1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 1500 metres
The men's 1500 metres at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 26 and 29 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 1500 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 29 athletes from 17 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 200 metres
The men's 200 metres at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 28 and 29 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 200 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 30 athletes from 18 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase
The men's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 26 and 28 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 21 athletes from 14 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay
The men's 4 x 100 metres relay at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 27 and 29 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 56 athletes from 14 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay
The men's 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 28 and 29 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 44 athletes from 11 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 400 metres
The men's 400 metres at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 25, 26, and 27 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 400 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 25 athletes from 14 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 400 metres hurdles
The men's 400 metres hurdles at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 26, 28, and 29 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 400 metres hurdles, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 24 athletes from 15 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 50 kilometres walk
The men's 50 kilometres race walk at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, on 27 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 50 kilometres walk, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 21 athletes from 13 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 5000 metres
The men's 5000 metres at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 26 and 29 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 5000 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 28 athletes from 19 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 800 metres
The men's 800 metres at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 25, 27, and 28 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 800 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 31 athletes from 19 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's decathlon
The men's decathlon at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 26 and 27 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's decathlon, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 19 athletes from 14 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's discus throw
The men's discus throw at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 26 and 28 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's discus throw, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 23 athletes from 17 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's hammer throw
The men's hammer throw at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 28 and 29 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's hammer throw, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 27 athletes from 18 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's high jump
The men's high jump at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 27 and 29 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's high jump, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 18 athletes from 12 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's javelin throw
The men's javelin throw at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 28 and 29 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's javelin throw, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 21 athletes from 15 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's long jump
The men's long jump at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 27 and 28 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's long jump, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 25 athletes from 17 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's marathon
The men's marathon at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, on 25 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's marathon, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 22 athletes from 15 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's pole vault
The men's pole vault at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 26 and 28 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's pole vault, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 24 athletes from 18 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's shot put
The men's shot put at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 27 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's shot put, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 24 athletes from 15 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's triple jump
The men's triple jump at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 25 and 26 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's triple jump, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 22 athletes from 15 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's 100 metres
The women's 100 metres at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 26 and 27 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's 100 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 31 athletes from 15 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's 200 metres
The women's 200 metres at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 28 and 29 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's 200 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 19 athletes from 11 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay
The women's 4 x 100 metres relay at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 28 and 29 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 44 athletes from 11 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's 80 metres hurdles
The women's 80 metres hurdles at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 27 and 28 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's 80 metres hurdles, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 25 athletes from 14 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's 800 metres
The women's 800 metres at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 25 and 27 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's 800 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 19 athletes from 11 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's discus throw
The women's discus throw at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 27 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's discus throw, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 17 athletes from 10 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's high jump
The women's high jump at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 25 and 28 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's high jump, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 14 athletes from 9 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw
The women's javelin throw at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 25 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 14 athletes from 10 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's long jump
The women's long jump at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 26 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's long jump, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 23 athletes from 11 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's pentathlon
The women's pentathlon at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 27 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's pentathlon, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 19 athletes from 12 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's shot put
The women's shot put at the 1954 European Athletics Championships was held in Bern, Switzerland, at Stadion Neufeld on 26 August 1954.


1954 European Athletics Championships – Women's shot put, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 16 athletes from 9 countries participated in the event.


1954 European Baseball Championship
The 1954 European Baseball Championship was the first European Championship in this sport. It featured 4 of the 5 members of the new Confederation of European Baseball, as France failed to field a team. The Netherlands, which would dominate the event over the next fifty years, was not part of the organization because they did not think it would be sustainable. The Championship was held on June 26 and June 27 in Antwerp, Belgium. A messy affair, there was an average of over 10 errors per game due to the low quality of baseball in Europe at that time. Italy took gold, beating Belgium 6-1 and Spain 7-4. Spain won silver despite 8 errors in its loss to Italy. Spain beat Germany by a score of 10-4 in its other contest. Belgium earned bronze, beating Germany 12-5. Germany placed last.


1954 European Figure Skating Championships
The 1954 European Figure Skating Championships were held in Bolzano, Italy from January 28 to 31. Elite senior-level figure skaters from European ISU member nations competed for the title of European Champion in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.


1954 European Rowing Championships
The 1954 European Rowing Championships were rowing championships held on the Bosbaan regatta course in the Dutch city of Amsterdam. This edition is particularly notable for the fact that it was the first time that women were allowed to compete as part of the championships, after three years of trial regattas for them. Women from 13 countries were represented with 34 boats, and they competed in five boat classes (W1x, W2x, W4x+, W4+, W8+) from 20 to 22 August. The men competed in all seven Olympic boat classes (M1x, M2x, M2-, M2+, M4-, M4+, M8+) a week later, from 26 to 29 August. It would be another 22 years until women would first be allowed to compete at Olympic level in 1976.


1954 European Rowing Championships, Medal summary – women's events
For the 1954 regatta, the Bosbaan was widened from five lanes to six. All of the boat classes had single-digit entries (five crews each for the eight and quad, and nine for the singles), just four of the lanes were used in the races so that there were heats, repêchages, and a final.


1954 FA Charity Shield
The 1954 FA Charity Shield was the 32nd FA Charity Shield, a  football match between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup titles. This year's match was contested by league champions Wolverhampton Wanderers and FA Cup winners West Bromwich Albion.


1954 FA Charity Shield
The two Black Country rivals had been the main contenders for the league championship of the previous campaign, with Wolves edging out their challengers by four points in the end to claim their first ever league title. Albion had gained some consolation in winning their fourth FA Cup.


1954 FA Charity Shield
The match was held at Wolves' stadium, Molineux, in keeping with the trend of using the league champions' home that had been established at the turn of the decade. It was staged on an "international week" during the season, which caused several players – most notably, Wolves' captain Billy Wright – to miss the game as they were on duty with their national sides.


1954 FA Charity Shield
The hosts led the contest both 2–0 and 4–2, but were twice pegged back by rapid-fire replies. The game eventually ended 4–4, meaning the Shield was shared for the second time in its history.


1954 FA Cup Final
The 1954 FA Cup Final was a football match between West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End, played on 1 May 1954 at the original Wembley Stadium in London. It was the final match of the 1953–54 staging of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (better known as the FA Cup). The match was the 73rd FA Cup Final and the 26th to be played at Wembley.


