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World Cup History
It began in Uruguay eighty years ago…
There have been eighteen World Cup tournaments to date, with the first one being held in Uruguay back in 1930. While we will see thirty-two teams line up to compete in South Africa this summer, it was a different story eighty years ago, with just thirteen nations battling it out to become kings of the world. The only European nations involved in the founding competition were Belgium, France, Romania and Yugoslavia, mainly due to the fact that it was an expensive exercise to transport teams long distances back in those days. Although the first goal in the history of the World Cup was scored by Frenchman Lucien Laurent, it was the hosts and Argentina that contested an entertaining final in Montevideo, with Uruguay becoming the first country to win the Jules Rimet trophy after triumphing by a 4-2 scoreline.
Italy reign supreme in 1934
The World Cup circus came to Europe four years later, with Italy agreeing to host the tournament across eight separate venues. To say that the host nation played aggressive football was something of an understatement, although their physical tactics regularly went unpunished throughout the competition, with referees turning a blind eye to the tactics of Vittorio Pozzo’s team. Amid a climate of fascism, Italy beat Austria by a single goal in the semi-final to set up a final with Czechoslovakia in front of 55,000.
The Czechs took the lead in the final, with the Italians equalising in the 82nd minute before Schiavio clinched the match for the hosts in the 97th minute. It was a delighted Benito Mussolini that presented the Jules Rimet Trophy to goalkeeping captain Combi, with many journalists (at least the brave ones) describing the tournament as ‘a shop window for the Fascist regime’.
…and it’s Forza Azzurri again in 1938!
In 1938, the third World Cup was held in France, despite the obvious political unrest that was taking place at the time, with World War Two only a year away. Spain and Austria were unable to participate due to civil war and an invasion from Nazi Germany respectively, although that didn’t stop the Germans from entering the tournament with Austrian players! Interestingly enough, the only South American teams involved were Brazil, Cuba and the Dutch East Indies.
There were fifteen finalists altogether, although England refused to participate and this was the first time that the hosts and holders were given automatic places into the tournament. Vittorio Pozzo once again managed Italy, who had only been beaten once since 1935 and were clear favourites. Although the Azzurri once again won the tournament, it was the Brazilians that caught the world’s eye for the first time. They were a squad of skilful players and it was only complacency that saw them beaten by Italy in the semi-finals.
The Italians became the first country to defend the World Cup successfully by beating Hungary 4-2 in the final, with Colaussi and Piola both scoring a brace. This was a far more merited victory than in 1934, although the world was to be plunged into darkness until 1945 and the Jules Rimet Trophy wouldn’t be contested until 1950.
Brazilians shine but fail again in 1950
Twenty years after the first World Cup, the tournament finally returned to South America, with Brazil building a giant stadium next to the Maracana River in Rio. Amazingly, this three-tiered building would hold 200,000 spectators, something which is unthinkable in modern day football. Uruguay were involved again, while England made an appearance for the first time ever.
Despite the Brazilians losing in the final to Uruguay, this was very much their tournament in a lot of respects. Right from the moment that they thrashed Mexico 4-0 in the opening match, the hosts were in dazzling form, going on to beat Sweden 7-1 and Spain 6-1. However, while Flavio Costa’s team were all about flair, their final opponents were aggressive and these tactics paid off on 17th July when 199,854 people witnessed them win the Jules Rimet Trophy for the second occasion, triumphing by a 4-2 scoreline.
England’s first World Cup adventure ended in humiliating disaster, despite boasting great players such as Finney, Matthews, Wright, Mortensen and Ramsey (who would later manage them to victory in 1966). They lost 1-0 to the USA in their first game (a very big shock at the time) and lost to Spain in the other group game.
Magical Magyars fall short in 1954
The history of the World Cup suggests that it’s often teams that play direct and physical football who prosper at the expense of more skilful opponents. It was certainly the case in Switzerland, with Hungary playing the most breathtaking football, but losing 3-2 in the final to West Germany. In the group stages, the Magical Magyars scored an incredible seventeen goals against South Korea and West Germany combined, although the latter somehow were able to turn things round by the time the final arrived.
