- 주최국 이탈리아를 포함하여 32개국이 지역예선을 거쳐 16개국이 참가하였으나 전년도 우승팀 우루과이는 참가하지 않았다. 

- 폭염속에서 치루어진 이탈리아와 스페인의 8강전은 연장전까지 가는 대접전 속에서도 승부(1:1)가 나지않아 다음날 가진 재경기에서 이탈리아가 1:0으로 승리하였다. 이틀후 오스트리아와의 4강전에서도 비슷한 상황이 발생했다. 운동장이 폭풍 후 진창으로 변해 장소를 옮겨 경기를 치루었으며, 이탈리아는 1주일에 4게임을 했다.

Italians rejoice over their first World Cup title thanks to Schiavio's goal in extra-time.

Staged between 27 May and 10 June 1934, this World Cup was markedly more encouraging than its forerunner. Thirty-two nations took part so that a preliminary round was necessary (even the hosts, Italy, had to qualify), which qualified 16 teams for the finals. As a retort to the many withdrawals of European teams four years earlier, several South American nations, such as Argentina and Brazil, did not send their best teams to Italy. Uruguay declined to participate and defend its title. 

A tough struggle  

The final between the host country Italy and Czechoslovakia is also a meeting between two of the best goalkeepers of all time, Gianpiero Combi and Frantisek Planicka. Both have to concede a goal in regular playing time, and in extra time Italy get another to win 2:1. But right afterwards Combi sticks to the plan he made the day before the final and carries out his intention to retire immediately from football.

Predictably then, only European teams reached the quarter-finals. The battle reached its height in Florence. In gruelling heat, a steely Spanish defence bravely resisted the hard and almost violent team of the Squadra Azzurra and at the end of extra-time the score stood at 1-1. The match was to be replayed the next day. In an effort to rejuvenate their troops, both coaches called on fresh legs (five changes in the Italian team and seven for Spain), but player after player collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Happily for the locals, the Squadra centre forward Giuseppe Meazza scored the only goal of the game. Two days later, a similar scenario took place in the semi-final against Austria, in Milan. On a San Siro pitch resembling a quagmire after a torrential storm, it was again Meazza, playing his fourth game in a week, who scored the winning goal and qualified his team for the final. Italy's opponents were to be Czechoslovakia, conquerors of Germany. 

On Sunday 10 June, the whole of Italy was holding its breath. There were still twenty minutes remaining when, from a corner, the Czechoslovakia left-winger Puc put his team ahead. The stadium was silenced. With only a few minutes to go, however, the Italo-Argentinian Orsi equalised for Italy, forcing the game into extra-time. Italy suffered a blow when marksman Meazza was injured in a tackle, but he recovered sufficiently to lay on the winning goal for his team mate Schiavio. The Squadra Azzurra had displayed tenacity as well as undeniable footballing abilities and truly deserved to win. 

Sources: FIFA Archives; CFO France 98; Ian Morrison: The World Cup - A Complete Record 1930-1990. Breedon Books, Derby (UK) 1990.; John Robinson: Soccer - The World Cup 1930-1998. Soccer Books Limited, Lincolnshire (UK) 1998