Background
The 1962 FIFA World Cup was the seventh edition of the tournament and was held in Chile from May 30th to June 17th, 1962. The tournament was the first World Cup held in South America since the 1950 edition in Brazil. The tournament was initially awarded to Argentina but they withdrew from hosting due to economic issues.
Participants
16 teams participated in the tournament, with Chile qualifying automatically as hosts. The other teams that qualified were: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, England, Bulgaria, Hungary, Mexico, Italy, Uruguay, Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, West Germany, Yugoslavia, Spain, and Switzerland.
Format
The tournament featured a group stage followed by knockout rounds. The 16 teams were divided into four groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals. The knockout rounds consisted of single-elimination matches until the final.
Matches
The tournament featured a total of 32 matches, with 89 goals scored. The opening match was played between Chile and Switzerland, with Chile winning 3-1. The final was played between Brazil and Czechoslovakia, with Brazil winning 3-1.
Goalscorers
The top goal scorer of the tournament was Florian Albert of Hungary, who scored four goals.
Winner
Brazil won the tournament, beating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final. This was Brazil’s second World Cup victory, having previously won the tournament in 1958.
Legacy
The 1962 World Cup is remembered as one of the most exciting and competitive tournaments in World Cup history. The tournament featured a number of upsets, with several highly-ranked teams failing to make it past the group stage. The tournament also featured some memorable performances from individual players, including Garrincha of Brazil, who was named the player of the tournament.
Controversy
One of the biggest controversies of the tournament was the semi-final match between Chile and Brazil. The match was marred by violent clashes between the players, with several players being sent off. The match is remembered as one of the most violent matches in World Cup history.