1954 FA Cup Final
West Bromwich Albion were appearing in their ninth final, having won the cup on three previous occasions, while Preston had won the competition twice and were playing in the final for the sixth time. The two clubs had met in one final before in 1888, with Albion winning 2–1 on that occasion; in this match, Albion won 3–2. Ronnie Allen opened the scoring but Preston soon equalised through Angus Morrison. Preston then took the lead through Charlie Wayman although the goal was probably offside. Allen equalised from the penalty spot before a late goal from Frank Griffin secured the cup for Albion for the fourth time. Albion finished second in the league table, losing out on 'the double' to Black Country rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers.


1954 FA Cup Final
The last surviving member of the winning team, Ray Barlow, died in March 2012 at the age of 85. Upon his death on 31 December 2020, Tommy Docherty was the last surviving player from the match.


1954 FA Cup Final, Background
Both clubs were members of the First Division, West Bromwich Albion having finished as runners-up during the 1953–54 league season and Preston North End 11th. Albion were victorious in both league matches between the two sides, winning 2–0 at Deepdale and 3–2 at The Hawthorns. The teams had met on six previous occasions in the FA Cup. Albion had won four of those ties, including the 1886–87 semi-final and 1888 final, while Preston were victorious in the semi-finals of 1888–89 and 1936–37.


1954 FA Cup Final, Route to the final, West Bromwich Albion
As a First Division club, West Bromwich Albion entered the FA Cup at the third round stage. They began their 61st FA Cup campaign at home against Chelsea, whom they beat 1–0 thanks to an own goal by Ron Greenwood. Their next cup match saw Albion defeat Rotherham United 4–0, in what was the first ever meeting between the two sides in any competition. Johnny Nicholls scored two of the goals and Ronnie Allen and Reg Ryan one each. A hat-trick from Ronnie Allen gave Albion a 3–2 win against Newcastle United in round five in a thrilling match.


1954 FA Cup Final, Route to the final, West Bromwich Albion
The game was played in front of 61,088 spectators, the highest attendance at The Hawthorns for 16 years. An estimated 20,000 more were locked out. Albion were then drawn at home for the fourth round in succession; this time Tottenham Hotspur were the visitors as the competition reached the quarter-final stage. A free-kick by Ray Barlow and two goals from Johnny Nicholls resulted in a 3–0 West Bromwich Albion victory.


1954 FA Cup Final, Route to the final, West Bromwich Albion
Staffordshire rivals and Third Division North leaders Port Vale were the opposition in the semi-final, which was played at the neutral venue of Villa Park in front of a near 70,000 crowd. Vale's Albert Leake opened the scoring before the break, but Albion equalised just after the hour when Jimmy Dudley's cross evaded the Vale goalkeeper Ray King and ended up in the net. Ronnie Allen, playing against his former team, scored the winning goal for Albion from a penalty kick, following a foul on George Lee. leading to scenes of wild celebration from the Albion supporters.


1954 FAMAS Awards
The 2nd Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards Night was held in 1954 in Life Theater, Quezon Boulevard, Quiapo, Manila. Huk Sa Bagong Pamumuhay, produced by Narcisa de Leon and distributed by LVN Pictures, is the recipient of FAMAS Award for Best Picture.


1954 FC Dinamo București season
The 1954 season was Dinamo București's sixth season in Divizia A. For the first time, Dinamo reaches the final of Romanian Cup, but loses to Metalul Reşiţa. In Divizia A, Dinamo ends third, behind champions Flacăra Roşie and CCA. For the third year in a row, the goalscorer of Divizia A is a Dinamo player. Alexandru Ene scored 20 goals out of 62 of the entire team.


1954 FC Dinamo București season, Squad
Standard team: Florea Birtașu – Iosif Szökő, Ladislau Băcuț – Gheorghe Băcuț, Valeriu Călinoiu, Gheorghe Toma – Carol Bartha, Ion Suru, Dumitru Nicolae, Titus Ozon, Alexandru Ene.


1954 FC Dinamo București season, Squad, Transfers
Dinamo makes significant changes in the squad again. It is brought goalkeeper Florea Birtașu free of contract after the disband of Casei Armatei Câmpulung Moldovenesc. From Dinamo Oraşul Stalin are brought Valeriu Neagu and Alexandru Ene, while Joseph Fuleiter was transferred from Flamura Rosie Arad. Constantin Marinescu and Nicolae Voinescu go to newly promoted Metalul Hunedoara.


1954 FC Steaua București season
The 1954 season was FC Steaua București's 7th season since its founding in 1947.


1954 FIBA World Championship
The 1954 FIBA World Championship (also called the 2nd World Basketball Championship – 1954) was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 23 October to 5 November 1954. Twelve nations participated in the tournament.


1954 FIBA World Championship, Classification round
All teams play one game against each other for a total of three games.


1954 FIBA World Championship, Final round
All teams play one game against each other for a total of seven games. The teams with the best records are awarded medals.


1954 FIBA World Championship squads
The 1954 FIBA World Championship squads were the squads of the 1954 FIBA World Championship. Each one of the 12 teams at the tournament selected a squad of 12 players.


