- The 1950 FIFA World Cup was hosted in Brazil from June 24th to July 16th, featuring 13 national teams divided into 4 groups. It was the first World Cup since 1938, after the 1942 and 1946 tournaments were cancelled due to WWII. In the final group stage, Uruguay defeated host Brazil 2-1 in front of nearly 200,000 spectators at the Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro to win their second World Cup title. This defeat is still remembered in Brazil as the "Maracanazo".

2. • It was the fourth FIFA World Cup.
• It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned
1942 and 1946 competitions having been cancelled
due to World War II.
• This was the only tournament not decided by a one-
match final.

3. • The superball duplo was completely closed
without laces. The ball could be inflatable with
a pump and needle through an almost hidden
valve.
• It consisted of 12 identical panels but the edges
of these panels were more curved.
• 88 goals were scored in competition.

5. Tournament details
HOST COUNTRY Brazil
DATES
24 June – 16 July
(23 days)
TEAMS
13 (from 3
confederations)
VENUE(S) 6 (in 6 host cities)
FINAL POSITIONS
CHAMPIONS
Uruguay (2nd
title)
RUNNERS-UP Brazil
THIRD PLACE Sweden
FOURTH PLACE Spain

6. A 1950 Brazilian stamp promoting
the tournament.
TOURNAMENT STATISTICS
MATCHES PLAY
ED
22
GOALS SCORED 88 (4 per match)
ATTENDANCE
1,045,246 (47,511
per match)
TOP SCORER(S) Ademir (8 goals)

7. HOST SELECTION
Because of World War II, the World Cup had not been staged since
1938, the planned World Cups of 1942 and 1946 were both cancelled.
After the war, much of Europe lay in ruins. As a result, FIFA had some
difficulties finding a country interested in hosting the event, since
many governments believed that their scarce resources ought to be
devoted to more urgent priorities than a sporting celebration.

8. Brazil presented a bid at the 1946 FIFA Congress, offering to host the event
on condition that the tournament take place in 1950 (it was originally
planned to take place in 1949).
Brazil and Germany had been the leading bidders to host the cancelled 1942
World Cup; since both the 1934 and 1938 tournaments had been held in
Europe, football historians generally agree that the 1942 event would most
likely have been awarded to a South American host country. Brazil's new bid
was very similar to the mooted 1942 bid and was quickly accepted.

9. QUALIFICATION
 A total of 34 teams entered the qualification rounds of the 1950 FIFA World Cup,
competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Brazil, as the hosts, and Italy,
as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for
competition.
 The remaining 32 teams were divided into 10 groups, based on geographical
considerations, as follows:
•Groups 1 to 6 – Europe: 7 places, contested by 18 teams (including Israel and Syria).
•Groups 7 to 9 – The Americas: 6 places, contested by 10 teams.
•Group 10 – Asia: 1 place, contested by 4 teams.

10.  However, due to the withdrawals of India, Scotland and Turkey after
qualifying, only 13 teams actually competed in the final tournament.
 A total of 19 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 27
qualifying matches were played, and 130 goals were scored (an average of
4.81 per match).

11. Banned teams
• Both Germany and Japan were not
permitted to participate in
qualification. The French-occupied
Saarland had been accepted by FIFA
two weeks before the World Cup,
several months before the German
Football Association (DFB) was
reinstated, while Soviet-occupied East
Germany had not yet founded a
football association.
British nations
The British nations were invited to
take part, having rejoined FIFA
four years earlier, after 17 years of
self-imposed exile. It was decided
to use the 1949–50 British Home
Championship as a qualifying
group, with the top two teams
qualifying. England finished first
and Scotland second.

12. Withdrawals during
qualification
Argentina, Ecuador and Peru in South America
withdrew after the qualifying draw, in Argentina's
case because of a dispute with the Brazilian
Football Confederation. This meant that Chile,
Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay qualified from
South America by default. In Asia, the Philippines,
Indonesia and Burma all withdrew, leaving India
to qualify by default. In Europe, Austria withdrew,
claiming its team was too inexperienced.Belgium
also withdrew from the qualification tournament.
These withdrawals meant that Switzerland and
Turkey qualified without having to play their final
round of matches.
Teams refusing to
participate
A number of teams refused to
participate in the qualifying
tournament, including most
nations behind the Iron Curtain,
such as the Soviet Union, 1934
finalists Czechoslovakia and
1938 finalists Hungary.

13. Before the qualification competition, George Graham, chairman of the Scottish
Football Association (SFA), had said that Scotland would only travel to Brazil as
winners of the Home Championship. (England, by contrast, had committed to
attending, even if they finished in second place). After Scotland ended up in
second place behind England, the Scottish captain George Young, encouraged
by England captain Billy Wright, pleaded with the SFA to change its mind and
accept the place in Brazil; however, Graham refused to change his position and
so Scotland withdrew from the tournament.
Turkey also withdrew, citing financial problems and the cost of traveling to
South America. FIFA invited Portugal, Ireland and France, who had been
eliminated in qualifying, to fill the gaps left by Scotland and Turkey. Portugal
and Ireland refused, but France initially accepted, and was entered into the
draw.
Withdrawals after qualification

14. List of qualified teams
The following 16 teams originally
qualified for the final tournament.
However, only 13 teams participated
after India, Turkey and Scotland
withdrew.
• Bolivia
• Brazil (hosts, 1938 3rd
place)
• Chile
• England
• India
• Italy (1938 champions)
• Mexico
• Paraguay
• Scotland
• Spain
• Sweden (1938 4th place)
• Switzerland
• Turkey
• United States
• Uruguay
• Yugoslavia

