The final tournament of the 1934 FIFA World Cup was a single-elimination tournament involving the 16 teams which qualified for the tournament. The tournament began with the round of 16 on 27 May and concluded with the final on 10 June 1934. Italy won the final 2–1 for their first World Cup title.
Bracket
Round of 16
Spain vs Brazil Brazil – who had only kept Carvalho Leite from the squad participating in the previous edition of the World Cup – were outclassed by Spain in the first half, who scored thrice. In the second half, Spanish players played more complacently. Leônidas pulled one back for Brazil, then he scored again moments later, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Later, Ricardo Zamora saved a penalty from Waldemar de Brito.
GK Ricardo Zamora (c)RB CiriacoLB Jacinto QuincocesRH Leonardo CilaurrenCH José MuguerzaLH Martín MarculetaOR LafuenteIR José IraragorriIL Simón LecueOL Guillermo GorostizaCF Isidro LángaraManager:Amadeo GarcíaGK Roberto Gomes PedrosaRB Sylvio HoffmannLB Luiz LuzRH Alfredo Alves TinocoCH Martim Silveira (c)LH Heitor CanalliOR LuisinhoIR Waldemar de BritoIL LeônidasOL PateskoCF ArmandinhoManager:Luiz Vinhaes
Assistant referees: Ettore Carminati (Italy) Mihály Ivanicsics (Hungary)
Hungary vs Egypt Hungary scored twice in 31 minutes. Rather than being disheartened, Egypt showed a positive attitude and leveled with two goals from Abdulrahman Fawzi. In the second half, Hungary played better and dictated the tempo, scoring two more goals and deserving to reach the quarter-finals.
GK Antal SzabóRB Gyula FutóLB László Sternberg (c)RH István PalotásCH György SzűcsLH Gyula LázárOR Imre MarkosIR Jenő VinczeIL Géza ToldiOL Gábor P. SzabóCF Pál TelekiManager:Ödön NádasGK Mustafa MansourRB Ali El-KafLB Ibrahim Abdel Hamidu SharliRH Hassan El-FarCH Ismail RafaatLH Hassan RaghabOR Mohamed LatifIR Abdulrahman FawziIL Mostafa TahaOL Mohammed HassanCF Mahmoud Mokhtar El-Tetsh (c)Manager:James McCrae
Assistant referees: Generoso Dattilo (Italy) Otello Sassi (Italy)
Switzerland vs Netherlands Netherlands were narrowly defeated by Switzerland. Switzerland took an early lead thanks to Leopold Kielholz finishing off a good piece of play from André Abegglen. Netherlands equalised with Kick Smit, who converted a free-kick by Puck van Heel. Kielholz restored the Swiss advantage before half-time with a long-range effort. After the interval, the lead was extended thanks to Abegglen's goal. Netherlands frequently threatened the Swiss goal, scoring one from a free-kick, but Switzerland held on for the victory.
GK Frank SéchehayeRB Severino Minelli (c)LB Walter WeilerRH Albert GuinchardCH Fernand JaccardLH Ernst HufschmidOR Willy von KänelIR Raymond PasselloIL André AbegglenOL Joseph BossiCF Leopold KielholzManager:Heinrich MüllerGK Gejus van der MeulenRB Mauk WeberLB Sjef van RunRH Henk PellikaanCH Wim AnderiesenLH Puck van Heel (c)OR Frank WelsIR Leen VenteIL Kick SmitOL Joop van NellenCF Beb BakhuysManager:Bob Glendenning
Assistant referees: Alois Beranek (Austria) Ferruccio Bonivento (Italy)
Italy vs United States A superior Italian team had a comfortable victory against the United States, which had played against Mexico in the qualifying just three days earlier. Schiavio scored two goals in the first half, one of which was from more than 30 yards out. A good performance from the US goalkeeper Julius Hjulian did not prevent Italy scoring seven goals before the final whistle.
GK Gianpiero Combi RB Virginio Rosetta (c)LB Luigi AllemandiRH Mario PizzioloCH Luis MontiLH Luigi BertoliniOR Anfilogino GuarisiIR Giuseppe MeazzaIL Giovanni FerrariOL Raimundo OrsiCF Angelo SchiavioManager:Vittorio PozzoGK Julius HjulianRB Ed CzerkiewiczLB George Moorhouse (c)RH Peter PietrasCH Billy GonsalvesLH Francis RyanOR Willie McLeanIR Werner NilsenIL Tom FlorieOL Walter DickCF Aldo DonelliManager: David Gould
Assistant referees: Pedro Escartín (Spain) Bohumil Ženišek (Czechoslovakia)
Czechoslovakia vs Romania Romania were the underdogs, yet they went ahead after just 11 minutes with a close range goal from Ștefan Dobay. After Silviu Bindea missed an opportunity to double Romania's advantage, Czechoslovakia scored twice and held on for the victory.