1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup was the fifth edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football tournament for senior men's national teams of the nations affiliated to FIFA. It was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was selected as the host country in July 1946. At the tournament several all-time records for goal-scoring were set, including the highest average number of goals scored per game. The tournament was won by West Germany, who defeated tournament favourites Hungary 3–2 in the final, their first World Cup title.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Host selection
Switzerland was awarded the tournament unopposed at a meeting in Luxembourg City on 22 July 1946, the same day Brazil was selected to host the 1950 World Cup.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Qualification
The hosts (Switzerland) and the defending champions (Uruguay) qualified automatically. Of the remaining 14 places, 11 were allocated to Europe (including Egypt, Turkey, and Israel), two to the Americas, and one to Asia.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Qualification
Scotland, Turkey, and South Korea made their World Cup debuts at this tournament (Turkey and Scotland had qualified for the 1950 competition but both withdrew). South Korea became the first independent Asian country to participate in a World Cup tournament. Austria appeared following a hiatus from 1934. Turkey would not participate at a finals until the 2002 tournament; South Korea's return appearance would be in 1986.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Qualification
The third and fourth place teams from 1950, Sweden and Spain, both failed to qualify. In a shocking result, Spain was eliminated by Turkey: after the two countries had tied a three-game series, Turkey progressed by drawing of lots  by a blindfolded Italian boy.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Qualification
German teams as well as Japan were allowed to qualify again, after having been banned from the 1950 FIFA World Cup. West Germany qualified against fellow Germans from the Saarland (which then was a French protectorate), while East Germany had not entered, cancelling international football games after the East German uprising of 1953. Argentina declined to participate for the third successive World Cup.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Format
The 1954 tournament used a unique format. The sixteen qualifying teams were divided into four groups of four teams each. Each group contained two seeded teams and two unseeded teams. Only four matches were scheduled for each group, each pitting a seeded team against an unseeded team. This contrasts with the usual round-robin in which every team plays every other team: six matches in each group. Another oddity was that extra time, which in most tournaments is not employed at the group stage, was played in the group games if the score was level after 90 minutes, with the result being a draw if the scores were still level after 120 minutes.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Format
Two points were awarded for a win and one for a draw. The two teams with the most points from each group progressed to the knockout stage. If the first and second placed teams were level on points, lots were drawn to decide which team would top the group. However, if the second and third placed teams were level on points, there was a play-off to decide which team would progress to the next stage.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Format
Two of the four groups would require play-offs, and the other two required drawing of lots between the two top teams. The play-offs were between Switzerland and Italy, and Turkey and West Germany: in both matches the unseeded teams (Switzerland and West Germany) repeated earlier victories against the seeds (Italy and Turkey) to progress. In the other two groups, lots were drawn to determine the first-place teams, resulting in Uruguay and Brazil finishing above Austria and Yugoslavia, respectively.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Format
A further unusual feature of the format was that the four group-winning teams were drawn against each other in the knockout stages to produce one finalist, and the four second-placed teams played against each other to produce the second finalist. In subsequent tournaments it has become customary to draw group winners against second-placed teams in the first knockout round.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Format
In any knockout game tied after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time were played. If the scores had still been level after extra time, in any knockout game other than the final, lots would have been drawn to decide which team progressed. However, if the final had been tied after extra time, it would have been replayed, with lots deciding the winner only if the replay was also tied after extra time. In the event, all the knockout games were decided in either normal time or extra time, with no replays or drawing of lots being required.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Seeding
Before qualification was complete, the eight seeded teams were determined by FIFA. They were Austria, Brazil, England, France, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and Uruguay.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Seeding
These seedings were thrown into disarray when, in an unexpected result, Turkey eliminated Spain in qualification. FIFA resolved this situation by giving Turkey the seeding that had previously been allocated to Spain.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Notable results
West Germany, who had been reinstated as full FIFA members in 1950 and were unseeded, convincingly won the first of two encounters with the seeded Turkish side at Wankdorf stadium in Berne. The South Koreans, the other unseeded team, lost 7–0 and 9–0, with West Germany being denied the chance to play such an easy opponent. Sepp Herberger, the West German coach, gambled against the seeded team of Hungary by sending in a reserve side, and lost 8–3; so they had to play off against Turkey, a match that West Germany easily won.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Notable results
Hungary's team captain Ferenc Puskás, considered by many as the best player in the world in that time, was injured by West German defender Werner Liebrich, and had to miss Hungary's next two matches. Puskás played for Hungary in the final, despite still being in a questionable condition.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Notable results
In the quarter-finals, the favourites Hungary beat Brazil 4–2 in one of the most violent matches in football history, which became infamous as the Battle of Berne. Meanwhile, the World Cup holders Uruguay sent England out of the tournament, also by 4–2. West Germany dispatched Yugoslavia 2–0, and Austria beat the host nation Switzerland in the game that saw the most goals in any World Cup match, 7–5.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Notable results
The other semi-final, one of the most exciting games of the tournament, saw Hungary go into the second half leading Uruguay 1–0, only for the game to be taken to extra time with a score after 90 minutes of 2–2. The deadlock was broken by Sándor Kocsis with two late goals to take Hungary through to the final, with Uruguay finally losing their unbeaten record in World Cup Final matches. Uruguay then went on to be beaten for a second time as Austria secured third place.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Final: "The Miracle of Bern"
The Wankdorf Stadion in Berne saw 60,000 people cram inside to watch the final between West Germany and Hungary, a rematch of a first-round game, which Hungary had won 8–3 against the reserves of the German team. The Golden Team of the Hungarians were favourites, as they were unbeaten for a record of 32 consecutive matches, but they had had two tough knockout matches. It started raining on match day – in Germany this was dubbed Fritz-Walter-Wetter ("Fritz Walter's weather") because the West German team captain Fritz Walter was said to play his best in the rain. Adi Dassler had provided shoes with exchangeable studs.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Final: "The Miracle of Bern"
Hungary's Ferenc Puskás played again in the final, even though he was not fully fit. Despite this he put his team ahead after only six minutes and with Zoltán Czibor adding another two minutes later it seemed that the pre-tournament favourites would take the title. However, with a quick goal from Max Morlock in the 10th and the equaliser of Helmut Rahn in the 19th, the tide began to turn.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Final: "The Miracle of Bern"
The second half saw telling misses by the Hungarian team. Barely six minutes before the end of the match, the popular German radio reporter Herbert Zimmermann gave the most famous German piece of commentary, recommending that "Rahn should shoot from deep", which he did. The second goal from Rahn gave West Germany a 3–2 lead while the Hungarian reporter György Szepesi burst into tears. Later, Zimmermann called Puskás offside before he kicked the ball into Toni Turek's net with 2 minutes left. While referee Ling pointed to the centre spot, linesman Griffiths signalled offside. After a one-minute consultation, referee Ling disallowed the claimed equaliser.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Final: "The Miracle of Bern"
The West Germans were handed the Jules Rimet Trophy and the title of World Cup winners, while the crowd sang along to the tune of the national anthem of West Germany (a scandal broke because the first stanza was sung, the atmosphere became tense). In Germany the success is known as "The Miracle of Berne", upon which a 2003 film of the same name was based. For the Hungarians, the defeat was a disaster, and remains controversial due to claimed referee errors and claims of doping.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Final: "The Miracle of Bern"
One controversy concerns the 2–2 equaliser. Hungarian goalie Gyula Grosics jumped to catch Fritz Walter's corner shot, but in plain sight of the camera, Hans Schäfer obstructed him, and so the ball reached Rahn unhindered. The second controversy concerns allegations of doping to explain the better condition of the West German team in the second half.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Final: "The Miracle of Bern"
Though teammates steadfastly denied this rumour, German historian Guido Knopp claimed in a 2004 documentary for German public channel ZDF that the players were injected with shots of vitamin C at half-time, using a needle earlier taken from a Soviet sports doctor, which would also explain the wave of jaundice among team members following the tournament. A Leipzig University study in 2010 posited that the West German players had been injected with the banned substance methamphetamine.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Final: "The Miracle of Bern"
Most controversial was the offside ruling for Puskás's intended 87th-minute equaliser. The camera filming the official footage was in a bad position to judge the situation, but eyewitnesses claimed that the referee was wrong, including West German substitute player Alfred Pfaff. However, since then, unofficial footage surfaced evidencing no offside (shown on North German regional public channel NDR in 2004.)


