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Which teams competed in the first World Cup match?

France beat Mexico 4–1 in that match held in Montevideo, Uruguay, on July 13, 1930.

Why was Leonidas left out of the Brazilian team for the 1938 semifinal against Italy?

The Brazilian coach wanted to save Leonidas for the final. The decision not to field Leoni-das in the semifinal was obviously wrong because Brazil unexpectedly lost 2–1 to Italy in the match. Ironically, in the third-place match two days later, Leonidas scored two goals and helped Brazil achieve a 4–2 victory over Sweden.

Quickies

Did you know …

that thirty-two teams qualify for the World Cup from six regions — Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America — but only European and South American teams have ever won?

Why did England not play in the World Cup until 1950?

The four British FAs resigned from FIFA in February 1928 after a disagreement with how FIFA proposed to administer what are called “broken time payments” to amateur players in the Amsterdam Olympics that were being held that year. “Broken time payments” is the practice of a promoter or organizer compensating amateur players for lost income from their regular jobs. The British FAs had their own system in place and did not like FIFA’s interference. They eventually rejoined FIFA in 1946, and participated in the World Cup for the first time in 1950.