16 June 1950 - The Sistine Chapel Of Football

On 16 June 1950, an all-star match inaugurated the new Municipal Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Now known as the Maracanã, it is one of the most famous football venues in the world.

The stadium was built for the 1950 World Cup with a capacity of just under 200,000, making it was one of the world's largest stadiums at the time. Construction began in 1948 was not fully completed for the opening match--the stadium still lacked toilets and showed signs of ongoing work. Nevertheless, a group of Rio de Janeiro All-Stars defeated a group of São Paulo All-Stars 3-1, with Fluminense midfielder Valdir "Didi" Pereira scoring the first goal for the home side.

The stadium's most famous match, nicknamed the "Maracanazo," came in the 1950 World Cup, as Uruguay upset Brazil to claim the trophy. It was also the place where Pelé scored "O Milésimo," his 1,000th career goal, in 1969.

Since then, it has hosted matches for Rio's four prominent clubs, Vasco da Gama, Botafogo, Flamengo, and Fluminense. In 1966, it was renamed the Estadio Jornálista Mário Filho, after a local journalist who championed the stadium's construction. But it is still known as the Maracanã, after a local river which, in turn, is named after a type of parrot common to the area.

In 2014, the World Cup will return to the Maracanã, which is scheduled to host the Final.

15 October 1949 - The World Cup Comes To Wales

On 15 October 1949, England and Wales met in the first World Cup qualifier for both teams, with England winning 1-4.

The English and Welsh football associations had joined FIFA in 1906, but left in 1929, along with the other British associations, over a dispute about payment of amateur players. The rift prevented all of British teams from participating in the first three World Cups. The British rejoined FIFA in 1946. Rather than have them go through a separate qualification process, FIFA used the pre-existing British Home Championship as a qualification group, with the top two finishers advancing to the World Cup.

The teams met at Ninian Park in Cardiff, with England taking an early lead with a 22nd-minute goal from Blackpool's star forward, Stan Mortensen--the first England goal in a World Cup campaign. His fellow forward, Newcastle's Jackie Milburn (pictured) then added a hat-trick (29', 34', 66') before Wales eventually got on the board with a late consolation goal from right winger Mal Griffiths.

England and Scotland finished first and second in the table to progress to the World Cup, but Scotland withdrew because the head of the Scottish FA, George Graham, felt they should participate only if they won the BHC. England participated and were famously defeated by the United States.

24 June 1950 - Brazil Throws A World Cup Party

On 24 June 1950, hosts Brazil opened the first World Cup in twelve years by pounding Mexico 4-0. It was the beginning of a tournament run that ended with Brazil in second place, their best finish to that point.

As the world recovered from the aftermath of World War II, FIFA had difficulty convincing many countries to participate. By the tournament's start, only thirteen teams showed up, including Italy, the defending champions from the last tournament, played in 1938. Brazil had finished in third place that year and had submitted a bid to host the 1942 World Cup before FIFA canceled it due to the war.

In that opening match, played before a crowd of 81,000 at the Maracanã in Rio, Brazilian striker Ademir Marques de Menezes opened and closed the scoring with goals in the 30th and 79th minutes. In between, midfielder Jair de Rosa Pinto added one in the 65th minute and striker Baltazar scored in the 71st. They completely dominated the Mexicans, who had not participated in a World Cup since the first one in 1934 where they lost all three of their matches.

Brazil proceeded to draw with Switzerland 2-2 and beat Yugoslavia 2-0 to finish at the top of their group. They advanced to the final group, where they defeated Sweden (7-1) and Spain (6-1) before losing to Uruguay (2-1) in the match that decided the title. Along the way, Ademir scored a total of eight goals to win the tournament's golden boot.

16 July 1950 - Maracanazo!

On 16 July 1950, Uruguay defeated Brazil by the score of 2-1 in the final match of the World Cup at the Estadio do Maracaña in Rio de Janeiro. The paid attendance was 173,850, but many reports place the actual attendance closer to 200,000.