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Records
The following all-time records were set or equalled at this tournament, and have not subsequently been surpassed:


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Records, Other landmarks
For the first time there was television coverage, and special coins were issued to mark the event.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Records, Other landmarks
The 11 goals scored by Kocsis of Hungary not only led the World Cup but bettered the previous record (set by Brazilian Ademir in the previous tournament) by three goals. Kocsis' mark was broken by Just Fontaine's 13 goals in 1958. Despite not winning the 1954 tournament, their fourth-place finish and their two previous World Cup titles made Uruguay the most successful World Cup nation for eight years, until Brazil won their second title in 1962. Hungary's 9–0 win against Korea during the group stages remains the biggest margin of victory in FIFA World Cup history, later equalled by Yugoslavia over Zaire (9–0) in 1974 and Hungary over El Salvador (10–1) in 1982.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Records, Other landmarks
West Germany also became the first team to win the World Cup after having lost a match at the finals (losing 8–3 to Hungary in the group stage). This feat was subsequently repeated by West Germany in 1974, Argentina in 1978 and Spain in 2010, who all lost group matches 1–0. Coincidentally, all three teams won against Netherlands sides in the final.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Records, Other landmarks
West Germany's 1954 victory remains the only time that a team has won the World Cup without playing any team from outside its own continent (Turkey is geographically partly in Asia, but qualified from Europe and has always been affiliated with UEFA).


1954 FIFA World Cup, Summary, Records, Other landmarks
West Germany's victory in the final is considered one of the greatest upsets of all time and one of the finest achievements in German sporting history. The West German team was made up of amateur players, as Germany did not have a professional league at this time, while the Hungarians were de jure amateurs, like all the communist countries at that time, but playing football as professionals, mainly for Budapesti Honvéd FC and later for major clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, and were ranked best in the world. This is the only time a team has won the World Cup with amateur footballers.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Venues
Six venues in six cities (1 venue in each city) hosted the tournament's 26 matches. The most used stadium was the St. Jakob Stadium in Basel, which hosted 6 matches. The venues in Bern, Zurich and Lausanne each hosted 5 matches, the venue in Geneva hosted 4 matches, and the venue in Lugano only hosted 1 match.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Squads
For a list of all squads that appeared in the final tournament, see 1954 FIFA World Cup squads.


1954 FIFA World Cup, Goalscorers
With 11 goals, Sándor Kocsis was the top scorer in the tournament. In total, 140 goals were scored by 63 players, with four of them credited as own goals.


1954 FIFA World Cup, FIFA retrospective ranking
In 1986, FIFA published a report that ranked all teams in each World Cup up to and including 1986, based on progress in the competition, overall results and quality of the opposition. The rankings for the 1954 tournament were as follows:


1954 FIFA World Cup, In film
The final scene of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's film The Marriage of Maria Braun takes place during the finals of the 1954 World Cup; in the scene's background, the sports announcer is celebrating West Germany's victory and shouting "Deutschland ist wieder was!" (Germany is something again); the film uses this as the symbol of Germany's recovery from the ravages of the Second World War.


1954 FIFA World Cup, In film
Sönke Wortmann's 2003 German box-office hit The Miracle of Bern (in German: Das Wunder von Bern) re-tells the story of the German team's route to victory through the eyes of a young boy who admires the key player of the final, Helmut Rahn.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final
The 1954 FIFA World Cup Final was the final match of the 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth World Cup in FIFA history. The game was played at the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern, Switzerland, on 4 July 1954, and saw West Germany beat the heavily favoured Golden Team of Hungary 3–2.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final
The 1954 final is often listed as one of the greatest matches in World Cup history, and also one of its most unexpected upsets. Beyond football, some historians ascribe the match a lasting impact on both German and Hungarian post-World War II history, contributing in West Germany to a sense of regained international recognition after the lost Second World War and denazification, and in Hungary to discontent with the communist-authoritarian regime in the run-up to the 1956 Hungarian revolution. In Germany, the 1954 final is known as the Miracle of Bern (German: Wunder von Bern).


