CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

Which Country Will Win the World Cup?

Illustration by Paola Bilancieri.

In 1950, the fourth FIFA World Cup was held in Brazil from June 24 to July 16. Brazil became the finalist of its group by defeating Mexico 4–0, crushing Sweden 7–1, and beating Spain 6–1. What happened then could be a lesson for this year’s soccer World Cup, where small country teams are performing with excellence.

Unlike Brazil, Uruguay’s national team, by contrast, showed a different performance. They tied a difficult match 2–2 against Spain after trailing 2–1. Then Uruguay defeated Sweden 3–2, scoring the winning goal just minutes before the end of the match.

The match between a brilliantly performing Brazil and an unconvincing Uruguay would decide the world title. Uruguay, one point behind Brazil, had to win to become world champion. Their rival needed only a draw to lift the coveted trophy.

There was enormous interest in the match despite the consensus among sports journalists and the public that Brazil would be the champion. After all, the Brazilian team had won its previous matches with ease, while Uruguay had only managed a draw with Spain and a hard‑fought win against Sweden. A comparison of previous performances left little doubt about the final result.

On July 16, 1950, Rio de Janeiro was buzzing. An improvised carnival was ready to celebrate Brazil’s triumph over Uruguay. Brazilians completely filled the recently inaugurated Maracanã Stadium. Although the official count was a world‑record 173,850 spectators, unofficial........

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