Italy 1934

The 1934 FIFA World Cup, hosted by Italy, was the second installment of the tournament and the first to feature a qualification phase, with 16 teams competing in the finals. Unlike the inaugural World Cup in 1930, the 1934 tournament was organized as a straight knockout competition from the outset. Italy won the title on home soil, defeating Czechoslovakia 2-1 in the final after extra time, amid controversies over the influence of Mussolini's fascist regime on the referees and outcomes of matches. The 1934 World Cup was a showcase of European dominance in the early decades of the tournament and reflected the intersection of sport and politics during a tumultuous period in world history.