GK František Plánička (c)RB Ladislav ŽeníšekLB Josef ČtyřokýRH Josef KošťálekCH Štefan ČambalLH Rudolf KrčilOR František JunekIR Josef SilnýIL Oldřich NejedlýOL Antonín PučCF Jiří SobotkaManager:Karel PetrůGK Vilmos ZomboriRB Emerich Vogl (c)LB Gheorghe AlbuRH Vasile DeheleanuCH Rudolf KotormányLH József MoravetzOR Silviu BindeaIR Nicolae KovácsIL Iuliu BodolaOL Ștefan DobayCF Grațian SepiManager:Josef Uridil and Costel Rădulescu
Assistant referees: Giuseppe Scarpi (Italy) Raffaele Scorzoni (Italy)
Sweden vs Argentina Argentina proved a shadow of the team that was finalist in the 1930 World Cup. In fact, they presented a roster of newcomers as only Alfredo Devincenzi and Arcadio López were previously capped by the team. Argentina took the lead with a 25-yard free kick by Ernesto Belis. A more organised Sweden team soon equalized with Sven Jonasson. Argentina showed an excellent attacking prowess and went ahead again with an individual effort from Alberto Galateo. However, an efficient Sweden team took advantage of the defensive weakness of Argentina to score twice before the final whistle and hold on for the victory.
GK Anders RydbergRB Nils AxelssonLB Sven AnderssonRH Rune CarlssonCH Nils Rosén (c)LH Ernst AnderssonOR Gösta DunkerIR Ragnar GustavssonIL Tore KellerOL Knut KroonCF Sven JonassonManager:József NagyGK Héctor FreschiRB Juan PedevillaLB Ernesto BelisRH José NehinCH Constantino Urbieta SosaLH Arcadio LópezOR Francisco RúaIR Federico WildeIL Alberto GalateoOL Roberto IrañetaCF Alfredo Devincenzi (c)Manager:Felipe Pascucci
Assistant referees: Albino Carraro (Italy) Giuseppe Turbiani (Italy)
Austria vs France France took the lead with a goal from Jean Nicolas, who had suffered a head injury in the early stages of the match. Austria drew level on the brink of half time thanks to a goal from the star Matthias Sindelar. An uneventful second half followed, so the match became the first in the history of World Cup to go to extra time. In the extra time, Austria prevailed and scored twice before France got a late second goal from the spot.
GK Peter PlatzerRB Franz CisarLB Karl SestaRH Franz WagnerCH Josef Smistik (c)LH Johann UrbanekOR Karl ZischekIR Josef BicanIL Anton SchallOL Rudolf ViertlCF Matthias SindelarManager:Hugo MeislGK Alex ThépotRB Jacques MairesseLB Étienne MattlerRH Edmond DelfourCH Georges Verriest (c)LH Noël LiétaerOR Fritz KellerIR Joseph AlcazarIL Roger RioOL Alfred AstonCF Jean NicolasManager:Sid Kimpton
Assistant referees: Camillo Caironi (Italy) Louis Baert (Belgium)
Germany vs Belgium A clinical Germany took their chance to achieve a scoreline that did not reflect the balance of the game. Belgium closed the first half in the lead, however, Germany came out stronger from the dressing room and overturned the results. Edmund Conen scored a hat-trick.
GK Willibald KreßRB Sigmund HaringerLB Hans SchwartzRH Paul JanesCH Fritz Szepan (c)LH Paul ZielinskiOR Ernst LehnerIR Karl HohmannIL Otto SifflingOL Stanislaus KobierskiCF Edmund ConenManager:Otto NerzGK André VandewyerRB Philibert SmellinckxLB Constant JoacimRH Frans PeeraerCH Félix Welkenhuysen (c)LH Jean ClaessensOR François DevriesIR Bernard VoorhoofIL Laurent GrimmonprezOL Albert HeremansCF Jean CapelleManager:Hector Goetinck
Assistant referees: Ermenegildo Melandri (Italy) Jacques Baert (France)
Quarter-finals
Austria vs Hungary
An extremely tough game prevented the two teams from truly showing the technical skills they possessed. Austria took an early lead with Johann Horvath, who finished a well-organised team move. Austria doubled their lead in the early stages of the second half. Shortly after, Hungary got one back thanks to a penalty caused by Karl Sesta. The match hung in the balance until Hungary lost two players: Imre Markos was red carded and István Avar got injured. After that, Austria comfortably cruised to the victory.
