1954 FIFA World Cup

The Miracle of Bern: West Germany's first World Cup triumph

The fifth men’s FIFA World Cup took place in Switzerland, running from 16 June to 4 July 1954. The host nation had been chosen in July 1946. West Germany won the tournament, beating Hungary 3–2 in the final to claim their first title. Hungary had entered the competition as the favourites. Defending champions Uruguay lost to Hungary in the semi-finals and then fell to Austria in the third-place match. The quarter-final between Austria and Switzerland produced the highest-scoring game in men’s World Cup history, with Austria winning 7–5.

Last updated 2026-10-03 from the source article.

Quick Facts

Country: Switzerland
Dates: 16 June – 4 July
Confederations: 4
Teams: 16
Venues: 6
Champion: West Germany
Second: Hungary
Third: Austria

Facts from the source article.

Background

The tournament used a unique group format with seeded and unseeded teams, and only four matches per group. Two groups required play-offs: Switzerland vs Italy and Turkey vs West Germany. The final was a rematch of a group-stage game where Hungary had beaten West Germany 8–3. Hungary's captain Ferenc Puskás was injured by West German defender Werner Liebrich and missed two matches. The quarter-final between Hungary and Brazil became known as the Battle of Berne. Uruguay lost their unbeaten record in World Cup final matches after losing to Hungary in the semi-finals.

Did You Know?

South Korea became the first independent Asian country to participate in a World Cup tournament.
The group stage format was criticized and abandoned after this tournament, as two group matches were played twice while other opponents never faced each other.
West Germany's captain Fritz Walter was said to play his best in the rain due to having contracted malaria during the war.