The second iteration of the international football competition was the 1934 FIFA World Cup. The 1934 event took place in Italy from May 27 to June 10. Benito Mussolini, who led the fascist government of Italy at the time, oversaw the organisation of the competition because he regarded it as a chance to show the world how strong and powerful his nation was.
Participants
12 teams from Europe, two from South America, one from North America, and one from Africa made up the 16 teams that competed in the tournament. Based on their geographic location, the teams were separated into four pots, and from those pots, four groups of four were randomly selected.
Matches
On May 27, 1934, Italy and the United States played their first match, which Italy won 7-1. High-scoring games were played in the first round, with Germany defeating Belgium 5-2 and Italy defeating the United States 7-1. Italy defeated Spain 1-0 in the quarterfinals while Austria defeated Hungary 2-1. Italy defeated Austria 1-0 in the semifinals, while Czechoslovakia defeated Germany 3-1.
On June 10, 1934, the final between Italy and Czechoslovakia took place. Both teams had chances to win the game, but they were unable to take advantage of them. After extra time, Italy scored the game-winning goal through Angelo Schizo in the 95th minute to win the World Cup for the first time.
Goalscorers
Oldich Neely of Czechoslovakia led the event in scoring with 5 goals in 3 games.
Edmund Conen of Germany finished second in scoring with 4 goals in 2 games.
Angelo Schiavio of Italy, who scored four goals in five games, finished third in scoring.
Ultimately, the 1934 FIFA World Cup was a successful competition that contributed to the World Cup’s status as the top international soccer event. Italy won the World Cup for the first time with their triumph in the championship.
Format
There were sixteen teams competing in a single-elimination knockout competition, which had a knockout structure. Eight matches made up the first round, and the winners advanced to the quarterfinals. The semi-finals and final came after the quarterfinals.
Legacy
The FIFA World Cup of 1934 marked a significant turning point in the tournament’s history. The knockout format, which debuted at that World Cup and has since become the norm for the competition, was introduced for the first time. Also, it was the first World Cup to be contested in Europe and to involve teams from regions other than South America and Europe. The tournament was a big success, drawing sizable audiences to the games and being broadcast to millions of listeners worldwide.
Winners
Italy won the 1934 FIFA World Cup. The tournament’s second iteration took place in Italy from May 27 to June 10, 1934. Italy won the competition by defeating Czechoslovakia 2-1 in the finals game. It was the first World Cup to incorporate a knockout format, and it featured 16 international teams.
Controversy
However there was some controversy around the tournament. There were claims of bribery and corruption surrounding the competition, and the Italian team was allegedly given preferential treatment by the referees. With a penalty handed to Austria in the waning seconds of the game to secure a 3-2 victory, the quarterfinal game between Austria and France was very contentious. There were claims that the referee had been bought, and the choice was roundly criticized.
