22 DAYS TILL THE 2022 FIFA WORLD CUP. DAY FOUR. THE AFTERMATH OF WORLD WAR.

Since 1930, the FIFA World Cup has been held every four years. But has it? Between Italy's victory in 1938 and Uruguay's victory in 1950, no formal competitions were staged. In fact, there was once a 12-year period without a single World Cup competition. Why was the pause so long? Was there a different football competition? Who were the 1942 and 1946 World Cup champions? We've got some solutions.

Italy won the 1938 World Cup with ease, defeating Hungary 4-2 in the championship match to defend the trophy they had won in 1934. In 1942, South America was to host the following competition. But things didn't work out the way they had hoped.

There was no World Cup winner in 1942, according to the World Cup record books, but that is not the whole story. The FIFA World Cup was scheduled to occur in 1942, either in Brazil or in Nazi Germany. The previous two World Cups (1934 in Italy and 1938 in France) had both been held in Europe, so the South Americans were indignant that Germany had even been given consideration. The first tournament was held in Uruguay in 1930, and South America and Europe were meant to host it alternately.

When hostilities between Germany and Brazil erupted in Europe in September 1939 as a result of the German invasion of Poland, FIFA had still not taken a decision. The Second World War officially began at this time. As a result, it was decided to cancel the 1942 World Cup.

- An unofficial 1942 World Cup was held in Patagonia, Argentina

Researchers have frequently attempted to determine whether any World Cups were conducted informally in 1942, and two cases have been presented: one from Nazi Germany and one from Argentina. In 1942, Patagonia, Argentina, hosted an unauthorized global football competition. There were twelve teams in it. Football aficionados who enjoy the game's history have been interested in this event because there aren't many books or even online mentions of it.

Teams at this competition in Argentina included both immigrants and professional football players. There are few details, but it appears that acrobats, exiled revolutionaries, Nazi soldiers, and local laborers participated in the competition. This "lost World Cup" was the subject of a film by Lorenzo Garzella and Filippo Macelloni as well as a book by Daniele Mazzocca and Pier Andrea Nocella. However, no one really has an answer as to which country won that unofficial World Cup in Argentina. In Germany, there was another opinion.

Was Germany v. Sweden the unofficial 1942 World Cup Final?

Despite the fact that FIFA did not organize or recognize a World Cup in 1942, a game was played there in front of about 100,000 spectators. It was promoted as a matchup between Germany and Sweden, two of the top soccer teams in Europe. The game was designated as a "unofficial World Cup final" by the Unofficial Football World Championships.

On September 30, 1942, the Nazi German team lined up against Sweden in Berlin's Olympiastadion after victories over Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania. The German team had earlier lost 2-1 to Switzerland on Hitler's birthday, and the players had been warned they would be transported to the Eastern Front if they lost any more games.

So the match with Sweden was some kind of ‘unofficial World Cup Final’, and one of the biggest football matches in Europe during the Second World War. Sweden stayed neutral throughout the Second World War, and the British army permitted them to go to Berlin for the game. Despite having 98,000 German spectators in the stadium, Sweden won 1-0. Lehner and Klingler scored goals as the Germans rallied to take the lead 2-1. Henry Carlsson, however, drew even to draw the score 2-2 at the break. The unthinkable occurred when Malte Martensson gave Sweden the victory in the 71st minute. Even though there was never an official trophy awarded, some adamant Swedes continue to refer to this as their World Cup triumph. This is especially true considering that the closest they have come since was finishing second in the official World Cup they hosted in 1958.

The 1946 World Cup

The World Cup was discussed after the war ended in 1945. There was no hope of organizing the following tournament within a year, though, as it was scheduled to begin in 1946. As a result, there was no World Cup in 1946, and it was determined that Brazil would host the following competition in 1949. The tournament was to be rescheduled for 1950 when it was noted how absurd it would be to break with the custom of holding it every four years. On February 10, 1946, Argentina defeated Brazil 2-0 in the South American Championship. Many South Americans view this game as the unofficial World Cup championship, making Argentina the 1946 World Cup champion. FIFA did not recognise it till this day.