1 reign that never happened.
The alternate belt: Portugal
What if New Zealand had won?
Real result: Haiti beat New Zealand 4–0 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by July 19, 2026, 47 days later, after 2 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: England → Argentina
What if Haiti had won?
Real result: Peru beat Haiti 2–1 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by July 14, 2026, 39 days later, after 3 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Scotland → Morocco → France
What if Peru had won?
Real result: Spain beat Peru 3–1 · the game
The belt never finds its way back. Today it would belong to United States, not Spain.
The alternate belt: United States