Hosts: Italy
Winners: Italy
Competing teams: 16
Where were England? At home
While the Home Nations continued their feud with FIFA, football’s ever growing community gathered in Italy for the second World Cup.
Played in the shadow of Benito Mussolini’s fascist dictatorship, the balance of power at this tournament was in Europe’s favour. Holders Uruguay refused to send a team, following the European boycott of 1930, and Argentina only provided a second-string squad.
The hosts started off with a 7-1 win over the United States and, after seeing off Spain and Austria, faced Czechoslovakia in the final.
The stylish Czechs were expected to give Italy a tough ride in the final and took the lead with 20 minutes to go. But an Italian equaliser in the final 10 minutes took the game into extra time, where Angelo Schiavio scored the winning goal to give Mussolini’s regime a huge propaganda boost.
Did you know: The San Siro Stadium, home of AC and Inter Milan, is officially known as the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium and is named after the Azzuri striker who starred in the 1934 tournament.
