1934 FIFA World Cup

The 1934 FIFA World Cup, or the World's Cup as it was known then, was the second football World Cup staged, and hosted by Italy from 27 May to 10 June. Italy was chosen as hosts by FIFA the Berlin congress of October 1932. It was the first World Cup for which teams would have to qualify in order to take part. 32 nations entered the competition, and after qualification, 16 teams participated in the finals tournament. Italy became the second World Cup champions, beating Czechoslovakia in the final, 2-1.

Qualification
This World Cup was unique in that the reigning World Cup holders Uruguay declined an invitation to participate as a mark of defiance against the European snub from the previous World Cup in 1930, becoming the only holders not to compete in the following tournament. There are also indications that Uruguay declined its participation because the major club teams were afraid that their major players might stay with teams in Europe.
Another unusual fact is that the hosts, Italy, had to qualify. Since 1938, the hosts have been given an automatic spot in the tournament. The next host to compete in World Cup qualifiers was South Africa in 2010; although they are assured of a World Cup place as the hosts, they had to compete because the African confederation is using its 2010 World Cup qualifiers as the qualifying for the 2010 African Cup of Nations. (The South Africans were eliminated at the second round of the 2010 CAF qualifiers.)
Only ten of the 32 entrants, and four of the 16 qualified teams (Brazil, Argentina, United States and Egypt, the first African team to qualify to a World Cup final), were from outside Europe. The last spot in the finals was contested between the United States and Mexico only three days before the start of the tournament in a one-off match in Rome, which the United States won.