Sports/Football/World Cups • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
A straight knockout tournament played against the backdrop of the Anschluss (Austria withdrew after annexation); Italy beat Hungary in the Final to become the first back-to-back champions.
Chronological Storyline (18 Milestones)
Jun 4, 1938 CE
1938 World Cup opens in France amid political tension
The third FIFA World Cup kicked off in Paris with a straight knockout format featuring 15 nations. Political tensions shadowed the tournament: Austria had just been annexed by Nazi Germany and withdrew, while defending champions Italy, under Mussolini's regime, arrived amid widespread hostility from anti-fascist spectators in France. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1938_FIFA_World_Cup
Fifa poster By Henri Desmé (?–?) - Here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116238624
Jun 4, 1938 CE
Controversy: Austria annexed, players absorbed into German squad
After the Anschluss in March 1938, Austria withdrew from the World Cup, reducing the field to 15 teams and giving Sweden a bye. Several top Austrian players, including Matthias Sindelar, were pressured into joining the German squad, though Sindelar himself refused and never played for the unified team. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anschluss
Hundreds of thousands on Heldenplatz in Vienna on March 15, 1938 By Heinrich Hoffmann - USA National Archive in Washington, D.C., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5261160
Jun 5, 1938 CE
Hungary crush Dutch East Indies 6–0 in opening round
Hungary demolished the Dutch East Indies 6–0 at Reims in the tournament's opening match, with goals from Sárosi, Zsengellér, and others. The Dutch East Indies, the first Asian team to appear at a World Cup, were completely outclassed but had made history by qualifying. Source — Wikipedia:
Fifa poster By Henri Desmé (?–?) - Here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116238624
Jun 5, 1938 CE
Cuba shock Romania in replay, reach quarterfinals
Cuba and Romania drew 3–3 in their opening-round match at Toulouse on June 5. In the replay two days later, Cuba won 2–1, becoming one of the smallest nations ever to reach a World Cup quarterfinal and eliminating Romania in a historic upset. Source — Wikipedia:
Fifa poster By Henri Desmé (?–?) - Here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116238624
Jun 5, 1938 CE
Brazil beat Poland 6–5 in extraordinary Round of 16
Brazil defeated Poland 6–5 in Strasbourg after extra time in one of the most thrilling matches in World Cup history. Leônidas scored a hat-trick for Brazil, while Ernest Wilimowski scored four for Poland in a spectacular, end-to-end encounter. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil_v_Poland_(1938_FIFA_World_Cup)
Association football match Brazil v Poland played in Strasbourg at the 1938 World Cup. Brazil's captain Martim Silveira, Poland's captain Władysław Szczepaniak and Swedish referee Ivan Eklind, as well as linesmen Louis Poissant and Ernest Kissenberger, both from France. By Unknown author - original "Raz Dwa Trzy" nr 23/400, 12 June 1938 National Digital Archives Native name Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe Location Warsaw Coordinates 52° 12′ 31″ N, 20° 58′ 40″ E Established 2008 Website nac.gov.pl Authority file : Q11789677 VIAF: 285782951 GND: 1072170558 BNF: 170052942 J9U: 987007523276605171 institution QS:P195,Q11789677 sygnatura 3/1/0/5/1536/2, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=104812849
Jun 5, 1938 CE
Italy wear all-black kit vs Norway — anti-fascist gesture debated
Italy defeated Norway 2–1 after extra time at the Velodrome in Marseille, with Piola scoring the winner. Controversy surrounds Italy's kit choice: some accounts suggest Italian players wore black shirts associated with fascism under pressure, while others note the gesture was complex and contested among the squad. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1938_FIFA_World_Cup
Fifa poster By Henri Desmé (?–?) - Here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116238624
Jun 9, 1938 CE
Switzerland eliminate Germany in replay — political upset
Switzerland stunned Germany 4–2 in the replay at the Parc des Princes, eliminating the combined German-Austrian squad. The defeat was deeply embarrassing for the Nazi regime, which had expected its strengthened team to dominate the tournament. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1938_FIFA_World_Cup
Fifa poster By Henri Desmé (?–?) - Here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116238624
Jun 12, 1938 CE
Brazil edge Czechoslovakia 1–1, win replay 2–1
Brazil and Czechoslovakia drew 1–1 in Bordeaux on June 12, with Leônidas scoring for Brazil. The replay on June 14 saw Brazil win 2–1, but the first match was notoriously violent, with three Czechoslovakia players sent off and several injuries on both sides. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1938_FIFA_World_Cup
Fifa poster By Henri Desmé (?–?) - Here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116238624
