Overview:

Believing the World Cup would alternate between continents, Argentina applied to host the 1938 tournament.

By Michael Lewis

FrontRowSoccer.com Editor

Believing the World Cup would alternate between continents, Argentina applied to host the 1938 tournament.

FIFA, however, remembering the problems in Uruguay and the travel headaches, decided to keep the Cup in Europe, even with the possibility of war on the horizon. France was selected as the venue, and an angry Argentina decided not to participate in the qualifying competition. Brazil and Cuba showed up, and the rest of field consisted of European teams.

Only two years after Hitler’s pro-Nazi propaganda of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the Germans were hoping to use this World Cup to show how dominant their soccer team could be. Neighboring Switzerland, however, had other ideas, playing Germany to a surprising 1–1 draw in the tournament opener in yet another knockout competition. In the subsequent replay, the Swiss eliminated the Germans, 4–2, as Andre Abegglen III broke a 2–2 tie late in the match, scoring twice in three minutes.

Cuba, which qualified only because Mexico dropped out, and Romania played to a 3–3 draw. That forced another playoff, as the Cubans prevailed, 2–1, despite the benching of goalkeeper Beinto Carvajeles, who enjoyed a spectacular first game. His replacement, Juan Ayra, was just as good and Carlos Maquina scored the game-winner in the 80th minute.

There were more close calls. The Netherlands held the Czechs, the 1934 runners-up, to a scoreless tie in regulation, but succumbed in extra time, 3–0. Defending champion Italy sweated out a 2–1 extra-time victory over Norway, as Silvio Piola scored. Then there was Brazil’s 6–5 overtime triumph over Poland, the only match in World Cup history in which players on opposing sides scored four goals. Leonidas da Silva, considered the father of modern Brazilian soccer, accomplished that feat for the Brazilians, while Ernst Willimowski duplicated it for the Poles. Leonidas scored early in the first extra session and Romeo gave the Brazilians some breathing room before Willimowski scored his fourth, but it was too late, in one of the most remarkable soccer games of all-time.

The rest of the first round fell into place: France 3, Belgium 1; and Hungary 6, Dutch East Indies 0.

In the second round, the defending champs, Italy, prevailed over the hosts, France, 3–1, as Piola struck twice. Sweden had few problems with dispatching Cuba, 8–0, as Gustav Wetterstrom found the back of the next four times. Hungary blanked the Swiss, 2–0, as Gyula Zsengeller scored in each half. Brazil and Czechoslovakia played to a 1–1 tie, forcing another playoff. Of course, it was a minor miracle that either of those two teams was standing after that encounter, now called the Battle of Bordeaux, a physical affair that left Oldrich Nejedly with a broken leg and goalkeeper Frantisek Planicka playing part of the game with a broken arm. In the replay two days later, Brazil stopped the Czechs, 2–1, as the Brazilians used six new players. There were no incidents.

Two days later, Brazil had to face the Italians, who recorded a 2–1 semifinal win behind Luigi Colaussi and Meazza (penalty kick).

Hungary had few problems with Sweden in the other semifinal, as Zsengeller connected for a hat trick in a 5–1 victory.

The site of the championship match was Colombes Stadium, which had been the venue for the track and field drama of the “Chariots of Fire” Olympics in 1924.

The teams traded early goals – by Italy’s Colaussi in the fifth minute and by Hungary’s Pal Titkos two minutes later. But Piola, who was named player of the tournament, scored in the 16th minute, and the Italians were on their way, extending the margin to 3–1 at half on Colaussi’s second goal. Hungary sliced the lead to a goal midway through the second half, but Piola put home an insurance goal eight minutes from time as Italy became the first country to win the World Cup twice.

Unfortunately, Italy would have to wait some twelve years to defend its title because of World War II, although no one realized it at the time.