Delaunay's dream: A World Football Timeline

[ArupinumMaivista]

1938 World Cup
"Anschluss"
​

With Germany hosting the 1936 Olympics in Summer, there were doubts if the second European Nations Cup should even take place, especially as football was brought back to the prestigious games. Thus, talks began of 1940 seeing the second iteration of the tournament, with Italy being promised the hosting rights. For now, anyway.

The choice of Argentina hosting the 1938 World Cup came as a nuisance for the European presenters in FIFA. Most notably, Jules Rimet wanted France to host the world's most prestigious football tournament, but that 1932 European competition that he so wanted to forget was in the end used by the Argentines, who claimed how a same country should not host two tournaments in such a short amount of time. Despite the relentless politicking by the staff, the choice for the South American country to host the competition was followed with promise of making this exact tournament an even bigger event than the one of 1930. Most notably, the Argentines promised of constructing the new El Monumental in Buenos Aires by the time the tournament would take place, with a capacity of over 70 thousand. In the end, Rimet accepted, and the preparations were under way. Unlike the previous iteration of the World Cup, which saw 12 European nations participating in the event, the 1938 edition would see that number reduced to 11, courtesy to Egypt knocking out Romania in the qualifiers.

The seemingly usual suspects were to participate in the event, with the likes of Italy, Hungary, Brazil and Egypt entering the competition, along with reigning champions Czechoslovakia. Yet, the shock came on March of 1938, when the German Reich annexed the entirety of Austria, where the Nazi soldiers that were entering the country were met with great enthusiasm by the Austrian populus. The Anschluss rocked Europe, both politically and in sporting terms. The Wunderteam that had won the 1932 European Cup and reached the final of the 1934 World Cup was now gone, and many of its players were now taken to Germany, which had a rather forgettable run in the 1934 edition of the tournament. WIth the Wunderteam under its belt, the NSDAP expected the 1938 World Cup to be a show of Aryan force to the world, and a propaganda win for the Germans. With Austria gone, Norway was now welcomed to the competition, and it would join Poland, Cuba and the Dutch East Indies as the debutant. Unlike last time, Uruguay finally agreed to participate in the competition's qualifiers, but they were surprisingly beat by Brazil! Thus, the 1930 champions would not show up in the 1938 World Cup.

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Participating teams

Pardon for the inconsistent schedule, folks, but we are very close to finally finishing the 1930s of the Delaunay's dream, and in what better way than to finally give Argentina its World Cup which was given to France in the OTL. Politics might be taking over sports in this period, but surely the 1938 World Cup will give us something to cheer for. Staying close to the 1937 Copa America's results, Brazil manages to beat Uruguay in the World Cup qualifications group to qualify for the competition, while Norway is given a spot after Austria's annexation. Without further a do, here are the upcoming matches:



Italy v Norway

France v Belgium

Brazil v Poland

Czechoslovakia v Netherlands

Hungary v Dutch East Indies

Switzerland v Germany

Sweden v Argentina

Cuba v Egypt

 

[Mildtryth]

Italy x Norway
France x Belgium
Brazil x Poland
Czechoslovakia x Netherlands
Hungary x Dutch East Indies
Switzerland x Germany
Sweden x Argentina
Cuba x Egypt

 

[Unknown]

My picks: Italy, France, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Germany, Argentina, and Cuba...

 

[Looper]

Italy-Norway
France-Belgium
Brazil-Poland
Czechoslovakia-Netherlands
Hungary-Dutch East Indies
Switzerland-Germany
Sweden-Argentina
Cuba-Egypt

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1938 World Cup
"A monumental occasion"

