Austria 1954
Austria at Switzerland 1954 produced one of the most extraordinary matches in World Cup history and one of the most heartbreaking exits. In the quarter-final against hosts Switzerland, the two sides combined for 12 goals in what became known as the Hitzeschlacht von Lausanne the Heat Battle of Lausanne. Austria won 7-5 in scorching temperatures, the highest-scoring match in World Cup history to this day. Theodor Wagner and Ernst Ocwirk were outstanding throughout the tournament. But the semi-final against West Germany was a brutal 6-1 defeat Austria were physically spent after the Swiss epic. They finished third with a comfortable win over Uruguay. Austria's 1954 campaign featured the most goals in a single World Cup match a record that has stood for over seventy years and may never be broken.