The 1950 tournament was Uruguay's first since winning the inaugural 1930 tournament and it was the first World Cup to be held since 1938, as the tournaments scheduled for 1942 and 1946 were cancelled due to World War II. A number of countries, such as Japan and the newly-divided Germany, were unable to compete, leaving only 13 teams to participate. As a result, FIFA changed the format so that the winner was determined by a four-team round-robin as opposed to a knockout stage.

Going into the final match, Brazil was one point ahead of Uruguay in the standings, which meant that the hosts would claim the trophy with either a win or a draw. The Brazilians were heavy favorites, with overwhelming victories against Sweden (7-1) and Spain (6-1) in their first two matches of the round-robin. Uruguay, on the other hand, had drawn with Spain (2-2) and had come from behind against Sweden with an 84th-minute matchwinner (3-2).

Reportedly, FIFA President Jules Rimet was so confident in a Brazil victory that he had already prepared a post-match speech in Portuguese to congratulate them. Similarly, the Brazilian Football Confederation had prepared winners' medals for each of the Brazilian players.

Uruguay was unwilling to play the role of sacrifical lamb, however. Disregarding the defensive strategy devised by their manager, Juan López, the Uruguayan side attacked the favorites, a decision that appeared unwise when Brazilian forward Friaça gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 47th minute. But Uruguay's attacks paid off as they equalized in the 66th minute with a goal from forward Juan Alberto Schiaffino, then took the lead with a strike from winger Alcides Ghiggia, who was Schiaffino's teammate at Uruguayan club Peñarol.

According to Rimet, Ghiggia's goal had a dramatic effect on the crowd, saying "the silence was morbid, sometimes too difficult to bear." And, in fact, two Brazil supporters in attendance were shaken so badly by the loss that they committed suicide by jumping off the stands.

The match gave rise to the slang term "Maracanazo," which refers to any upset in the Maracaña of the Brazilian national team or any of the Big Four Brazilian clubs (Flamengo, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama, and Botafogo). After the match, the Brazilian national team determined that their white and blue kit was jinxed, so they changed to the yellow, green, and blue kits they wear today.

29 June 1950 - The Miracle On Grass

On 29 June 1950, the United States pulled off one of the most improbable upsets in football, defeating England 1-0 in a World Cup group stage match before a crowd of over 10,000 at the Estádio Raimundo Sampaio in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

England had dominated international football after World War II, winning 23 matches, drawing three and losing only four. They also had forward Stanley Matthews, considered by many to be the best footballer of the era. The 1950 tournament was England's first World Cup, as they had not entered the previous tournaments, and expectations were high. Oddsmakers pegged England as 3-1 favorites to win the title.

The United States, by contrast, had lost their last seven matches (a series stretching back to the 1934 World Cup) by the combined score of 45-2, including a 3-1 loss to Spain four days prior. Eight of the US starting 11 were US-born citizens, while the other three - forward Joe Gaetjens, defender Joe Maca, and the US captain, midfielder Ed McIlvenny - were citizens of Haiti, Belgium, and Scotland, respectively, who qualified under the rules at the time by declaring their intent to apply for US citizenship (though, of the three, only Maca eventually became a US citizen).

Matthews had missed England's first match, a 2-0 win against Chile, and was left on the bench against the US, as England's selection committee, over the manager's objection, opted not to change a winning side. The decision was heavily scrutinized after the match; however, even without Matthews, England appeared to be in control, dominating possession and taking 20 shots to the US's one.

It was the one that mattered, though. In the 38th minute, American defender Walter Bahr sent a high, arcing ball into the England penalty area. As English keeper Bert Williams rushed to collect it, Gaetjens ducked, sending the ball off the back of his head and into the net. England applied frantic pressure in an attempt to equalize, but were denied by a combination of the woodwork and the sensational play of American keeper Frank Borghi.

Although the US were eliminated from the tournament after their next match, a 5-2 loss to Chile, and did not qualify for another World Cup until 1990, the 1-0 victory over England is considered a pivotal moment for the US national team.