​

The opening of the tournament, held in the new and breathtaking Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, saw a festive atmosphere that was reminiscent of the 1930 World Cup in Montevideo. The loud Argentine crowd of 78 thousand that was present for Argentina's inaugural match at its greatest stadium. The opponent just so happened to be the one team that knocked them out of the competition four years ago - Sweden. The loud cheering and the game provided by the Albiceleste in the end brought the Swedes to their knees, and the hosts used their advantage of playing at their home turf to beat the Blagult 3-1. France had a good start as well after routinely beating Belgium 3-1, as did Egypt and Hungary. Norway surely gave Italy a run for its money, as the Vikings managed to hold off the Azzurri for the entirety of regular time before Silvio Piola's 94th minute goal. Switzerland played anti-football as they ran into the German national team, now fielding the players that once played for Austria. Even then, Switzerland managed to pull off a miracle, as they managed to win 4-2 in the replay, thus embarassing the German team even more, while it looked like the Austrians liked to play against the Germans even as teammates. Czechoslovakia had a similairly difficult time with the Dutch, but extra time saw a Goleada by the Velvets, as the defending champions filled the Oranje's net with three goals. Then again, that match didn't even come close to the spectacle that was the match between Brazil and Poland. The debutants from Europe looked to be out of it as the Brazilians scored four times, but Ernst Wilimowski was on a monstrous form that day, and he scored four goals of his own to keep Poland alive. After a hard-fought battle, the Brazilians only managed to snatch a victory when Leonidas scored on the 105th minute. With 11 goals scored, the Poland-Brazil game is certainly the most momentous, entertaining match in World Cup history, at least by 1938, and the Argentines immediately deemed it as the match of the tournament.

Poland's team before their wild game with Brazil

Quarter-finals​

The quarter-finals saw the Brazilians once again pull off an incredible win. Over at Mar de la Plata, the Canarinha met with Czechoslovakia for the second round of the competition. The un-fancied Latin Americans would in the end play rigorously against the Europeans, with three players being sent off in what would in the end become the 'Battle of la Plata'. In the end, the Brazilians won the match in the replay, firmly knocking out the reigning champions out of Argentina. Another enticing game proved to be the one between France and Italy. Le Bleus were hopeful that they could make a splash against the Blackshirt-wearing Italians, who were very much supported by the Italian minority that lived in Argentina. In the end, that support proved useful, as Silvio Piola once again made the difference and scored a brace that helped Italy win by 3-1 against the French. The Swiss, who made that sensation against Germany possible via a style that would soon become known as Catenaccio hoped to pull of another miracle as they ran into Hungary, who were fresh from demolishing the Dutch East Indies 6-0. Despite their best efforts though, the Swiss only managed to keep the scoring low for so long until Gyula Zsengeller sealed the game with a beautiful long range shot. The hosts meanwhile had a rather difficult game, as they met with the Egyptians at Rosario. James McCrae prepared his boys for a tough game, and he wanted to make it as difficult for the hosts as possible, and he did so when Abdulrahman Fawzi and Mostafa Taha each scored for Egypt. The Argentines still managed to make a comeback, but not without breaking a sweat.

The Italians in their Black shirts

Semi-finals​

Just like in 1930, the semi finals saw two South American teams, now paired with two European teams. Yet, the hot temperature and the noise of the crowd didn't seem to impress the Hungarians, who led a brave game against the hosts. Even though Boca Junior's Roberto Cherro did bring Argentina level with Hungary by the 72nd minute, Gyula Zsengeller once again found a moment of brilliance by netting another beautiful goal in the dying minutes of the game, thus sending the Magyars to the final. Over at La Plata on the other hand, the confident Brazilians had finally met their match, as the Italians used their highly defensive and tactical style of play to choke the Brazilian offense. Romeu did manage to score a consulation goal in the 87th minute, but it was not enough to galvanise the Brazilians, who were still one goal short from the Itailans.

Brazilian captain Martim jumping for the ball

Third place play-off
​

The third place match proved to be the most heated one, as the Argentines met with their rivals Brazil for the first time at the World stage. In a highly contentious match, two players were sent off while the rest of it only saw foul after foul whenever a player would touch a ball. In the end though, Vincente de la Mata managed to lead his country to its second piece of silverware, as he took the matters into his own hands and two goals in extra time. The Brazilians though lit up the tournament with their free-flowing and highly offensive style of play, and their players were awaited with great enthusiasm by the fans back in Brazil. Argentina also had something to celebrate, having beaten their greatest rival.

