The Pre-War Era

FIFA World Cup 1930

The World Cup in 1930 was to be hosted by Uruguay as decided by the FIFA Congress in 1928. The reigning Olympic champions, not co-incidentally, also celebrated a 100 years of independence that year but the Argentines had not read the script and raced to a 2-1 half-time lead. A pre-match disagreement had occurred over the match ball, however, and an Argentine ball was used for the first half while a Uruguayan one was used in the second. With a familiar friend at their feet, the home side scored three without reply in the second half, and were crowned the first world champions.

FIFA World Cup 1934

1934 Italy saw the fading out of the Austrian Wunderteam; one of the greatest sides never to win a World Cup. The host nation beat the Austrians in a semi-final of “brain vs brawn” and it was the last time a global audience saw arguably the greatest Austrian, Matthias Sindelar aka the Paper man. After celebrating a goal too exuberantly in front of the Nazi rank and file in a match commemorating the union of Austria and Germany in 1938 and refusing to be a part of the unified team for the 1938 World Cup, he was found dead in his apartment in January 1939. The Gestapo were known to have a file on him. 

Matthias Sindelar Courtesy: Futbologia.org

FIFA World Cup 1938
Benito Mussolini used the power and reach of the beautiful game as fascist propaganda in France, 1938. After two fascist salutes in the opening game against Norway in Marseille, the Italians changed into an all-black strip against France in the quarterfinal after losing the toss of a coin to decide who wears a blue strip which was a first choice for both teams. The kits were in defiance of the anti-fascism sentiment as the Italians generally wore a white kit as their second choice. A reported telegram by Il Duce before the game, which quite curtly stated “Win or Die” spurred the Italians on past the French and also to a 4-2 victory over Hungary in the final.

Courtesy: Futbologia.org