1954 FIFA World Cup Final
The win earned Germany its first of four World Cup titles, with the other titles to follow in 1974 and 1990 as West Germany, and in 2014 as reunified Germany. West Germany was the third country to win a World Cup, following Uruguay (1930 and 1950) and Italy (1934 and 1938), although, different from Uruguay and Italy, West Germany won its maiden title as a guest rather than host. For Hungary, the second place in 1954 remains the best World Cup result to date, jointly with finishing runners-up in 1938. The 1954 tournament is the only FIFA World Cup thus far in which two teams from Central Europe contested the final, with another Central European team, that of Austria, finishing third in the competition.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final
Horst Eckel (born 1932) is the only surviving member from this match, as of July 2021.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Background, Hungary
Hungary's legendary Golden Team – also known as the Mighty Magyars – was the favorite to win the 1954 World Cup. In the five years prior to the final, it had remained unbeaten in 31 games (32 if counting a match against East Germany in 1952 that is not considered an official international). Hungary was also the reigning Olympic Champion and winner of the Central European International Cup in 1953.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Background, Hungary
In 1953, Hungary had defeated England 6–3, becoming the first team outside the UK and Ireland to beat England on home soil, and had thrashed England 7–1 in Budapest just before the World Cup. Hungary did not have to play qualifiers for the 1954 World Cup, as opponent Poland withdrew for lack of prospects.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Background, Hungary
The players of the Hungarian national team were full-time professionals. Most played for the army club Budapest Honvéd FC, or for MTK Budapest FC, which, in the 1950s, was run by Hungary's secret police. Several members of the Golden Team were well known and highly regarded for their skills, including forwards Sándor Kocsis and Ferenc Puskás, attacking midfielder Nándor Hidegkuti, half-back József Bozsik, outside forward Zoltán Czibor and goalkeeper Gyula Grosics.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Background, Hungary
Coach Gusztáv Sebes, who was also Hungary's Deputy Minister for Sport, and MTK coach Márton Bukovi are credited with developing further the rigid WM formation that was standard in European football in the early 1950s.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Background, Hungary
Innovations included pulling Hidegkuti – who was nominally listed as centre-forward – back into midfield to create space for the inside forwards, Puskás and Kocsis; employing Bozsik as deep-lying playmaker, with the other half-back, József Zakariás, covering for Bozsik; requesting full-backs to assist in attack and wingers to assist in defence; and introducing flexible positional play that created confusion among opponents used to fixed roles and strict man-marking.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Background, West Germany
The three German entities emerging from the Second World War – West Germany, East Germany and the Saar protectorate – were not admitted to FIFA until late 1950. As a result, Germany missed the 1950 FIFA World Cup. In the early 1950s, Sepp Herberger – resuming the role as national team coach that he had already occupied between 1936 and 1942 – built the West German team around a nucleus of players from the club 1. FC Kaiserslautern, the German champions of 1951 and 1953, led by veteran playmaker Fritz Walter.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Background, West Germany
The players were semi-professionals (Vertragsspieler), who often worked in a second job or owned a business to support their incomes. Prior to the 1954 tournament, West Germany had played only a few friendly internationals and a short qualifying campaign (against Norway and the Saar). This lack of international exposure left both national and foreign observers unclear about the quality of the German team.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Background, West Germany
Herberger advocated clear roles in defence but permanent positional switches in attack – dubbed the "Herberger whirl" – to unseat the opponents' defenders.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, Hungary
In the first stage, Hungary and West Germany were drawn into the same group (2). Hungary opened the World Cup with a 9–0 win over South Korea. It then played Germany, winning 8–3, and therefore qualified for the quarter-finals. In the game, Puskás suffered an ankle hairline fracture from a foul by German central defender Werner Liebrich that made Puskás miss the quarter- and semi-finals.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, Hungary
In the quarter-finals, Hungary beat co-favorites Brazil – runners-up of the 1950 World Cup – with 4–2, despite Puskás' absence. The hard-fought, grueling match became famous as the Battle of Berne. In the semi-finals, Hungary defeated defending World Cup champions Uruguay 4–2 after extra time. Also this match is regarded a classic for the high quality of both sides' attacking game. Kocsis scored twice in both the quarter- and semi-finals.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, Hungary
From a statistical perspective, on the eve of the 1954 World Cup final, the Hungarian team held the highest Elo score for a national side to that date. Its rating was surpassed only in 2014 by Germany.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, West Germany
West Germany first played Turkey, winning 4–1. In the subsequent 3–8 loss to Hungary, Herberger rested several key players and played others out of position (for example, Fritz Walter as central striker instead of playmaker). The main purpose was to preserve energy for the upcoming decider against (once more) Turkey. However, by sparing his strongest eleven, Herberger may have obscured the real strength of the German team to its subsequent opponents, including Hungary. Germany won the decider against Turkey 7–2.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, West Germany
West Germany went as outsider into both its quarter- and semi-final matches. In the quarter-finals, West Germany beat highly regarded Yugoslavia – the Olympic silver medalists of 1952 – with 2–0. The team then went on to defeat Austria in the semi-finals, with an unexpectedly lopsided score of 6–1.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Pre-match, Team preparations
During the tournament, the Hungarian team took residence in a hotel in the town center of Solothurn. This had several repercussions. As Hungary's semi-final against Uruguay was decided only after extra time, the team missed the return bus from Lausanne, and had to organize private cars that arrived only late at night. The evening before the final, a village fair took place in front of the hotel that lasted until the early morning hours and disrupted the players' sleep. Further, Herberger's assistant Albert Sing checked into the hotel, from where he reported about the Hungarian team preparations.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Pre-match, Team preparations
By contrast, the German team resided in the tranquil lake town of Spiez, where it was unaffected from such disturbances. The Spirit of Spiez became proverbial in Germany for describing the team's morale and comradeship.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Pre-match, Lineups and tactics
Puskás returned to the Hungarian squad for the final, despite doubts about his fitness. Further, Sebes replaced the customary right winger László Budai with Mihály Tóth, as he considered Budai too exhausted after the semi-finals. He also placed left winger Czibor on the right in the first half (switching with Tóth), to exploit Czibor's speed against Germany's left fullback Werner Kohlmeyer. Other than this, Sebes fielded his standard formation.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Pre-match, Lineups and tactics
The German team had evolved in the course of the tournament, finding its final formation only in the semi-finals. In particular, central defender Liebrich and right winger Helmut Rahn secured places in the starting lineup only after strong performances in the quarter-finals against Yugoslavia. In the final, Herberger had Hidegkuti marked by a midfielder, Horst Eckel, to prevent Hidegkuti from pulling Liebrich out of the defence when he dropped deep into midfield. He also instructed left winger Hans Schäfer to cover Bozsik when Hungary was attacking, to help Fritz Walter – who normally would have been Bozsik's marker – preserve energy and concentrate on organising the German game.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Pre-match, Conditions
The match was played in heavy rain, conditions that the German side had christened "Fritz Walter weather", as Walter was known for playing his best football in the wet. In addition, the German team was equipped with boots supplied by Adidas that featured hitherto unknown, exchangeable, screw-in studs. The boots could be adapted to any weather, enabling the German players to wear their regular footwear despite the adverse conditions.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
Puskás put his team ahead after only six minutes, when Bozsik intercepted a pass from Liebrich and found Kocsis with a through ball. Kocsis' blocked shot fell to Puskás, and Puskás scored from close range. Czibor added a second goal for Hungary a mere two minutes later, exploiting a misunderstanding in the German defense: Kohlmeyer secured a through ball from Bozsik but wrong-footed goalkeeper Toni Turek with a back pass, who failed to control the ball. Czibor sprinted in between and put the ball into the empty net.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
West Germany came back quickly. In the 10th minute, Fritz Walter played Rahn free on the left wing, who crossed low and hard into the center. The ball went through the legs of right fullback Jenő Buzánszky, Zakariás lunged for the ball but could only deflect it, and forward Max Morlock converted from close range. Eight minutes later Morlock dribbled through the Hungarian defense, but center back Gyula Lóránt cleared for a corner. Fritz Walter played the corner short, Buzánszky cleared for another corner. The second corner kick came long and high, finding Rahn, who leveled the score.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
Hungary took control after the equalizer and came to several good chances. In the 23rd minute, left fullback Mihály Lantos chipped the ball into the box, Kocsis headed on to Hidegkuti, but Hidegkuti's volley was saved spectacularly by Turek. Four minutes later, Hidegkuti fired another shot from the edge of the penalty box that hit the goal post. Only towards the end of the first half did West Germany come to more chances. In the 42nd minute, Fritz Walter found Schäfer in the penalty box, who dribbled past Lóránt and forced a save at full stretch from Grosics. The loose ball fell to Rahn, but Buzánszky cleared on the goal line.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
Hungary came out attacking in the second half and created plentiful chances. Two minutes after the restart, Bozsik played Puskás free in the penalty box, but Puskás fired the ball straight at Turek. In the 54th minute, Kohlmeyer cleared twice on the goal line from Tóth, and three minutes later Kocsis headed a cross by Tóth against the cross bar. In the 67th minute, Turek saved a shot by Puskás with his foot, and in the 78th minute he left the goal line to block a through ball from Bozsik ahead of the onrushing Czibor.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
Hidegkuti picked up the loose ball but shot into the side netting. West Germany's first good chance of the second half came in the 72nd minute when Fritz Walter played Rahn free after a corner kick, and Rahn's powerful shot from the edge of the penalty box was saved by Grosics.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
With six minutes left, Schäfer dispossessed Bozsik and played a high cross into the penalty box. Rahn picked up Lantos' short clearance, feinted a pass to center forward Ottmar Walter that wrong-footed the Hungarian defenders, moved into the penalty box, and drove the ball hard and low past Grosics for the third German goal. Two minutes later, Puskás appeared to have leveled the score once more when he converted a through ball from Tóth flicked on by Kocsis, but the attempt was ruled offside. In the final minute of the game, Czibor had another chance to equalize, but his shot from close range was again stopped by Turek.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
The whistle soon thereafter ended not only the match, but also the Golden Team's unbeaten run.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Statistics
A match analysis by the website spielverlagerung.de, produced 60 years after the game based on data extracted from Herbert Zimmermann's live radio commentary, shows Hungary ahead in most categories, except goals scored. Hungarian superiority was especially pronounced during minutes 20–40 and 45–70, while West Germany had good phases towards the end of the first and second halves.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Statistics
The analysis also suggests that many Hungarian attacks went through the centre, in most cases orchestrated by Bozsik, who played numerous accurate through balls to Hungary's forwards. By contrast, the German team attacked almost exclusively from the wings, with Fritz Walter playing a key role as ball distributor and flexible offensive player generating numerical superiority in select portions of the pitch.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Statistics
Further, the data point to an excellent defensive performance by Liebrich, who – according to Zimmermann's commentary – blocked six shots, intercepted nine passes, and won all of his 10 one-on-one duels.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Controversies, Refereeing decisions
Several calls by the English referee William Ling came under scrutiny after the final. These included:


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Controversies, Doping allegations
Immediately after the match, rumors emerged that the German team had taken performance-enhancing substances. Several members of the team fell ill with jaundice, presumably from a contaminated needle. Members of the team later claimed they had been injected glucose, and the team physician Franz Loogen said in 2004 that the players had only been given Vitamin C before the game.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Controversies, Doping allegations
A co-author of a 2010 study conducted by the University of Leipzig hypothesized that the German players, unbeknownst to them, may have been injected with Pervitin (methamphetamine) – a stimulant given to soldiers in World War II. The study itself, entitled "Doping in Germany", does not cover the 1954 World Cup. In any case, doping was not illegal in 1954, with doping controls introduced by FIFA only in 1966.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Radio commentaries
As television was available only in a few homes or public places in 1954, the radio reports by György Szepesi and Herbert Zimmermann were the main vehicles for transmitting the World Cup final live to the Hungarian and West German populations. Both commentaries became legendary for their passionate, emotional reporting styles, and are sometimes credited with contributing to the charged atmosphere in both countries after the final.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Radio commentaries
Szepesi – who later became the chairman of the Hungarian Football Federation – had been a household name in Hungary since his report of the Golden Team's 6–3 victory over England in 1953. He started his commentary of the World Cup final with cautious confidence, reinforced after Hungary's opening goal: "Puskás shoots... GOAL... A WONDERFUL GOAL! ... There is the lead. Öcsi 's [i.e., Puskas'] foot is fine, this one could see with this shot. ... And now: calmly, boys, just as we played at the 8–3".


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Radio commentaries
Doubts started creeping in after Germany shortened the lead – "the clouds are piling up in front of the mountains... hopefully this is not a bad sign" – and grew stronger at half time – "it will be even more difficult than the matches before, more difficult perhaps than against Brazil and Uruguay".


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Radio commentaries
Szepesi's doubts gave way to desperation with Germany's winning goal – "dear listeners, Rahn's shot is in the goal, in the right corner, six minutes before the end... The boys are standing there, distraught. The crowd screams. Six more minutes. The Hungarian team has played brilliantly – I cannot say anything else. My tears are flowing, but believe me, the boys gave it all." – and Puskás disallowed equalizer – "Puskás, you have the ball!!! SHOT!!! GOAL!!! ... OFFSIDE, offside; Griffiths indicated offside, my listeners, Griffiths has given offside – oh what a pity... what a pity".


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Radio commentaries
At the final whistle, Szepesi was fighting for composure: "end of the game. West Germany's team is World Champion. Dear listeners, it is hard for me to say anything, believe me... But let's recognize that the West Germans were very fair and won deservedly. ... We have been unbeaten for four years. Now we have lost. This is not a tragedy, my listeners... this is a defeat in a football match".


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Radio commentaries
By contrast, Zimmermann kept expectations low at the outset, and continued in this vein after Hungary took the lead: "this is a great day, this is a proud day – let's not be so presumptuous to think it would have to end successfully". A measure of pride entered his voice after Germany's first – "today it is no 3–8. Today it is not a B-team. Today Germany's strongest squad is playing" – and second goal – "we have equalized, against Hungary, the technically most gifted squad that one knows!".