Ferenc Puskas was the star of the show for Hungary and he helped his team into a 2-0 lead in the final, although the player’s injury weakened the team and the unseeded Germans produced a big shock. This tournament was the best ever for goals, with 140 scored in 26 matches. Hungarian striker Kocsis scored a grand total of eleven goals, including four in one match.
Nobody can touch brilliant Brazil in 1958
This was the first occasion where a team won the World Cup outside their own continent and the Brazilians did this in some style. A certain Pele emerged on to the scene to score six goals in the tournament, declaring his winning strike against Wales in the quarter finals as ‘the most important of my career’. The South Americans won both the semi-final (against France) and the final (against hosts Sweden) by a 5-2 scoreline, finally learning how to not only outplay their opponents but to provide a killer instinct as well.
It was a tournament which featured all four British teams, with Northern Ireland and Wales both making the last eight. The competition’s Swedish hosts gave a good account of themselves, coming from behind to beat holders West Germany in the semi-final to win 3-1. However, despite taking the lead in the Stockholm final, they were undone by Pele, who scored one of the greatest goals in World Cup history.
Brazil retain trophy in 1962 after beating getting hosts into Czech mate
It was back to South America for the seventh World Cup finals, with Chile managing to host the tournament despite being rocked by a series of earthquakes two years beforehand. Indeed, despite being poverty-stricken, the Chileans built two superb new stadia, although it turned out to be a violent and bad-tempered renewal of the World Cup. A match between the hosts and Italy became known as the ‘Battle of Santiago’, with Maschio having his nose broken and two of his compatriots being red-carded.
Chile won 2-0 to qualify with West Germany in that particular group, while Brazil also cruised through despite Pele getting injured after just one match. England finally got their act together four years before winning the World Cup, reaching the quarter finals, although the brilliant Garrincha ended their hopes with two well-taken goals as part of a 3-1 win. Brazil beat hosts Chile in the semi-final before defeating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final. Could they win three on the bounce in England four years later?
They think it’s all over, it is now! England triumphant in 1966 thanks to a controversial winner
World Cup number eight returned to the ‘home of football’ and it was a tournament to remember for the hosts, who were managed by Alf Ramsey. England had a fantastic team, with Gordon Banks a safe pair of hands in goal, Bobby Moore proving to be an inspirational captain and Bobby Charlton the driving force in midfield. In attack, there was much discussion over whether Geoff Hurst or Jimmy Greaves should be the central striker, although it was the former who got the nod.
The tournament didn’t start brilliant for the English, who drew 0-0 with Uruguay, although they improved marginally to beat France and Mexico. They were helped by the fact that it all went horribly wrong for Brazil, with Pele getting injured in their opening match and the team losing against Hungary and Portugal.
Brighter moments were provided by North Korea, who produced a big shock to beat Italy 1-0 and then had a barnstorming quarter final against the Portuguese, with the latter producing a Eusebio-inspired comeback to win 5-3. West Germany and England won bad-tempered matches against Uruguay and Argentina to progress to the semi-finals, while the same teams knocked out the Soviet Union and Portugal respectively.
The final was a classic and will be remembered for several reasons. Firstly, because the game was won 4-2 after extra-time, with Germany taking the lead and drawing level 2-2. Secondly, because Geoff Hurst’s goal to put England 3-2 ahead has been the subject of much discussion, due to speculation over whether the ball crossed the line. Thirdly, because Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick and finally there was the famous piece of commentary from Kenneth Wolstenholme who declared “they think it’s all over, it is now!” as Hurst powered in the final goal of the game.
Brazil are simply breathtaking to win 1970 World Cup
Fierce heat and high altitude were key factors in this tournament, with Mexico proving a controversial choice to be the hosts of this ninth renewal. Nevertheless, it was a World Cup to remember for all the right reasons and it was truly a victory for football. There were a series of brilliant matches and many of them involved Brazil, who were head and shoulders above the other teams in the competition.
The Brazilians and holders England were drawn in the same group and played out a fascinating encounter which saw Jairzinho score the winner in a 1-0 victory. However, it was Gordon Banks that produced the moment of the match when managing to save a header from Pele which seemed certain to cross the line. Meanwhile, West Germany were in blistering form with seven goals from Gerd Muller helping them to blitz Group 4. The Germans would play England in the quarter finals.
