The Last Tournament Before the Dark | 1938 World Cup Context & First Round | France

Austria qualified for the 1938 FIFA World Cup and then disappeared from the map. Following the Anschluss, Austrian players were absorbed into Nazi Germany's squad — except Matthias Sindelar, who refused. Spain withdrew because of the Spanish Civil War. Europe was sliding toward catastrophe.Meanwhile, Brazil unveiled a brilliant new generation, Cuba shocked Romania, and one Brazilian forward even attempted to play barefoot.The 1938 World Cup became the final tournament before the outbreak of the Second World War. Football continued, but the world around it was already beginning to collapse.#Soccer #FootballHistory #WorldCup #France1938 #FIFAWorldCup #MatthiasSindelar #Austria #NaziGermany #SpanishCivilWar #WorldWar2 #FootballPodcast #SoccerHistory #WorldCupHistory #FootballStories #HistoricFootball #Brazil1938 #France1938 #FootballDocumentary #SoccerPodcast #HistoryPodcast