For the first time in the 1938 World Cup held in France, the home team did not win the championship.
The last world champion, Italy, also managed to reach the happy ending in France and take the trophy to their museum for the second time.
12 countries from Europe, one each from Asia, South America and Central America participated in the cup in France.
Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland from Europe, Brazil from South America, Cuba from Central America and the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) from Asia fought in the cup.
Continuing its protest, Uruguay did not participate in the 1938 World Cup, as it did in 1934.
Austria could not participate when it was invaded
With the occupation of Austria by Nazi Germany, the number of teams participating in the cup decreased to 15.
Germany could not avoid being eliminated by Switzerland in the first round of this World Cup, in which Austrian football players were also included in its squad.
Italy beat Hungary in the final
In the semi-finals of the cup, Italy defeated Brazil 2-1, and Hungary defeated Sweden 5-1 and advanced to the final.
In the final played in Paris on June 19, Italy defeated its opponent 4-2 with goals scored by Gino Colaussi in the 6th and 35th minutes, and Silvio Piola in the 16th and 82nd minutes and lifted the championship trophy for the second time in a row. In the final, Hungary’s goals came from Pal Titkos in the 8th minute and Gyorgy Sarosi in the 70th minute.
In the third place match, Brazil managed to beat Sweden 4-2.
Pozzo made history
Coach Vittorio Pozzo, who won the championship at the beginning of Italy in 1934, made history by carrying his team to the championship in 1938.
Pozzo is the only coach in World Cup history to have won the title twice.
Leonidas scored 7 goals
Brazilian Leonidas achieved the top scorer by airing the opponent’s nets 7 times in the cup.
Hungarian players Gyorgy Sarosi and Gyula Zsengeller and Italian Silvio Piola shared the second place with five goals each.
84 goals scored in 18 matches
In the 1938 World Cup held in France, 18 matches were played and 84 goals were scored.
With 4.7 goals per game, the top scorer teams of the tournament were Hungary with 15 goals and Brazil with 14 goals.
The match played between Brazil and Poland in the first round, where the South American team won 6-5, went down in history. In the quarter-finals, Sweden left the field with a different result, 8-0, against Cuba.