The Argentinian players before the match

At El Monumental, in front of over 70 thousand spectators, the first ever all-European final in an American continent began at the evening, right as the sun began to set over the horizon of Buenos Aires. The soaring temperatures cooled down, and the Italians began their match with Hungary. Immediately at the 6th minute, Gino Colaussi opened the scoring for the Azzurri, followed by Pal Titkos only two minutes later. But that was as close as the Magyars would get to the Italians before Silvio Piola scored for 2-1. After that, it was smooth sailing for Italy, as it extended the lead over Hungary over the course of the match. In the end, Italy won 4-2 to win its first World Cup, in the middle of Buenos Aires.

Vittorio Pozzo and his team celebrating their World Cup triumph

​

And so, the 1930s end with the victorious Italians in El Monumental. Despite Argentina's best efforts, all that the hosts could pull off in the end was a third place against their bitter rivals. While noone knew at the time, football and sports in general would take a back seat only a year later, when mankind indulged in the sport it had enjoyed the most throughout its history - War. Tune in next time for the 1950 World Cup, which would see it return to a destroyed Europe, but in a country that had come out of the 1940s unscathed from the horrors that had ruined the continent.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1950
"Swiss neutrality"​

Following the 1938 World Cup in Argentina, talks for the 1942 World Cup took place, with the prime candidates being France and Germany. Jules Rimet pushed for the World Cup to be held in his home country, but after a lenghty discussion, it was settled that Germany, having already held the 1936 Olympics, had the perfect venues for a World football tournament. However, in 1939, everything would change as the German troops crossed the border to Poland. The World had once again descended into war. 6 years would pass, and what left was a ruined Europe, a scarred Asia, and t he unscathed American continents. The fallout of the war had changed the face of the World, and the following decades would show the aftermath. It would take a long time for Europe to recover, as communism was placed in Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Albania and Poland. Only Czechoslovakia was left unscathed [1], as the republic was surrounded with red. Germany was now split into occupied zones, and its football federation was outlawed from FIFA. It would take until 1948 for the German republic, now stripped of its imperial territories, to unite as a federal state.

​

Yet already in 1946, FIFA held its first meeting since the outbreak of the war, with discussions taking place just where the World Cup could take place. Germany was now out of the question, and France was in ruins. Thus, FIFA looked elsewhere for a host that wasn't affected by the war. That just happened to be Switzerland. The small confederation had remained neutral throughout the conflict, and the Swiss FA agreed to host the World Cup, but in 1950, as opposed to FIFA's proposal of the tournament taking place in 1949, in order for the Wankdorf stadium to be remodelled. FIFA accepted, and Switzerland was now due to host the 1950 World Cup.

The venues for the 1950 World Cup

​

The qualifying process was to be the same as it had been for the previous two World Cups. The qualifiers would feature groups, with 11 entries for the European teams, and an automatic qualification for the host and reigning champion. Finally, after lifting their self-imposed resignation from FIFA, the British home nations were for the first time qualifying for a major international football tournament. England and Scotland both qualified, thus making their debuts along with Ireland, which operated under a united FA despite the country being split, Turkey and India, which made a respectable campaign in the 1948 Olympics. However, FIFA had to impose a rule so their players would not play barefoot. Yugoslavia had finally come back to the tournament after a 20 year absence, and so did Mexico. Spain was back in the competition, but now under the banner of the Francoist regime, and United States made their comeback after not qualifying for the 1938 tournament. Uruguay was finally back after boycotting the previous two cups, but the major absentee was Argentina! The previous host and the team that finished 3rd in 1938 withdrew from the qualifiers after being drawn with Brazil, with whom their FA had a dispute. [2]

Changes in the timeline:
1. The Czechoslovak communist coup fails, which leads to the country being the only Eastern-European state to remain as a liberal democracy. This in itself is a part of a timeline of mine regarding club football
2. Germany unites as one federal republic. This in itself is a part of a timeline of mine regarding club football, where the East German clubs play in the Bundesliga
3. Scotland, India, Turkey and France do not withdraw from the WC, while Ireland accepts the invite due to the WC being in Europe, which wouldn't be as costly as a trip to Brazil

Upcoming matches:
Switzerland v Brazil
Yugoslavia v Mexico
Belgium v Italy
Sweden v India
United States v England
Spain v Ireland
France v Scotland
Uruguay v Turkey
Note:
I am sorry if the changes are nonsensical, but politically, this is in itself a timeline where communism doesn't take entire control of Eastern Europe. Again, it probably sounds nonsensical, and I sadly don't exactly know how else to describe the timeline, and it doesn't help English is my third language, but in club football aspects, it leads to a significantly different landscape.

