WORLD CUPS ON RADIO · 1930–2022
From the Maracanazo to Messi's tears. The complete history of the World Cup, told with radio static in the background.
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Showing 22 editions
First World Cup broadcast on radio. The signal came through with static but the shout was universal.
Mussolini wanted to win. They won. Italian radio celebrated with mandatory restraint.
The last cup before the war. The silence that followed lasted 12 years.
200,000 people in silence at the Maracaná. Brazilian radio took 10 minutes to find its voice.
The Miracle of Bern. Hungary was unbeatable. Germany didn't get the memo.
Pelé debuts at 17. Swedish radio narrated its own footballing funeral.
The "Battle of Santiago" vs Italy: more punches than goals. The commentator prayed on air.
The goal that did or didn't cross the line. Geoff Hurst. The BBC collapsed with emotion.
Pelé, Tostão, Rivelino, Jairzinho. World radio broadcast poetry disguised as football.
Cruyff's Total Football vs the German machine. German radio won on points.
Kempes. Confetti from the stands. Radio Rivadavia in tears. Argentina's first title.
Brazil with Zico, Falcão and Sócrates eliminated by Italy. Football learned that beauty is not enough.
The Goal of the Century. The Hand of God. Maradona. The Azteca. Argentine radio stopped time.
"Notti Magiche". Argentina's sad tango. Goycoechea in the penalties. Italy 90 was music.
Baggio's missed penalty. The silence at the Rose Bowl. Brazil champions without scoring in the final.
Zidane x2 in the final. The mystery of Ronaldo. "Allez les Bleus" played on every radio on the planet.
Ronaldo Fenômeno's Brazil. The haircut. Korean radio shouting miracles.
Zidane's headbutt on Materazzi. The most iconic sending-off in history. French radio couldn't believe it.
The vuvuzela. The first African World Cup. Iniesta in the last minute. "World champions!"
The 7-1. The Brazilian broadcast that never quite recovered. Götze's goal in extra time.
Modric and Croatia reaching the final. French radio celebrated its second star.
The most epic final in history. Messi. Universal tears. Argentine radio broadcast glory.
Only eight countries in 90 years of history. The World Cup is not generous with its champions.
22 FIFA World Cups. The first was Uruguay 1930. The 2026 World Cup will be the 23rd in history.
Brazil with 5 titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002). Followed by Germany and Italy with 4 each, Argentina with 3 (1978, 1986 and 2022) and France with 2 (1998 and 2018).
In Uruguay in 1930 with 13 teams. Uruguay won at home 4-2 against Argentina in the final. Radio was the main medium of communication for that historic tournament.
Argentina, beating France in the final on penalties (3-3, 4-2 on penalties). It was Argentina's third title and Lionel Messi's first.
The most remembered is Germany's 7-1 over Brazil in the 2014 semi-finals (the "Mineirazo"). Hungary's 9-0 over South Korea in 1954 is also historic.
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