FIRST TIME GLORY
In 1934 Italy hosted the World Cup, making their first appearance in the competition. This squad was led by the legendary Giuseppe Meazza, arguably the greatest Italian player of all time. Known as “Il Genio” by the Italian press, Meazza was a prolific goalscorer and a virtuoso with the ball. The team was coached by Vittorio Pozzo, who popularized a 2-3-2-3 formation with two half-backs and inside-forwards.
After defeating the United States 7-1 in their first match in World Cup history, Italy was set to play Spain. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with various controversial decisions favoring the home team. In the replay match, Italy defeated Spain 1-0 on a Meazza winner. They then beat Austria 1-0 in the semifinals and Czechoslovakia 2-1 in the finals, winning the World Cup title in their debut appearance, with Meazza voted player of the tournament.
ITALY REPEAT
With the addition of the talented young striker Silvio Piola, many pundits believed that the Italian squad at the 1938 World Cup was even stronger than the previous one. Italy proved them right by beating Norway, France, Brazil, and Hungary on its way