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Radio commentaries
Self-esteem grew as the match progressed – "six minutes still to play in Bern in the first half. Score: 2–2. This is more than what we dared to hope in our wildest dreams" – including after Buzánszky cleared Rahn's shot on the goal line: "now, dear Hungarians, we have to say: now you have been lucky". When Turek stopped Hidegkuti's volley from close range, Zimmermann famously called him a "god" and "devil" in the same sentence: "shot – saved by Turek! Turek, you are a dare-devil, Turek, you are a football god! ".


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Radio commentaries
Proverbial in Germany are Zimmermann's description of the winning goal – "Bozsik, time and again Bozsik, the right half-back of the Hungarians, with the ball. He has lost the ball this time, to Schäfer... Schäfer has crossed, header... cleared. From the deep Rahn ought to shoot – Rahn shoots - GOAL!! GOAL!! GOAL!! GOAL!! ... Goal for Germany! ... Call me crazy, call me mental, I believe also football laymen should have a heart!" – and his jubilation at the end of the match: "Over! Over! Over! ... Over! The game is over!". Zimmermann also complimented the Hungarian team: "Next to them stand the Hungarians... the Hungarians, calm, collected. Kudos to these boys, who can lose so gracefully, who have demonstrated to be true World Champions: when they once get beaten, they carry the defeat with dignity."


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match and aftermath, Reaction in Hungary
The loss came at a shock to Hungarian public. Spontaneous demonstrations erupted in Budapest and were directed not only against the team, but also the communist-authoritarian regime controlled by general secretary Mátyás Rákosi, which had used the Golden Team's prestige to boost its own reputation. Goalkeeper Grosics characterized the post-match atmosphere in Hungary as follows:


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match and aftermath, Reaction in Hungary
"The reaction in Hungary was terrible. Hundreds of thousands of people poured into the streets in the hours after the match. On the pretext of football, they demonstrated against the regime ... in those demonstrations, I believe, lay the seeds of the 1956 uprising."


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match and aftermath, Reaction in Hungary
Sebes was severely criticized for the team's selection and tactics, and blamed the negative reaction in part on Szepesi's emotional radio report. Sebes achieved that Szepesi was temporarily removed from commenting football matches for the Hungarian State Radio. The authorities revoked player privileges, such as the tacit approval of smuggling Western goods back to Hungary. Grosics – who some Hungarians blamed for the third German goal – was accused of espionage and treason, put temporarily under house arrest, and transferred against his will from Budapest Honvéd FC to the provincial team FC Tatabánya.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match and aftermath, Reaction in Germany
The unexpected win evoked a wave of euphoria throughout Germany, which suffered from a lack of international recognition in the aftermath of World War II, and where expressions of national pride were still tainted with the recent past. Some publicists described the 1954 victory as a turning point in post-war German history, notably Arthur Heinrich and Joachim Fest. In Fest's words:


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match and aftermath, Reaction in Germany
"It was a kind of liberation for the Germans from all the things that weighed down upon them after the Second World War ... July 4, 1954 is in certain aspects the founding day of the German Republic."


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match and aftermath, Reaction in Germany
The World Cup final was also the first time since the Second World War that the German national anthem was played at a global sporting event.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match and aftermath, Mighty Magyars and Heroes of Bern after 1954
Hungary's Golden Team remained largely intact until the failed Hungarian Revolution of 1956, except that coach Sebes was replaced with Bukovi in early 1956. After the revolution, Puskás, Czibor and Kocsis emigrated and, ultimately, continued their careers in Spain, playing for Real Madrid (Puskás) and FC Barcelona (Czibor and Kocsis), respectively. At the 1958 FIFA World Cup, only four players from the Mighty Magyars still featured – Bozsik, Budai, Grosics, Hidegkuti – but were unable to repeat earlier success.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match and aftermath, Mighty Magyars and Heroes of Bern after 1954
In the 1960s and beyond, Hidegkuti, Puskás, and Lóránt became prominent international coaches, managing clubs such as Panathinaikos (Puskás), Fiorentina (Hidegkuti), and Bayern Munich (Lóránt). Lóránt's admission to the German Sport University Cologne was arranged by Herberger. Several other Golden Team members had success as coaches in the domestic Hungarian league.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match and aftermath, Mighty Magyars and Heroes of Bern after 1954
The West German players became instantaneously famous in Germany as the Heroes of Bern. Several received lucrative offers to play abroad, but none accepted, continuing instead as semi-professionals in German clubs. Herberger overhauled the national team after the tournament. Hence, of the winning 1954 side, only Eckel, Rahn, Schäfer, and a 37-year old Fritz Walter still played at the 1958 World Cup, reaching the semi-finals.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match and aftermath, Mighty Magyars and Heroes of Bern after 1954
Few of the 1954 World Champions went into coaching; an exception is Liebrich, who is credited with saving his home club Kaiserslautern from Bundesliga relegation in 1965 – with Lóránt becoming Liebrich's successor in the following season. Some players had difficulties to cope with fame, and struggled at times with economic problems and alcoholism.


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match and aftermath, Mighty Magyars and Heroes of Bern after 1954
In 1990, after the downfall of the Iron Curtain, the German Football Association invited the surviving members of Hungary's 1954 team to join celebrations for Fritz Walter's 70th birthday. In the years that followed, both teams organized annual get-togethers, which Grosics described as follows:


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match and aftermath, Mighty Magyars and Heroes of Bern after 1954
"I believe the friendship between the former Hungarian and German players can be called the world's most extraordinary. We met regularly over years and decades, alternately in Hungary and in Germany. I believe that these friendships were formed not only by the sport, but that high regard for the human beings also played a part. Between us such a relationship developed which, as I would like to stress once more, is unthinkable among national team players."


1954 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match and aftermath, Mighty Magyars and Heroes of Bern after 1954
In January 2015, the last surviving of the Golden Hungarian team – Jenő Buzánszky – died. The death of Hans Schäfer in November 2017 left Horst Eckel as the last player from the game who is still alive.


1954 FIFA World Cup Group 1
Group 1 of the 1954 FIFA World Cup took place from 16 to 19 June 1954. The group consisted of Brazil, France, Mexico, and Yugoslavia.


