The Battle of Berne

OTD E0239 — 27 Jun 1954: Hungary beat Brazil 4–2 in the World Cup quarter-final at the Wankdorf Stadium, but the match is remembered as the Battle of Berne. This episode traces the Magical Magyars, Brazil’s Maracanazo wound, the strange 1954 format, Puskás’s absence, Hidegkuti, Kocsis, Djalma Santos, Julinho, Arthur Ellis, 42 free-kicks, three dismissals, dressing-room fighting, media moral panic, Hungary’s tragic path to the Miracle of Bern, and Brazil’s road toward 1958.Ideas: [email protected]