FIFA boasts of having democratized soccer, but the highest international body has made highly controversial decisions. Several World Cups have been held in countries that are not very tolerant. The first case was that of Italy in 1934, with benito mussolini in power and all the teams waving their arms raised. The last, the bet for Qatar, a country where human rights are systematically violated.
Italy was the site of the second World Championship. 16 teams participated: 10 European, three American (Argentina, Brazil and the United States), and one African, Egypt. The outcome of the World Cup was what it had to be, with the local team as champion. In the semifinals, they defeated Spain in a duel that had to be played twice. And with the approval of the referee who led the first match: the Belgian Louis Baert. He gave the Italians an illegal goal and annulled a legal one for the Spanish. “They have not swiped the game,” said the goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora.
Videla’s Argentina
The arbitrations always favored Italy. Mussolini’s pressure It was suffocating for the referees and their own footballers. In the final, Italy beat Czechoslovakia 2-1. Four years later, the transalpine team won the World Cup in France and the dictator’s message to his footballers before the final was famous. “Win or die”. They beat Hungary.
The Italian team salutes Mussolini at the 1934 World Cup
The second World Cup that sparked much criticism was that of Argentina, held in 1978, during the Videla dictatorship. A few meters from the Monumental, scene of the grand finale, opponents of the regime were tortured. The albiceleste team won its World Cup. Especially embarrassing was their 6-0 win over Peru in the second phase. In the final, Argentina defeated the Netherlands 3-1. Johan Cruyff, the great Dutch star, did not attend the championship.
Also controversial was the designation of Spain as the venue for the 1982 World Cup. The announcement was made in 1966, in full Franco dictatorship. Franco died in 1975 and the country experienced great changes in a few years, but democracy was weak.
failed coup
A year before the World Cup, on February 23, 1981, there was an attempted coup led by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero. The one in Spain was a championship with lights and shadows. Italy triumphedafter a disappointing first phase, thanks to its defensive forcefulness and Rossi. Memorable was his victory against Brazil by 3-2 in the disappeared Sarrià. Platini’s France also shone. In the final, Italy beat Germany. As negative notes, the weak entries in many games and, above all, the fixing in the match between Germany and Austria that ended with a 1-0 German victory and which qualified both teams for the second phase.
Putin, with the World Cup in 2018 : NETWORKS
The last major FIFA scandal occurred in 2010 with the choice of Russia and Qatar as venues for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Neither the Putin regime nor in Qatar many fundamental rights are respected. The buying and exchanging of votes between countries was scandalous. So much racket harmed the candidacy of Spain and Portugal, the top favorite to host the 2018 World Cup and which had received the best grade from the FIFA leaders.
FIFA scandals: Qatar, Russia, Argentina, Italy and Franco’s Spain