Fifa World Cup 1954 - Host Nation Switzerland

Switzerland hosted the 1954 World Cup and built many new stadiums especially for the occasion. There were 16 teams that took part in the finals with a first round group and then a knock out stage.

Hungry were the top team at this time and were favourites to take the cup. In these finals they smashed up West Germany and South Korea scoring 17 goals in the process. They never had a better bunch of players like Puskas, Kocsis, Hidegkuti and Czibor. Another team among the favourites was Uruguay and they had a great World Cup record as they hadn't lost a match in World Cup history up to this time and their run continued also after the group stage after beating Czechoslovakia and Scotland.

This World Cup certainly saw a whole lot of goals and no more so than in the quarter final match between Austria and Switzerland which saw the most goals in any World Cup game with 12 as Austria won 7-5. Uruguay beat England 4-2, and Hungary beat Brazil by the same score in one of the most brutal matches ever with three players getting sent off and the fighting continued also after the final whistle.

Another top game took place in the semi final between Hungary and Uruguay and Hungary won 4-2 after extra-time and so Uruguay's unbeaten run was lost. The Germans had hit top form and trashed their neighbours Austria by 6-1 and the stage was set for a great final. Austria recovered quickly and surprisingly beat Uruguay and secured the bronze medals.

The final saw one of the best turn a rounds in a World Cup final as with clear favourites Hungary going two goals up early on and everything looked safe, but then West Germany in well-known style pulled back both goals and scored a winner to win their first World Cup.