The Defining Moment
Italy 1938
Italy arrived at France 1938 as defending champions and double Olympic gold medallists, with Vittorio Pozzo commanding a new generation. In the final on 19 June at the Stade Olympique de Colombes, before 45,000 spectators, the Azzurri produced a dominant display. Gino Colaussi opened the scoring, Silvio Piola struck twice, and Colaussi added a fourth to seal a 4-2 victory over Hungary. Italy became the first nation to successfully defend the World Cup a feat only Brazil would match 24 years later. The trophy returned to Rome under a darkening sky: the following year the Second World War would break out, and there would be no World Cup again until 1950.