It was a humdinger of a game in Leon, with the English going 2-0 up before their opponents battled back to take the game into extra-time. That man Muller bagged the winner to make sure that Alf Ramsey’s team would not be retaining the Jules Rimet Trophy, although the striker couldn’t stop them losing a brilliant semi-final against Italy, with the latter winning 4-3 to book their place in the final against the mighty Brazil.
While the Azzurri were typically negative, they just couldn’t live with a Pele-inspired Brazilian team in the final. Although the Italians cancelled out the number ten’s opener with an equaliser, the south Americans were rampant and won the game by a 4-1 scoreline. Arguably the greatest goal in World Cup history was scored by Carlos Alberto, with the ball being passed beautifully before Pele rolled the ball into the path of the full-back for him to practically burst the net with his shot.
This was a third victory for Brazil and one which allowed them to keep the Jules Rimet trophy. It was also the first tournament where tactical substitutions were allowed (rather than just for injured players). A crowd of 110,000 were in Mexico City to watch the final.
Holland are the real winners in 1974, although West Germany win second Cup
Security was high for this tournament following the massacre at the 1972 Olympics, with armed police and soldiers present at every game. This was the first World Cup where there were no semi-finals, with the tournament being organised so that the winners of the two second-round groups playing in the final.
Great things were expected of Brazil after that magical summer in 1970, although there was a real fall from grace as far as the holders were concerned. Goalless draws with Yugoslavia and Scotland were not on the cards in the group matches, with Holland powering past them by a 2-0 scoreline to top their second-round group. The hunted became the hunter, with the Brazilian defenders trying to kick lumps out of Johan Cruyff to no avail.
Indeed, the Dutch were a formidable outfit and became synonymous with the concept of ‘total football’ which involved a fluid formation with attackers becoming defenders and vice versa. They were pitted against hosts West Germany in the final and took the lead immediately thanks to a Neeskens penalty, with Holland having several chances to extend their lead.
However, the West Germans were typically well-organised and Paul Breitner equalised before the prolific Gerd Muller bagged the winning goal and wrote his name into World Cup folklore. Up until the final, the Netherlands had only conceded one goal and this team captured the imagination and were many people’s real winner of the tournament.
Brutal football, poor refereeing and success at last for Argentina in 1978!
Once again, we had a controversial choice of host nation, especially as the country was ruled by a cruel military regime which liquidated thousands of enemies in 1976. For the first time in twenty years, both finalists had never won a World Cup, although it was a brace from Mario Kempes against Holland that secured Argentina their first ever success and saw some amazing ticker tape scenes from a passionate home crowd!
The hosts had previously been lucky to progress from the group stages, with Hungary getting two players sent off in the opener, while an unjust penalty helped the Argentinians beat Italy 1-0. Tunisia were a revelation after beating Mexico 3-1 and were unlucky to make the final qualifying groups after a goalless draw with West Germany.
Johan Cruyff’s decision not to play in this World Cup didn’t stop Holland pipping Italy and West Germany to a place in the final, where they came up against a roughhouse Argentina side who were clearly favoured by the referee. A Rensenbrink shot hit the post in the last minute of normal time and saw the game go into extra-time where Kempes did the business to finish top of the scoring charts.
Paolo Rossi lights up the 1982 World Cup in Spain
The tournament hit the Spanish shores for the first time in its history and the results were very impressive on the pitch. There were a series of exciting matches, although the hosts were unable to make much of an impact, losing surprisingly to Northern Ireland in the group stages with Gerry Armstrong proving the hero for the Irish. Spain did make it to the second group stage, although finished behind West Germany and England in the table.
The semi-final format returned for this competition and saw Poland lose 2-0 to Italy thanks to a brace from star of the tournament Paolo Rossi. The other semi was an absolute classic and saw the game finish 3-3 after extra-time between West Germany and France. It will come as absolutely no surprise to hear that the Germans won 5-4 on penalties, although they were unable to live with the Azzurri, with goals from Rossi, Tardelli and Altobelli steering Italy to a 3-1 win.
While Diego Maradona is the star turn in 1986
A fabulous tournament in Mexico saw Argentina prove themselves as the best team in the world. Although the south Americans were not a one-man team, Diego Maradona produced a collection of outstanding displays to help his team go all the way. The most notable performance was against England in the quarter finals, which featured the ‘Hand of God’ and also a brilliant solo effort.