 

[QTXAdsy]

Switzerland v Brazil
Yugoslavia v Mexico
Belgium v Italy
Sweden v India
United States v England
Spain v Ireland
France v Scotland
Uruguay v Turkey

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1950 World Cup
"A miracle in Bern"​

The 19th of June 1938 was the last time that a football was kicked in anger, and 12 years and 5 days later, it was kicked for the first time since the World Cup finale held in Estadio Monumental. Thousands upon thousands Swiss onlookers gathered up in Bern to watch the inaugural match of the 1950 World Cup take place, and it would see the hosts - Switzerland play against the reigning champions of South America. Indeed, Brazil looked better than ever as the all-white-wearing players gathered up to play against the hosts. The 1950 World Cup could finally begin, and Jules Rimet watched on with the Brazilian delegates, while his colleague Henri Delaunay held talks with others. He himself was brewing something in the background, but the noise of the crowd drowned out about what he was talking about with the English FA's chairman Amos Hirst.

The Brazilian starting XI for the first match

Round of 16​

The opening match was a thriller, with Brazil's Alfredo opening the scoring on the 3rd minute, but Jacques Fatton made himself into a Swiss hero as he levelled the scoring on the 88th minute, and the stubborn Swiss defence helped the Rossocrociati stay in the game all the way through extra time. Thanks to the match staying as a 2-2 draw, the Swiss were able to play once again against Brazil in a replay, but Ademir managed to put any idea of an upset to rest as he scored on the 79th minute. Despite Switzerland's gallant efforts, the Brazilians had prevailed, but that opening match already turned out to be a massive success thanks to the over 60 thousand present fans at the Wankdorf stadium. Yugoslavia also made quick work of fellow returnees Mexico, as a largely Dinamo-led side filled Mexico's net. Željko Čajkovski was particularly in good form, and the Blues quickly gained a new title by the press. The Yugoslavs were no longer the Los Ichachos, now they were the Brazilians of Europe.

Brazil's fellow Southern Americans, Uruguay, routinely beat newcomers Turkey, as Oscar Miguez and Pepe Schiaffino in total contributed to 5 goals. India wasn't any better, as the Asians, who frankly made a decent showing in the 1948, were simply out of their depth when paired with the Swedes. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the tournament was the poor showing by the Home Nations. England, Scotland and Ireland all lost their first ever World Cup matches, and all of them crashed out of the tournament in more embarrassing fashion than the last. Ireland never had a chance against Spain, and La Roja comfortably placed themselves in the quarters. Scotland, expecting snow and low temperatures in Switzerland, had its players showing up with cotton vests, and they were already sweating while the anthems were still being played. Thus, France made easy work of the poor Scots, but that still wasn't seen as bad as what England endured. The favourites of the World Cup, who had just recently beaten the World XI, lost to the American National Team, in what was the first time the English team was ever beaten by a non-European side. Such an upset was completely uncalled for, and the Home Nations crashed out of the round of 16 with a total of 10 conceded goals.

The US players celebrating following their upset victory against England

Quarter-finals
​

The quarter-finals were nowhere near as dramatic as what had occurred in the last 16. However, that didn't mean the matches were poor. The South Americans blistered the stage, as Uruguay pulled off a memorable comeback victory against France, while Brazil played a tense match with Yugoslavia. Both teams had plenty of chances, and the Yugoslavs managed to take the game into extra time thanks to a solid defence and a goal by Stjepan Bobek. However, Zizinho scored for A Canarinha on the 93rd minute, and Brazil led from then on. Italy was rather narrowly beaten by Sweden, and the same occurence happened with the United States as the Spanish battered them 3-1.

