France 1938
With the dark clouds of a war on the horizon; the next FIFA World Cup was hosted by France. Dutch East Indies became the first team from Asia to participate in a World Cup. The Brazilians brought with them a new sensation named Leonidas. He scored a hat-trick against Poland in a mouth-watering match where Poland’s Ernest Wilimowski finished on the losing side after becoming the first man to score four in a single match. The Brazilians were also involved in the “Battle of Bordeaux” against the Czechoslovakia; in a game that saw three red cards and two broken limbs. The game was won by Brazil, and Leonidas was mysteriously rested for the semi-finals. They paid the price as they bowed out to Champions Italy. The final was Giuseppe Meazza’s night as the Italy captain assisted three goals in a 4-2 win against Hungary.
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Winners: Italy
Runners-Up: Hungary
Golden Boot: Leonidas (Bra)