Chile 1962
Chile hosted the 1962 World Cup just two years after a devastating earthquake the most powerful ever recorded that had killed thousands and destroyed much of the country's infrastructure. FIFA president Stanley Rous was persuaded to keep the tournament in Chile with the famous phrase: "Because we have nothing, we will do everything." On the pitch, the hosts rode a wave of national emotion. The group stage included the infamous Battle of Santiago against Italy a match so violent that the BBC's David Coleman introduced it as "the most stupid, appalling, disgusting, and disgraceful exhibition of football". Chile won 2-0. Leonel Sánchez became a national hero, and the hosts reached the semi-finals before falling to Brazil 4-2. They finished third an extraordinary achievement for a country still rebuilding from catastrophe.