A moment from the USA-Spain match

Semi-finals​

Entering the semis, two South American teams would face two European teams. Uruguay played first, and the Spaniards proved to be a tough nut to crack. Alcides Ghiggia scored 1-0 for Uruguay on the 29th minute, but the Spanish turned the result in their favour after only 10 minutes, and that's how it would be for most of the match, with Spain defending its lead until Obdulio Varela levelled the scoring. A stalemate ensued, and a replay was in order. Unfortunately for La Roja, that would be as far as they could go, as Oscar Miguez scored twice to help Uruguay enter its first World Cup final since 1930.
On the opposite side, Brazil had an easy time with Sweden. The canary flew as the All-Whites scored 7 times against the Swedes. Ademir in particular made himself into a hero as he scored four times. Brazil had already shown that they were able to play against the big teams in 1938, but the 7-1 massacre of the Swedes ensured that it wasn't a fluke, and the Brazilians were entering the final with overwhelming confidence.

The Brazilian side moments from scoring against Sweden

Third place play-off​

In a repeat of the 1934 World Cup, Sweden was once again meeting with Spain for the 3rd place play-off. And just like in 1934, Sweden managed to pull out a victory against the tired Iberians for their second piece of silverware. Sundqvist, Mellberg and Palmer each scored during the match to make Blagult unreachable for the Spanish, and only Telmo Zarra managed to score a consulation goal for Spain.

Sweden's players before the 3rd place match

World Cup Final​

Over 64 thousand folks, probably unofficially even more, squeezed into the renovated Wankdorf Stadium for the World Cup final between Uruguay and favourites Brazil. Indeed, the Brazilians have made themselves into fan-favourites during the tournament with their attacking football, and they were expected to squash the Uruguayans, since the fellow South Americans struggled against Spain. The opening minutes were relatively calm, with both sides not exactly trying anything risky. Once the second half began, Brazil's Friaca finally saw an opening, and his goal sent the expected champions 1-0 over Uruguay. However, Uruguay equalised and then, with just over 11 minutes left to play, went ahead 2–1 when Alcides Ghiggia squeaked a goal past Moacyr Barbosa. In a stunning fashion, the Brazilians managed to let victory slip from their hands. And so, Uruguay were once again champions, after 20 years.

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*Note: Typo in the final section. The World Cup final is held in Bern

Uruguay's victory against Brazil was soon enough deemed as a miracle by the press, while the dissapointed Brazilians could only hope that the next time the World Cup would be held, which coincidentally would be held in Brazil, that it would be their time to shine. As for Henri Delaunay, he managed to finally reach an agreement with FIFA, Jules Rimet and the English FA to organise the first European Nations Cup after 20 years, and it would just so happen to take place in England. The country which had just hosted the Olympics in 1948 would now bring back the European Cup after a long, long absence. Next time, we're seeing the 1952 European Nations Cup with four teams qualifying for the tournament: England, Scotland, Hungary and Austria

​

 

[Mildtryth]

However, Zizinho scored for La Canarinha​

For future reference, the article might be "La" in the other Romance languages, but it's "A" in Portuguese.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

For future reference, the article might be "La" in the other Romance languages, but it's "A" in Portuguese.

Oops. Fixing that right away!

 

[Kurt_Steiner]

The Spanish team would not be called "La Roja" in the 1950s due to some political reasons that can be summed up in a sentence: Franco would go very mad.

 

[Mildtryth]

The Spanish team would not be called "La Roja" in the 1950s due to some political reasons that can be summed up in a sentence: Franco would go very mad.

I presume that he's using the modern nicknames for convenience regardless of whether they were actually used at the time or not. For example, we weren't called the "Canarinhos" until at least 1952, since our jerseys were white until then.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

I presume that he's using the modern nicknames for convenience regardless of whether they were actually used at the time or not. For example, we weren't called the "Canarinhos" until at least 1952, since our jerseys were white until then.

Indeed. Though, I will try and use the Nicknames from the time more often. I still hope you lot are enjoying the timeline despite my mistakes.

 

[Kurt_Steiner]

Indeed. Though, I will try and use the Nicknames from the time more often. I still hope you lot are enjoying the timeline despite my mistakes.

Absolutely. I just picked out that nickname because I found it funny. I was thinking about Franco going berserker at hearing "la Roja" and I was too amused by that...

Keep with your excellent TLl, please!

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Absolutely. I just picked out that nickname because I found it funny. I was thinking about Franco going berserker at hearing "la Roja" and I was too amused by that...

Keep with your excellent TLl, please!