Jun 12, 1938 CE
Italy edge hosts France 3–1 in quarterfinal
Italy defeated host nation France 3–1 at the Colombes Stadium in Paris, with Colaussi scoring twice and Piola adding a third. The match was played in a hostile atmosphere, with French fans deeply resentful of Italy's fascist associations and the recent political tensions between the nations. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1938_FIFA_World_Cup
Fifa poster By Henri Desmé (?–?) - Here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116238624
Jun 12, 1938 CE
Hungary beat Switzerland 2–0 in quarterfinal
Hungary defeated Switzerland 2–0 at the Parc des Princes in Paris with goals from Sárosi and Zsengellér. Hungary's efficient, disciplined performance confirmed their status as one of the tournament's strongest sides and set up a semifinal clash with Sweden. Source — Wikipedia:
Fifa poster By Henri Desmé (?–?) - Here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116238624
Jun 14, 1938 CE
Controversy: Brazil-Czechoslovakia violent Battle of Bordeaux
The Brazil-Czechoslovakia quarterfinal in Bordeaux was one of the most violent matches in World Cup history, with fractious tackles, three Czechoslovak sendings-off, and Brazilian players leaving the pitch injured. The brutality earned the match its infamous nickname and overshadowed Brazil's replay victory. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1938_FIFA_World_Cup
Fifa poster By Henri Desmé (?–?) - Here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116238624
Jun 16, 1938 CE
Hungary beat Sweden 5–1 in semifinal
Hungary swept past Sweden 5–1 at the Parc des Princes in Paris, with Zsengellér scoring twice and Sárosi, Titkos, and Szalay adding goals. Hungary's devastating attacking display confirmed them as tournament favorites and earned them a place in the Final against Italy. Source — Wikipedia:
Fifa poster By Henri Desmé (?–?) - Here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116238624
Jun 16, 1938 CE
Iconic moment: Leônidas shines barefoot as Brazil reach Final
Brazil defeated Sweden 2–1 in the semifinal at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, with Leônidas scoring both goals, one famously while his boot had come off. Leônidas's barefoot goal became one of the iconic images of the tournament and cemented his status as the star of 1938. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le%C3%B4nidas_(footballer)
Jun 19, 1938 CE
Italy beat Hungary 4–2 in Final to retain World Cup
Italy defeated Hungary 4–2 at the Colombes Stadium in Paris, with Colaussi scoring twice and Piola adding two more, to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups. Titkos and Sárosi scored for Hungary, but Italy's clinical finishing proved decisive in a high-quality Final. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1938_FIFA_World_Cup_Final
Italian players celebrating a win in a 1938 FIFA World Cup final against Hungary at Stade Olympique de Colombes in Paris. By Unknown author - National Digital Archives, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=105438576
Jun 19, 1938 CE
Italy become first back-to-back World Cup champions
By defeating Hungary in the 1938 Final, Vittorio Pozzo's Italy side became the first nation to retain the World Cup, having won on home soil in 1934. The achievement, however, remains forever shadowed by the team's association with Mussolini's fascist regime and the political context of the era. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1938_FIFA_World_Cup_Final
Italian players celebrating a win in a 1938 FIFA World Cup final against Hungary at Stade Olympique de Colombes in Paris. By Unknown author - National Digital Archives, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=105438576
Jun 19, 1938 CE
Brazil beat Sweden 4–2 in third-place match
Brazil defeated Sweden 4–2 at the Stade du Chapelle in Antibes, with Leônidas scoring twice and Perácio and Roberto adding goals. Brazil's attacking flair throughout the tournament had made them crowd favorites, and Leônidas finished as top scorer. Source — Wikipedia:
Fifa poster By Henri Desmé (?–?) - Here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116238624
Jun 1, 1938 CE
Sweden demolish Cuba 8–0 in quarterfinal
Sweden crushed Cuba 8–0 at the Stade du Chapelle in Antibes, with Tore Keller scoring a hat-trick and Gustav Wetterström adding two. Cuba's fairy-tale run ended in comprehensive defeat, and the scoreline remains one of the largest margins in World Cup knockout history. Source — Wikipedia:
Fifa poster By Henri Desmé (?–?) - Here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116238624
Jun 1, 1938 CE
Germany vs Switzerland — Round of 16
Germany and Switzerland drew 1–1 after extra time at the Parc des Princes in Paris, forcing a replay. Gauchel scored for Germany while Abegglen equalized for Switzerland in a tense, physical match played under heavy political scrutiny given the recent Anschluss. Source — Wikipedia:
Fifa poster By Henri Desmé (?–?) - Here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116238624
