| Every four years the World Cup takes place and | | | | that was felt in Brazil at the time. |
| each passing World Cup seems to be bigger and | | | | This was the last time Uruguay made a large |
| better than the one before but they are far | | | | impression on the world soccer stage but their |
| removed from the early World Cups. The first event | | | | position was being filled by emerging soccer strength. |
| took place in 1930 in an attempt to bring the soccer | | | | Although the favourites for the 1954 World Cup |
| world closer together but few would have predicted | | | | were Hungary, a team of immense skill and talent, |
| what a success the event would become. | | | | Germany provided a classic underdog performance to |
| The honour of hosting the first ever World Cup was | | | | snatch a victory which sounded the death knell for |
| bestowed upon Uruguay, in recognition of the fact | | | | one of the worlds most highly respected teams |
| that they were Olympic soccer champions. They | | | | although controversy reigns about the final to this |
| showed that their Olympic glory was no fluke and | | | | date. In Germany, the match has been christened |
| added the feat of being first ever World Cup | | | | The Miracle of Bern but doping rumours and |
| champions to their gold medals. Italy then took the | | | | extremely poor officiating benefiting the Germans |
| next two World Cups before the tournament was | | | | played a strong influence on the outcome of the |
| halted by the Second World War. | | | | match and the Hungarians finished heartbroken. |
| The landscape in Europe and relationships between | | | | Germany were soon to become a regular fixture in |
| rival nations had changed dramatically since the War | | | | the finals of the World Cup and in all the tournaments |
| but the World Cup was an opportunity to put | | | | since 1954, one two have taken place which did not |
| national problems aside and concentrate on other | | | | feature Brazil or Germany. The 1978 final between |
| matters. The 1950 World Cup was held in Brazil but | | | | Argentina and Holland and the 2006 final between |
| the host nation and the footballing world was | | | | Italy and France being the occasions when either of |
| shocked when Uruguay triumphed 2-1 in the | | | | the two powerhouses in World soccer failed to make |
| Maracana Stadium to top the group and win the | | | | the showpiece occasion. |
| World Cup. | | | | With improved television coverage and players like |
| This tournament was notable for being the only one | | | | Pele, Eusebio and Beckenbaur the stories of the |
| which did not feature a one-off match as the final | | | | World Cups since 1958 are widely known and most |
| but coincidentally the four team group stage was | | | | people are aware of what took place. The original |
| decided by a clash between the top two. If the | | | | World Cup tournaments may not have been |
| game ended in a tie, Brazil would have won the | | | | captured in cinematic quality like the current |
| World Cup for the first time and the final score was | | | | tournaments but without these landmark triumphs |
| a major shock for Brazil and their fanatical fans. Ever | | | | and the emergence and disappearance of some |
| since 1950, Brazil have been attempting to right the | | | | major names in World soccer, the greatest sporting |
| wrongs of letting their home fans down but those | | | | event in the world would be a vastly different place. |
| present at the time still recall the sadness and anger | | | | |