Thanks for the kind words! I might pause my timeline if things irl get busy for me, but I want to keep up this weekly schedule, so the 1952 Euro is coming next weekend

 

[QTXAdsy]

So Scotland still have a bad time in a debut WC...oh well, things can only getting better from here, right?

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

So Scotland still have a bad time in a debut WC...oh well, things can only getting better from here, right?

Well, same can be said for all of the Home Nations 🙃

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1952 European Nations Cup
"Football comes home"

​

Amidst the buildup to the 1950 World Cup, Henri Delaunay used his time to pay a visit to the English FA, following its return to FIFA after the war. The 1948 Olympics in London by itself were a massive success, and Delaunay wanted to finally bring the European Cup back from its slumber. After some lobbying, and even begging, a deal was finally reached for football to come to the Home Islands. England, along with Scotland, would now host the returning European Cup, and the two nations saw it as a fantastic opportunity to show their supremacy in the sport.

However, things did not go according to plan, just like in 1932. Sweden, Yugoslavia, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands refused to participate, with Sweden's withdrawal in particular being annoying to the organisers due to the Blagult winning the 1948 Olympics, while the rest still saw the 1952 Olympics as the main priority. Nonetheless, Delaunay, along with English FA chairman Amos Hirst managed to invite two quality nations to the tournament - Austria and Hungary. Austria, having been readmitted to FIFA following the war, was still a strong side in Europe, while Hungary was seemingly on the up with a promising generation of players like Zoltan Czibor, Ferenc Puskas and Sandor Kocsis. The organisers deemed them as suitable rivals for England and Scotland, and the venues promised for a footballing spectacle. Both Wembley and Hampden Park were brought in, while Old Trafford in Manchester and Easter Road in Edinburgh looked like good warm-up in the semis.

Semi-finals​

Just as predicted, both Old Trafford and Easter Road were sold out, with fans flocking in to see the supposed "Best of Europe" play it out for a new and fresh Trophée de l'Europe. England faced off with Austria, while Scotland was going to see if Hungary really was the real deal. In fact, the Magyars were the real deal. Already by the 26th minute, Hungary led 2-0 thanks to "Cucu" Bozsik, and the Hungarians were relentless in their attack as they remained a constant threat to the Scots, with Nandor Hidegkuti scoring in the 44th minute to make it 3-1. Bobby Johnstone did slim down the scoring at the 46th minute, after a brace that made the public stand up, now that it was 3-2, but Sandor Kocsis finished the game in the 89th minute. It was 4-2, but Scotland gave it her all. Unfortunately, Hungary was too strong.

A young Tommy Ring outsmarting goalkeeper Gyula Grocics

​

England on the other hand, had to play against the Wonder team of the continent - Austria. Nat Lofthouse was the first to score, with a brilliant shoot in the 27th minute to put England up 1-0, only for Adolf Huber to level the scoring one minute later thanks to a penalty. Indeed, the first half of the match ended up seeing three goals in a span of only three minutes, as Jackie Sewell put England in the lead once more. From then on, it was a slog. Robert Deinst made it 2-2 just before the half time, and the second half only proved to be filled with rough play, as opposed to the phenomenal first 45 minutes of the match. In the end, Lofthouse made himself into the hero of the game, as he sent the Old Trafford into ecstacy in the 83rd minute. England Blazed away into victory, and were now keen on playing on the United Kingdom's biggest stadium smack-dab in the middle of Glasgow, much to the annoyance of the Scots.

