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The Politics Of Hosting A World Cup

“Who did you get in the sweepstake, Adolf?”      “The Sudetenland.”

World Cups, and the hosting of them, are highly political. Brazil has seen protests against the enormous expense of staging the finals while hospitals and schools crumble. 2022’s tournament is due to be hosted by Qatar, a country that has never qualified for a World Cup, with a population of only 2 million and summer temperatures above 40 degrees, Their controversial approach to civil liberties, race, and corruption will come under enormous scrutiny from fans, governments and sponsors.

This will hopefully prove to be the fatal blow to Sepp Blatter’s reign as FIFA boss, but it won’t be a simple matter. Politicians and officials of the highest prestige are involved in World Cup bids (Prince William is the President of the FA), so when allegations of corruption are raised, the stakes are high.

Before we even get to 2022, we have the 2018 tournament in Russia, where attitudes to civil liberties, race and corruption (but not booze) are similar to those in Qatar, with the added element of Russia’s military aggression towards neighbouring countries. Will Ukrainian players and fans be welcome and safe in Russia? Will any? Don’t rule out a boycott à la Moscow Olympics 1980.

Alas, when the World Cup was all shiny and new, it was just as political as it is now:

“No world wars and three world cups…”

Italy 1934 – Fascism

Like the Berlin Olympics two years later, the 1934 World Cup was a high-profile instance of a sporting event being used for overt political gain. Benito Mussolini was keen to use the tournament as a means of promoting fascism, and his footballers did a pretty good job of backing him, by winning the tournament. Thankfully, the world was spared a Fascist Italy v Nazi Germany final, Czechoslovakia knocking the Germans out in the semis.

Italy came from behind to win in two of the knockout stages – it was this period which prompted Churchill to quip of  Italy “They lose wars as if they were football matches and football matches as if they were wars.”

France 1938 – War

In 1938 Spain became the first country to be prevented from competing by war. Austria, the Wunderteam, one of the finest teams of the 1930s, qualified for the tournament and would have been potential winners.

In March 1938 Austria was united with Nazi Germany in the Anschluss and Austria were ordered to withdraw from the World Cup. Many players were forced to join the German squad, but their star player Matthias Sindelar, refused. The Nazis staged an exhibition in Vienna that was thought at the time to be Austria’s last ever match. The Austrians lined up behind their captain Sindelar wearing the colours of the Austrian flag rather than traditional white and black, and they beat Germany 2-0, celebrating extravagantly in front of Nazi officials. It was to be goalscorer Sindelar’s last game – he and his girlfriend were found dead in his flat a year later. Happily, Sindelar-less Germany were knocked out in the first round.

This would have made a much better story than Escape to Victory, possibly with Michael Caine playing Sindelar, and Sylvester Stallone not in it.

Sindelar defeats the Nazis. (http://bit.ly/1oWhSbQ)

Brazil 1950 – Poverty

Remembered for the late Uruguay goal that crushed the dreams of the Brazilian nation, the 1950 tournament was as much a victim of the politics of the day as its predecessors. Occupied Germany and Japan were not permitted to enter, and most nations behind the Iron Curtain refused to participate, including previous finalists Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

Having qualified or been offered a place, Scotland, Turkey, Portugal and France all withdrew when faced with the expense of travelling to and around Brazil.

Eight nations had run out of money and withdrew before qualification had even finished. In Asia the withdrawal of every other nation allowed newly independent India to qualify by default, before they were ultimately barred for insisting on playing in bare feet. India has never since qualified for a World Cup.

Argentina 1978 – Dictatorship

Argentina suffered a military coup only two years before the 1978 World Cup, after the tournament had been awarded to them at the sixth time of asking in 1966. Less than a year before the World Cup was held Interior Minister General Albano Harguindeguy, stated that 5,618 people had recently “disappeared”. Some countries, most notably the Holland, considered publicly whether they should participate in the cup, but ultimately all teams did.

Conspiracy theories surround the game Argentina and Peru played in the second round of the tournament. Argentina needed to win by a margin of four goals to proceed to the final and did so by defeating Peru by
6–0. Did the military dictatorship interfere to ensure Argentina would defeat Peru?

Either way, Argentina got to the final where they met Holland, the team that had considered pulling out of the tournament for political reasons. The River Plate Monumental Stadium where the final was played is located one mile away from the infamous Naval Mechanics School, where prisoners were held and could hear the roars of the crowd

In an ill-tempered game Argentina emerged as host-champions, emulating Fascist Italy in 1934. Like Italy, Argentina was freed from an oppressive government by military defeat only five years later. The footballing prowess of both nations lives on.

The World Popularity Contest finalists agree to share the trophy
The World Popularity Contest finalists agree to share the trophy.

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