GK Peter PlatzerRB Franz CisarLB Karl SestaRH Franz WagnerCH Josef Smistik (c)LH Johann UrbanekOR Karl ZischekIR Josef BicanIL Johann HorvathOL Rudolf ViertlCF Matthias SindelarManager:Hugo MeislGK Antal SzabóRB József VágóLB László Sternberg (c)RH István PalotásCH György SzűcsLH Antal SzalayOR Imre MarkosIR István AvarIL Géza ToldiOL Tibor KeményCF György SárosiManager:Ödön Nádas
Assistant referees: Pedro Escartín (Spain) Alfred Birlem (Germany)
Italy vs Spain
The first game between Italy and Spain was one of the most contentious and marred by several poor refereeing decisions, especially seeing Italy players challenging roughly the goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora. Spain went ahead with Luis Regueiro, but their lead did not last long. Italy equalized when Giovanni Ferrari knocked in a rebound, while Zamora was blocked off by Schiavio. The tie required a replay to settle.
GK Gianpiero Combi (c)RB Eraldo MonzeglioLB Luigi AllemandiRH Mario PizzioloCH Luis MontiLH Armando CastellazziOR Enrique GuaitaIR Giuseppe MeazzaIL Giovanni FerrariOL Raimundo OrsiCF Angelo SchiavioManager:Vittorio PozzoGK Ricardo Zamora (c)RB CiriacoLB Jacinto QuincocesRH Leonardo CilaurrenCH José MuguerzaLH FedeOR LafuenteIR José IraragorriIL Luis RegueiroOL Guillermo GorostizaCF Isidro LángaraManager:Amadeo García
Assistant referees: Bohumil Ženišek (Czechoslovakia) Mihály Ivanicsics (Hungary)
Germany vs Sweden Pouring rain influenced the match, which saw very few notable moments in the first half. In the second half, Ernst Andersson suffered a head injury, and Germany took the lead with Karl Hohmann while the Swedish player was off. Hohmann scored again three minutes later. Sweden managed to get a goal back, but their subsequent efforts were not enough and Germany progressed to the first of many semi-finals.
GK Willibald KreßRB Sigmund HaringerLB Willy BuschRH Rudolf GramlichCH Fritz Szepan (c)LH Paul ZielinskiOR Ernst LehnerIR Karl HohmannIL Otto SifflingOL Stanislaus KobierskiCF Edmund ConenManager:Otto NerzGK Anders RydbergRB Nils AxelssonLB Sven AnderssonRH Rune CarlssonCH Nils Rosén (c)LH Ernst AnderssonOR Gösta DunkerIR Ragnar GustavssonIL Tore KellerOL Knut KroonCF Sven JonassonManager:József Nagy
Assistant referees: René Mercet (Switzerland) Johannes van Moorsel (Netherlands)
Czechoslovakia vs Switzerland In a well-balanced game, Switzerland took the lead with Kielholz thanks to a counter-attacking play. Czechoslovakia equalized soon after with František Svoboda, who turned a chance created by Jiří Sobotka into a goal. In the second half, although Switzerland dominated the ball possession, it was Czechoslovakia scoring twice and holding on for the victory.
GK František Plánička (c)RB Ladislav ŽeníšekLB Josef ČtyřokýRH Josef KošťálekCH Štefan ČambalLH Rudolf KrčilOR František JunekIR František SvobodaIL Oldřich NejedlýOL Antonín PučCF Jiří SobotkaManager:Karel PetrůGK Frank SéchehayeRB Severino Minelli (c)LB Walter WeilerRH Albert GuinchardCH Fernand JaccardLH Ernst HufschmidOR Willy von KänelIR Willy JäggiIL André AbegglenOL Alfred JäckCF Leopold KielholzManager:Heinrich Müller
Assistant referees: Youssuf Mohamed (Egypt) Jacques Baert (France)
Replay: Italy vs Spain