1930 Italia was the first broadcast World Cup. Live coverage of the matches was provided through radio. As in Germany or Holland, individuals were not allowed to use their own radio in Italy at that time. However, people used to listen to the game through radios installed in public places. The World Cup was also able to play a major role in popularizing radio widely. Football historians write that in some stadiums, if the gallery was not full, the audience was called to reach them by radio, and thus the spectators were brought in from factories and other places.
‘No Propaganda’
Foreign countries had taken necessary precautions to suppress Mussolini’s fascist propaganda in Italy. Not a single journalist from Britain came to Italy to cover the game. Therefore, not a single line of news about the World Cup was published in British newspapers. Teams from Germany, France and the Netherlands played but limited press coverage.
Mussolini Trophy
Italian dictator Mussolini also tried to award his own trophy above the official World Cup winners’ trophy, the Ulrime Trophy. Along with the Ulrime trophy, the winners were also presented with a special trophy six times the size.
Mussolini meets Hitler
Venice, Italy witnessed a special historical moment on the fourth day when all the teams returned after the World Cup. First meeting between Fascist Party leader Mussolini and German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It also saw the beginning of a new Axis power and the start of World War II, which changed the course of the world.
Federal 102; official ball
The ball used for the 1934 World Cup by Italy also had politics in it. At that time, Britain was dominant in ball manufacturing. Balls shipped from Britain spread excitement on the grounds in different parts of the world. However, Mussolini, who was ready to make the World Cup a symbol of fascist nationalism, decided to make the ball in his own country. Thus, the ‘Federale 102’ made in Italy became the official ball of the 1934 World Cup. Instead of the usual 12 panels, the ball was made using 13 polygonal panels. The ball was made of brown cotton instead of leather lace. This experiment helped the players to make the ball softer when heading.