After the Berlin Olympics in 1936, the city (and the country of course!) was very much in the "spot light". Always eager to impress, Adolph Hitler decided that the next best attempt to put his country on the World Map was to bid for the World Cup. On the opening day of the 1938 World Cup, FIFA met to discuss the next tournament. Brazil and Germany applied to host the 1942 "edition". Hitler was keen to seize upon football's growing mass popularity and to exploit the Global interest for Nazi propoganda.
Hitler ignored that the Finals had already been promised to Brazil and of course it all proved "academic" as Germany saw invading the rest of Europe a better way to assert Hitler's power. After all, the rest of the World was waiting with "baited" breath....for a World War! German troops began to march through the Low Countries and any thought of a FIFA meeting was shelved!
During the War, Dr Ivo Schriker kept the FIFA Offices open in Zurich and the Gold World Cup was deposited into a bank in Rome, although some day that Jules Rimet hit it under his bed! War took over for the next years and Brazil was allocated the "Fourth World Cup" tournament, destined for 1949. At the same meeting, Switzerland applied and got the 1954 tournament. With the continent in turmoil, Europe could not host the first post war gathering, so South America got it!
In 1950 it was agreed to name the trophy The Jules Rimet Cup, but this was changed to Trophy, marking Jules Rimet's 25th Anniversary as FIFA President. The British Associations rejoined FIFA and a celebratory match between Great Britain and the Rest of Europe was held at Hampdern Park in 1947. The British team won 6-1 in front of an attendance of 135,000. From the gate receipts, FIFA found itself financially sound for the first time in its history....FIFA needed British Soccer after all! (that's another story). In 1950 there were 73 FIFA members and only 31 were able to enter the next World Cup tournament. The British Home International tournament was used as a qualifying "group", with the top two qualifying for the World Cup tournament. In the end only England travelled.
Uruguay  | 2–1 |  Brazil |
|---|---|---|
Schiaffino  66'Ghiggia 79' | Report | Friaça 47' |
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