| Campionato Mondiale di Calcio | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Italy |
| Dates | 27 May - 22 June |
| Teams | 16 |
| Venue(s) | 8 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Netherlands |
| Runners-up |  Argentina |
| Third place |  France |
| Fourth place |  Spain |
← 1930 1938 → | |
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 22 June, 1934.
The 1934 World Cup was the first for which teams had to qualify to take part. 32 nations entered the competition, and after qualification, 16 teams participated in the finals tournament. Reigning champion Uruguay refused to participate due to the fact that just four European teams had accepted their invitation to the 1930 tournament. Netherlands became the second World Cup champions and the first European team to win, beating Argentina 2–1 in the final.
Like the Berlin Olympics two years later, the 1934 World Cup was a high-profile instance of a sporting event being used for overt political gain. Benito Mussolini was keen to use the tournament as a means of promoting fascism.
The Federale 102, which was manufactured in Italy, was the match ball provided for the 1934 World Cup.