15. Participating countries after 3 of the 16 qualifying countries withdrew.

16. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4
• Brazil (3)
• Mexico (11)
• Yugoslavia (13)
• Switzerland (24)
• England (2)
• Spain (10)
• Chile (31)
• United States (45)
• Sweden (4)
• Italy (5)
• Paraguay (9)
• India (61)
• Uruguay (19)
• France (25)
• Bolivia (54)
Draw and subsequent withdrawals
•The draw, held in Rio on 22 May 1950, allocated the fifteen remaining teams into four
groups:

17.  India qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup finals.
 But the governing body AIFF decided against going to the World Cup,
being unable to understand the importance of the event at that time.
 Reasons shown by the AIFF included the cost of travel (despite the fact
that FIFA agreed to bear a major part of the travel expenses), lack of
practice time, team selection issues and valuing the Olympics over the
FIFA World Cup.
 Although FIFA imposed a rule banning barefoot play following the 1948
Olympics where India had played barefoot, the popular belief that the
Indian team refused to play because they were not allowed to play
barefoot is not entirely true, according to the then Indian captain Sailen
Manna, it was just a story to cover up the disastrous decision of the
AIFF.
 The team has never since come close to qualifying for the World Cup.

18. FORMAT
The Brazilian organizers of the tournament proposed a new format in which the
16 teams were divided into four first round groups of four teams, with the four
group winners advancing to a final group stage, playing in round-robin format to
determine the winner.
The main reason for this choice was money
This format provide more incentive for European teams to make the journey to
South America and compete.
FIFA originally resisted this proposal, but backed down after Brazil threatened to
back out of hosting the tournament if this format was not used.

19. SUMMARY
 A combined Great Britain team had recently beaten the rest of Europe 6–1 in an exhibition
match, they went crashing out on 29 June in a shock 1–0 defeat by the United States,
combined with their 1–0 defeat by Spain, led to England being eliminated.
 Italy, the defending champions, lost their unbeaten record at the World Cup finals when the
team was defeated 3–2 by Sweden in its opening match. Because of this defeat, Italy failed
to progress to the second round.
 The final match in group 1 between Switzerland and Mexico was the first time a national
team did not play in their own kit. Both teams arrived with only their red kits. There was a
meeting held between the Brazilian Football Confederation they tossed a coin and Mexico
won so it seemed they would get to play in their own kit. However they gave a nice gesture to
the Swiss by allowing them to wear their kit so Mexico did the honors of changing.

20. • The final group stage involved the teams who won their groups: Brazil, Spain, Sweden,
and 1930 FIFA World Cup champions Uruguay, who were making their first World Cup
appearance since winning the inaugural tournament.
• The final group's six matches were shared between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Brazil
played all its final group matches at the Estádio do Maracanã in Rio while the games that didn't
involve the host nation were played in São Paulo.
• Brazil won their first two matches with a 7–1 thrashing of Sweden and 6–1 rout of Spain.
• On 16 July, before a huge home crowd of 199,954 in the Estádio do Maracanã, the host nation
only had to draw against Uruguay and the home nation went ahead in the second minute of the
second half to a goal from Friaça; 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, and Uruguay was crowned World Cup champions for a second time. This stunning
defeat surprised Brazil and is referred to as the Maracanazo.

21. Rio de Janeiro São Paulo Belo Horizonte
Estádio do Maracanã Estádio do Pacaembu Estádio Sete de Setembro
22°54′43.8″S 43°13′48.59″
W
23°32′55.1″S 46°39′54.4″
W
19°54′30″S 43°55′4″W
Capacity: 199,854 Capacity: 60,000 Capacity: 30,000
VENUES
Six venues in six cities around Brazil hosted the 22 matches played for this tournament.

22. Curitiba Porto Alegre Recife
Estádio Durival de Britto Estádio dos Eucaliptos Estádio Ilha do Retiro
25°26′22″S 49°15′21″W 30°3′42″S 51°13′38″W 8°3′46.63″S 34°54′10.73″W
Capacity: 10,000 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 20,000

23. Team Pld W D L GF GA Pts
Uruguay 3 2 1 0 7 5 5
Brazil 3 2 0 1 14 4 4
Sweden 3 1 0 2 6 11 2
Spain 3 0 1 2 4 11 1
FINAL ROUND

24.  5 goals
Óscar Míguez
 4 goals
Chico
Estanislau Basora
Telmo Zarra
Alcides Ghiggia
 3 goals
Karl-Erik Palmér
Stig Sundqvist
Juan Alberto Schiaffino
GOALSCORERS
With eight goals, Brazil's Ademir was the tournament's top scorer. In total, 88 goals were
scored by 48 different players, with only one of them credited as an own goal.
 8 goals
Ademir

25. 1950s us soccer logo

26.  It was also the first tournament where the trophy was
referred to as the Jules Rimet Cup, to mark the 25th
anniversary of Jules Rimet's presidency of FIFA.
Jules Rimet, photographed in 1920
3rd President of FIFA
Jules Rimet World Cup Trophy Presented in 1950 to
Jose Nasazzi, Captain of the 1930 World Cup
Winning Uruguayan Soccer Team.

29. Joe Gaetjens - played for the USMNT in the 1950 FIFA World Cup,