With Argentina again sitting it out, Hungary were the favourites to win in Switzerland, and coasted through the group stage, including an 8-3 win over the Germans, although both teams advanced to the last eight.
Austria underlined their credentials by thrashing the hosts 7-5 in the quarter finals, but were then beaten 6-1 by the Germans, a result which effectively marked the end of Austria as a major football power.
Hungary ended Uruguay’s reign in the last four, and looked set to become champions when they led Germany 2-0 after eight minutes in the final.
By the middle of the first half however it was 2-2, which was how it remained until five minutes to go, when Helmut Rahn (above) scored the goal which clinched the first, and certainly most unexpected, of the Germans’ three World Cup triumphs to date.
