1934 FIFA World Cup

Lore & Background

The 1934 World Cup was the first in which teams had to qualify to take part. Thirty-two nations entered the competition; sixteen teams qualified for the final tournament. Reigning champions Uruguay boycotted the tournament as only four European teams had accepted their invitation to the 1930 tournament. The tournament was marred by its status as a high-profile instance of a sporting event used for overt political gain. In particular, Benito Mussolini was keen to use this World Cup to promote fascism. Although some historians and sports journalists have made accusations of corruption and meddling by Mussolini to influence the competition to the benefit of Italy, Italy has always claimed that it deserved victory in the competition and the successful national team, considered one of the best in the country's history, emerged victorious also in two Central European International Cups, in the 1936 Summer Olympics hosted by Germany, and in the 1938 World Cup hosted by France.

In Their Own Story

The air in Rome was thick with anticipation as the final whistle approached on July 10, 1934. Giuseppe Meazza, his face smeared with mud and sweat, scanned the field for any sign of movement from the Czechoslovak defense. The crowd's roar had become a physical weight, pressing down on the grass pitch. When Angelo Schiavio received the ball near the edge of the box, time seemed to suspend itself; he struck cleanly, sending the leather sphere past the keeper and into the net. In that instant, the Azzurri were no longer just players; they were kings of the world.

Reader's Guide

The 1934 World Cup was the first in which teams had to qualify. The host Italy were required to qualify, the only time the host needed to do so. The format was a straight knockout tournament; if a match was tied after ninety minutes, thirty minutes of extra time were played, and if still tied, the match was replayed the next day. The eight seeded teams were Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. All eight first-round matches kicked off at the same time. Italy defeated the USA 7–1 in the first round. In the quarter-finals, the first replayed match in World Cup history took place when Italy and Spain drew 1–1 after extra time; Italy won the replay 1–0. Italy then beat Austria 1–0 in the semi-finals. Czechoslovakia secured their place in the final by beating Germany 3–1. In the final, with 80 minutes played, the Czechoslovaks led 1–0. The Italians managed to score before the final whistle and then added another goal in extra time to be crowned World Cup winners.

Did You Know?

• The 1934 World Cup is the only one in which the reigning champions (Uruguay) did not participate.
• Egypt was the first African team to qualify for a World Cup finals tournament.
• The Federale 102 ball, manufactured in Italy, was the match ball provided for the 1934 World Cup.
• Oldřich Nejedlý was the top scorer with five goals.