1962 World Cup

Lore & Background

The tournament was marred by violence, including the Battle of Santiago match between Chile and Italy. It saw a then-record six sendings off. It was the first World Cup to use goal average to separate teams level on points, and the first where the average goals per match fell below three (2.78). The Valdivia earthquake in 1960 forced the organizing committee to reduce the number of venues to four: Santiago, Viña del Mar, Rancagua, and Arica.

Reader's Guide

16 teams qualified, divided into four groups of four. The top two in each group advanced to the quarter-finals. Two points were awarded for a win, one for a draw. Goal average was used to separate teams level on points. In knockout matches, extra time was played if tied after 90 minutes; for matches other than the final, lots would be drawn if still tied; the final would have been replayed if tied after extra time.

Did You Know?

• Brazil did not play England in the quarterfinal; they played England in the group stage (0-0 draw) and faced Chile in the quarterfinal (3-1 win).
• Chile won the hosting rights with 32 votes to Argentina's 10, after Carlos Dittborn's speech invoking the phrase 'Because we have nothing, we want to do it all.'
• Two teams qualified for the first time: Colombia and Bulgaria.
• This was the last World Cup for which only nations from Europe or the Americas qualified.