Nat Lofthouse (left) during the second goal

Third place match and final
​

Unfortunately for Scotland, not even a crowd of over 90 thousand could lead the poor dark-blues to victory, as Ernst Melchior silenced Wembley at the 26th minute. The Scots didn't manage to recover from that early shock, and Austria was available to achieve a 3rd spot in the Euro. Now, it was time for Hampden Park. In front of almost 130 thousand spectators, the Three Lions stepped onto the pitch to face off against the Hungarians. The Kings of football against the Magyars, and a trophy at stakes. In a shocking turn of events, Nandor Hidegkuti immediately caused an upset, scoring in the very first minute. England was shaken, but not stirred, and Jackie Sewell returned the favour 12 minutes later. Things seemed to be repeating just like in the game against Austria, but Sewell's goal only opened the floodgates, as the Hungarians began to intensify their attack. By the 27th minute, it was 4-1 for Hungary. Ferenc Puskas, at the tender age of 25, scored two goals in only three minutes, while Hidegkuti added one more for himself. For every English attempt, Hungary had an answer, with only a moment of brilliance by Stan Mortensen bringing some hope for the host by the end of the first half. 4-2 for Hungary, in the middle of Hampden Park. This was not going to be pretty. Nonetheless, England tried to apply pressure in the second half, but Hungary's 3-2-3-2 formation made the Three Lions looked lost in the midst of the game, and Boszik capitalised on that by bringing Hungary into an unreal lead of 5-2. 5-2! No-one could believe it, but England looked utterly outplayed, and with a blink of an eye, it was suddenly 6-2. Hidekguti completed his hat-trick. Alf Ramsey could only score a consolation goal as Hungary had managed to make England's attack useless, and the match ended with an incredible 6-3. Hungary had beaten England at home, in what was undoubtedly the match of the century.

The Hungarians celebrate as the score for 6-3

​

In the aftermath of the tournament, the British press quickly noted the entertaining matches that occured from the Old Trafford to Hampden Park. The winning, as well as the loosing sides all played phenomenal football, and the revenue gained by the sold-out stadiums made this European Tournament leagues more profitable than the original outing in 1932. England and Scotland were both now certainly pushed lower in the footballing pedigree, while Hungary capped off the year with gold in Helsinki. That 6-3 win was no fluke - the Hungarians truly were mighty.

A special thanks to QTXAdsy for helping me out with selecting the venues and added insight for the teams like Scotland. The 1952 Euros, which in themselves were to be the last time Henri Delaunay would get to see his tournament in motion was a massive success, but the 1954 World Cup was going to be as much of a test now, for Hungary; Austria; Scotland and England. Set under the blazing sun in Maracana, the 1954 World Cup in Brazil will see further change for the game. Can England recover from this upset? Can Hungary carry on with this magnificent form? And finally, can Brazil achieve a historic home victory?

These are the following groups
Group 1: Brazil (host), France, Mexico, Yugoslavia
Group 2: Germany, Hungary, Korea, Turkey
Group 3: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Scotland, Uruguay (holders)
Group 4: England, Chile, Italy, Paraguay

Authors note: I have decided to include introductions to World Cups in the posts that will also contain the results, so feel free to let me know who you see going through in this group stage. As for the changes; with this World Cup taking place in a South American country, and Uruguay being champions, both Chile and Paraguay get to participate after a long, long absence. Two teams go through per group, and a knockout stage will then follow. Until then, see you in the 1954 World Cup - Taca de Jules Rimet!

 

[Mildtryth]

Group 1: Brazil and Yugoslavia
Group 2: Hungary and Germany
Group 3: Uruguay and Austria
Group 4: England and Paraguay

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1954 World Cup
"The sun always shines in de Janeiro"

​

Having been unanimously decided as the host of the 1954 World Cup, Brazil was expected to put up a show like no other. The Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro in itself was going to dwarf every stadium that had hosted the World Cup in the past. Montevideo, Wankdorf, El Monumental; they were all tiny when compared to the beautiful, yet monstrous Maracana, and its capacity of 200 thousand. It felt like the whole world was watching the game. No doubt, the 1954 World Cup was surely going to be the biggest sporting event of the decade.

It all looked set for what was surely going to be the most splendid World Nations Cup of Football, but controversy did not escape the tournament. Due to the costly nature of hosting such an event, the organisers proposed a new format. A pool format. The 16 participating teams were to be divided into four pools, each containing four teams. Every team was guaranteed to play three games, and the leading two teams would then qualify for the knockout phase which had been a staple of the World Cup, though now reduced to the quarter-final. FIFA, as always, resisted such a proposal, but quickly changed its mind once Brazil threatened to back out from hosting the tournament. Thus, the 1954 edition of the tournament would see a new first in form of the group stage. No proper geographical basis was counted in the seeding and drawing procedure, thus Chile would have to play with their old mates Paraguay back in group 4.

