by Brian Maitland
The 2006 World Cup Finals have started in Germany and Brazil are the overwhelming favourites to win it all for the second time in a row. If they do come through, it will be their sixth World Cup title. No other nation really comes close to Brazil’s success, though Italy and Germany (or West Germany, if you get technical) lag behind with three World Cup titles each.
Despite this unprecedented success at the world level, there will always be something missing—the title Brazil lost the only time it ever hosted the World Cup Finals. Even today, that 2-1 loss in 1950 to Uruguay is still a source of consternation and gnaws at this soccer loving nation’s psyche.
Officially the 2-1 loss did not occur in a final, as amazingly there was no final in 1950. This was the first World Cup since 1938, thanks to World War II canceling out two potential World Cup tournaments in 1942 and 1946, and the new tournament format introduced was bizarre. After group play, the second round was not contested via the typical knockout format. The final four teams were organized into a “final” group. Each team played each other team and the team with the most points would be crowned champions.
It just so happened that the last match of this final group turned out to be between the top two teams. Brazil only needed a draw to win the title, while Uruguay needed to win to top the group.
To fully comprehend what happened, remember that this was 1950. Brazil did not win its first World Cup until 1958. Although Brazil had finished a respectable third at the 1938 World Cup Finals in France, it had not yet become the all-conquering championship side most of the world knows and loves now.
Arguably, Uruguay should have received more respect going into that last match. The tiny country that lies wedged between the giant nations of Brazil and Argentina was a soccer powerhouse. It had won de facto world titles at the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games as well as the first World Cup in 1930 which it hosted.
Brazil’s second place finish at the 1950 World Cup ended up being its best ever placing up to that point. Yet not one Brazilian celebrated what to many nations, then or now, would be seen as a great achievement.
You see, the buildup to that match with Uruguay is what made the loss seem like the end of the world. Having built the world’s largest stadium for this tournament, the 200,000 capacity Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, the grand stage was set. The entire nation was abuzz, especially after Brazil hammered Sweden 7-1 and Spain 6-1 in the two matches leading up to the Uruguay match. Then there was the recent history between the teams, with Brazil taking two wins in three matches held prior to the World Cup Finals that year.
So, with the Maracana filled to capacity and Brazil on form, how could the team fail? This question has puzzled not only the players, coaches, media and fans, it has inspired artists since that fateful day. A number of best-selling books and hit films are still being made about this national tragedy decades later. No one has the definitive answer but some fascinating things developed from the event.
Uruguay’s Alcides Ghiggia puts the winning goal past Brazilian keeper Barbosa
(photo copyright FIFA and Popperfoto)
Barbosa, the keeper who allowed the fateful winning goal with just 12 minutes left in the match, ended up being shunned by Brazil’s national team selectors. Despite being named the best goalkeeper at the 1950 Finals, he only played one more match for Brazil. He actually ended up one day uprooting the Maracana goalposts from that cursed goal he was defending in the second half. He invited a few loyal friends over for a barbecue, and then started a huge bonfire using the posts as firewood.
Most of his teammates were viewed as cursed, too. Although many continued their club careers and even won Brazilian titles afterwards, only Bauer made it onto the 1954 World Cup Finals’ squad, and that Brazilian team failed miserably. They were knocked out at the quarter-final stage in one of the most infamous matches in soccer history—the 4-2 loss to Hungary in the Battle of Berne. Strangely, that side largely got off scot-free despite disgracing the nation far more with their unsportsmanship play against the Magyars.
Brazil even changed its jersey to today’s famous yellow and green after the 1950 defeat. The national team would never again wear the all-white with blue collar shirts it wore in the defeat by Uruguay.
So, although, Brazil is now a world beater, they are still the only winners of a World Cup to have failed to lift the trophy when hosting the World Cup Finals. There is hope that Brazil can stage the 2014 World Cup Finals since the plan is to award the tournament to a South American nation. Brazilians would love to finally see their national side crowned champions on home soil. This would avenge the 1950 tragedy of defeat in Rio. Until that day comes, July 16th (the date of that fateful 1950 final) remains a day of tragedy for many Brazilians, despite the five World Cup titles won by the world’s most successful national soccer team.