West Germany made it to the final, although were beaten 3-2 by the Argentinians. It was arguably Denmark who were the outstanding team in the group stages, although they were humbled by Spain in the last sixteen stage, where Emilio Butragueno AKA The Vulture helped to tear the Danes apart.
1990 was a memorable tournament but a forgettable final
Italy was the setting for the 14th FIFA World Cup and it was an event which provided a great deal of entertainment. The hosts were a talented side, with Roberto Baggio and Toto Schillaci proving to be the stars of the show. The latter scored six goals for the Azzurri and won the player of the tournament award.
The Italians were cruelly beaten in the semi-finals by Argentina, who were lucky not only to win this match (on penalties) but also beat Brazil in the quarter finals. The holders had been surprisingly beaten in the tournament opener by Cameroon, who proved that African football was starting to emerge. Roger Milla was the star of the show and his goals nearly helped knock England out at the quarter final stage.
Even so, England were a class team under Bobby Robson and played a classic with West Germany in the semi-final where the latter went through on penalties. They contested a bad-tempered final with Argentina which saw Andreas Brehme scoring the only goal of the game, ironically from the penalty spot once again.
The United States of America hosts the Soccer World Cup in 1994
It was a strange decision to make the USA hosts for the latest renewal, although it was partly founded on the belief that the game known as ‘soccer’ was going to explode on the scene. Diana Ross helped open the tournament by missing an open goal and a month later, neither Brazil or Italy could score in the final, leading the former to win on penalties.
Dunga, the current Brazilian team manager, was captain that day and it was the fourth time that his country had won the World Cup. Romario and Bebeto were both excellent in attack, with both combining to help their team beat Holland in the quarter finals, before beating Sweden 1-0 in the semi-final. Meanwhile, Roberto Baggio’s first-half brace helped beat Bulgaria 2-1 in the other semi, after the latter had surprisingly beaten Germany 2-1 in the quarter final.
France win their first World Cup on home soil in 1998
The power of corporate sponsorship reared its ugly head in this World Cup, with Ronaldo being fielded for Brazil in the final against the French despite being unwell. It appeared that Nike ordered the striker to play, although he was powerless to stop Zinedine Zidane score two headers before Emmanuel Petit made the scoreline 3-0 in the last few minutes.
This was not a free-scoring France team, who relied heavily on Fabien Barthez, Laurent Blanc and Marcel Desailly at the back. They beat Paraguay after extra-time in the last sixteen before knocking Italy out on penalties in the quarter finals. Meanwhile, one of the best games of the tournament took place between England and Argentina in St Etienne, where the teams drew 2-2 before the latter went through on penalties.
Co-hosts South Korea reach semi-finals in 2002, although Brazil reign again
It was a tournament which left a bitter taste in the mouths of Portugal and Italy, both of whom felt they were a victim of poor refereeing decisions against hosts South Korea. Indeed, it was inconceivable that Guus Hiddink’s team would have reached the semi-finals if they hadn’t received some favourable decisions, although a passionate home crowd certainly aided their cause.
It was Brazil and Germany who made it to the final and a Ronaldo-inspired team that won the match 2-0. The Germans had done terribly well to get so far with a mediocre team, although Miroslav Klose scored the winner against the South Koreans in the semi-final, while Brazil went through against Turkey in the other semi. The champions also beat England in the quarter finals, with Ronaldinho scoring a looping shot over David Seaman.
Italy win their fourth World Cup in Germany 2006
While there weren’t too many shocks in the group stages, the same can’t be said of the knockout rounds, where the heavily-fancied Brazil and Argentina both bowed out of the 2006 World Cup at the quarter final stage. The former lost 1-0 to France after Thierry Henry scored in the second half, while hosts Germany beat the Argentines on penalties and became favorites for glory.
However, Jurgen Klinsmann’s team were undone by Italy’s extra-time goals in the semi-final, with the Azzurri finally coming out of their shells to play some nice football. They would line up against a Zidane-inspired French team in the final, although the star midfielder famously headbutted Marco Materazzi to get a red card and Italy took advantage by winning on penalties.
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