As for the teams, Argentina once again refused to participate, since its FA was in the middle of a dispute with the Brazilians, while Paraguay and Chile made their returns to the WC after a 24 year long absence. Czechoslovakia, having failed to qualify in the previous tournament, was now back with Laszlo Kubala as their best player after defecting from Hungary. Speaking of which, Hungary was now the first country from the communist block to play in the World Cup, and their recent performances in the Euros and the Olympics automatically made them as one of the favourites along with Brazil and England. Having been outlawed in the previous tournament, and only having the DFB reestablished in 1949, Germany was finally back in the World Cup, now with the likes of Helmut Rahn, Max Morlock and Fritz Walter. Austria was back as well, following its promising 3rd place in the 1952 Euros, along with Scotland, England and Hungary. Perhaps the biggest unknown of the tournament was Korea. Having dominated the qualifying phase against Japan, perhaps they could make a splash in their debut.

Ferenc Puskas shaking hands with Korean captain and Pyongyang native Cha Young-gwang

Group Stage​

Group 1

Under the scorching sun at Maracana, in front of over 80 thousand people, Brazil opened the tournament in style by demolishing Mexico 4-0. A Canarinha, now with a fresh yellow-blue kit showed extra class with a breathtaking style of football, while Yugoslavia made a good start with a squeaky 1-0 win against France. Indeed, Les Bleus were once again overwhelmed, and not even a win against Mexico ensured a trip to the quarters as Brazil slammed them with 2-0. In the end, the decisive match for 1st place was to be shared between Yugoslavia and Brazil, but not even the prowess of Vladimir Beara and Bernard Vukas could stop the hosts, as the overwhelmingly loud Torcida over at the Maracana contributed in Brazil's eventual triumph against the Blues of Yugoslavia. Unknowingly though, Bernard Vukas was inspired by the fans of Brazil, and he quickly spread the word back in Split after the tournament...

Group 2

The reigning champions of Europe made a dazzling return to the World Cup, as they scored 24 goals in the Group stage alone. Indeed, the Mighty Magyars, inspired by the likes of Gyula Grocics, Tibor Nyilasi, Ferenc Puskas, Nandor Hidegkuti, Zoltan Czibor and Sandor Kocsis completely demolished the competition, first by destroying Korea 9-0, before running circles around the returning Germans in a 8-3 performance. Despite that overwhelming defeat, Germany did recover to finish 2nd in the group, with Turkey as the best of the rest. However, Hungary was weakened when Puskas suffered a fracture, and the Hungarians would now have to play without his goalscoring prowess.

Group 3

The reigning champions began their campaign comfortably, as poor Czechoslovakia quickly collapsed into the punching bag of the group. Indeed, the Velvets failed to score a single goal, and their 5-0 loss against Austria especially hurt. However, Austria's win against Czechoslovakia, and the subsequent draw with Uruguay meant nothing when Scotland, fresh from that embarrassment at Wembley, triumphed with a glorious 4-1 win against the whites. Inspired by the Hibs' "Famous Five" that featured Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly and Gordon Smith, Scotland showed that it had a team that was capable of achieving great results when it mattered.

Group 4

Scotland's neighbours made a similar impression, as England dominated the group along with a rejuvenated Italian team. Both made quick work of Chile and Paraguay, with the latter at least managing to celebrate a win against their fellow South Americans. With both England and Italy being tied on points, a play-off would have to decide just who of the two teams would get to sit on the throne of the group. At Belo Horizonte, a rather sizable crowd gathered up as England put up a stellar performance again Italy, with the Three Lions bashing the Azzurri 3-1 thanks to Dennis Wilshaw and the Lion of Bolton - Nat Lofthouse.

Changes in this timeline: Three games are played in this TL as opposed to the IRL, where the 1954 WC had a group stage that had 2 games played by each team. With Czechoslovakia remaining democratic in this TL, Laszlo Kubala remains there instead of going to Spain. Scotland, without wearing cotton vests, puts up a brave effort in their group, with a win against Austria based on their win in 1955.

The upcoming matches for quarter-finals are:
England v Scotland
Hungary v Yugoslavia
Uruguay v Italy
Brazil v Germany

Some great matches are here. Scotland v England, Hungary v Yugoslavia. This will be fun!