Berlin: When Italy meet France at the Olympiastadion on Sunday it will be only the seventh time in 18 World Cups since the competition started in 1930 that the final has been contested by two European teams.
The last time it happened was in 1982 when Italy beat West Germany in Madrid to become world champions for the third time.
Their previous two victories were also against European teams, beating Czechoslovakia in 1934 and Hungary in 1938.
Their two defeats in five finals have both been against Brazil, losing 4-1 in the classic 1970 showdown in Mexico City and 3-2 on penalties after a goalless draw in 1994.
They now have the chance to make it four final wins out of four against European opposition when they meet France, who are playing in their second World Cup title decider in eight years.
The first all-European final was played in Rome in 1934 when Italy won the World Cup for the first time with a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Czechoslovakia.
Italy retained their title four years later when Vittorio Pozzo became the first, and so far only, man to coach two World Cup winning teams when they beat Hungary 4-2 in Paris.
The next all-European affair was in 1954 when West Germany beat Hungary in Berne. The other two European finals came in 1966 when England beat West Germany and 1974 when West Germany defeated the Netherlands in Munich.
Match-fixing Scandal
As far as Italy are concerned there are similarities with 1982 when they beat West Germany in the last all-European final.
Their preparations for the finals in Spain were completed against the backdrop of a match-fixing scandal.
Paolo Rossi, who finished as top scorer in 1982 with six goals including one in the final, completed his ban for his involvement in the scandal shortly before the World Cup began.
Italy is embroiled in a far bigger match-fixing scandal now although that should not distract the national team from the task ahead on Sunday.
Goals from Rossi, Marco Tardelli and Alessandro Altobelli gave Italy a 3-1 win over West Germany in Madrid with Paul Breitner scoring the last goal seven minutes from time.
A closely-fought, low-scoring game is in prospect at the Olympiastadion - unlike France's 3-0 win over Brazil in 1998 when Zinedine Zidane scored twice and Emmanuel Petit got the other.
Italy's last appearance in the final in 1994 ended in a 0-0 draw with Brazil and the match was decided on penalties.
It would be an anticlimactic end to the World Cup if Sunday's match was to end in the same way.
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