1954 FIFA World Cup Group 2
Group 2 of the NGSin NGSin Hungary, South Korea, Turkey, and West Germany.


1954 FIFA World Cup Group 3
Group 3 of the 1954 FIFA World Cup took place from 16 to 19 June 1954. The group consisted of Austria, Czechoslovakia, Scotland, and Uruguay.


1954 FIFA World Cup Group 4
Group 4 of the 1954 FIFA World Cup took place from 17 to 23 June 1954. The group consisted of Belgium, England, Italy, and Switzerland.


1954 FIFA World Cup Group 4, Matches, England vs Belgium
England looked set for victory when they led 3-1 early in the second half. But defensive lapses handed their opponents two simple goals, which took the game into extra time. Nat Lofthouse then edged England back in front before an unlucky headed own goal by Jimmy Dickinson handed the Belgians a draw.


1954 FIFA World Cup knockout stage
The knockout stage of the 1954 FIFA World Cup was the second and final stage of the competition, following the group stage. The knockout stage began on 26 June with the quarter-finals and ended on 4 July 1954 with the final match, held at the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern. The top two teams from each group (eight in total) advanced to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination style tournament. A third place play-off also was played between the two losing teams of the semi-finals.


1954 FIFA World Cup knockout stage
West Germany won the final 3–2 against Hungary for their first World Cup title.


1954 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Qualified teams
The top two placed teams from each of the four groups qualified for the knockout stage.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 37 teams entered the 1954 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Switzerland, as the hosts, and Uruguay, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification
37 teams were divided into 13 groups, based on geographical considerations, as follows:


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 33 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 57 qualifying matches were played, and 208 goals were scored (an average of 3.65 per match).


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification
Listed below are the dates and results of the qualification rounds.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification, Groups, Group 2
Belgium qualified. This is the first time Sweden failed to qualify.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification, Groups, Group 6
Spain and Turkey finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification, Groups, Group 6
Luigi Franco Gemma, a 14-year-old Italian boy whose father worked at the stadium, picked Turkey's name from the lots with his eyes blindfolded. Since the 1970 FIFA World Cup finals, goal difference has been used as a tiebreaker for future qualifying rounds. Had those rules been in place, Spain would have qualified, and Turkey would have been eliminated. This is the first time Spain failed to qualify. Therefore, Turkey qualified. This was the only time winner of the aggregate score failed to qualify.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification, Groups, Group 7
Poland withdrew and Iceland have their entry rejected so Hungary qualified automatically.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification, Groups, Group 8
Czechoslovakia qualified. This was the first time Romania failed to qualify.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification, Groups, Group 11
Brazil qualified. This was the first time South American zone qualification matches were played.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification, Groups, Group 12
Mexico  qualified. The United States failed to qualify for the first time.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification, Qualified teams
6 of the 16 teams subsequently failed to qualify for the 1958 finals: Belgium, Italy, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey and Uruguay.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC – Group 13)
After India and Vietnam had their entries rejected, the three teams in this group played against each other once. The group winner South Korea qualified for the fifth FIFA World Cup held in Switzerland. Republic of China withdrew the qualification.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1
The three teams in this group played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner West Germany qualified for the fifth FIFA World Cup held in Switzerland.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Norway vs Saarland
Team: - GK - Olaf Førli - DF - Erik Holmberg - DF - Yngve Karlsen - MF - Thorbjørn Svenssen - MF - Thor Hernes - MF - Thorleif Olsen - FW - Gunnar Thoresen - FW - Asbjørn Andersen - FW - Knut Dahlen - FW - Leif Olsen - FW - Harald Hennum


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Norway vs Saarland
Unused Substitutes: - GK - Asbjørn Hansen - DF - Harry Boye Karlsen - DF - Arne Bakker - FW - Kjell Kristiansen - FW - Willy Olsen


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Norway vs Saarland
Match rules:90 minutesone injured player can besubstituted before half time


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Norway vs Saarland
Team: - GK - Erwin Strempel - DF - Theodor Puff sub first half - DF - Albert Keck - MF - Kurt Clemens - MF - Peter Momber - MF - Waldemar Philippi - FW - Werner Otto - FW - Herbert Martin - FW - Herbert Binkert - FW - Gerhard Siedl - FW - Karl Schirra


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Norway vs Saarland
Scorers:2-1 Herbert Binkert (16')2-2 Werner Otto (30')2-3 Gerhard Siedl (55')


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Norway vs West Germany
Team: - GK - Asbjørn Hansen - DF - Harry Boye Karlsen - DF - Oddvar Hansen - MF - Thorbjørn Svenssen - MF - Thor Hernes - MF - Thorleif Olsen - FW - Leif Olsen - FW - Arne Natland - FW - Gunnar Dybwad sub 63' injured - FW - Gunnar Thoresen - FW - Harald Hennum


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Norway vs West Germany
Unused Substitutes: - GK - Olaf Førli - ? - Knut Gudem - FW - Ragnar Hvidsten


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Norway vs West Germany
Match rules:90 minutesone injured player can besubstituted before half time


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Norway vs West Germany
Team: - GK - Toni Turek - DF - Werner Kohlmeyer - DF - Erich Retter - MF - Erich Schanko - MF - Jupp Posipal - MF - Horst Eckel - FW - Hans Schäfer sub 42' - FW - Fritz Walter (capt.) - FW - Ottmar Walter - FW - Max Morlock - FW - Helmut Rahn


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, West Germany vs Saarland
Team: - GK - Toni Turek - DF - Herbert Erhardt - DF - Erich Retter - MF - Richard Gottinger sub 38' - MF - Jupp Posipal - MF - Karl Mai - FW - Hans Schäfer - FW - Karl-Heinz Metzner - FW - Horst Schade - FW - Max Morlock - FW - Helmut Rahn


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, West Germany vs Saarland
Scorers:1-0 Max Morlock (13')2-0 Max Morlock (51')3-0 Horst Schade (71')


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, West Germany vs Saarland
Match rules:90 minutesone injured player can besubstituted before half time


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, West Germany vs Saarland
Team: - GK - Erwin Strempel - DF - Theodor Puff - DF - Nikolaus Biewer - MF - Waldemar Philippi - MF - Peter Momber - MF - Karl Berg sub 65' injured - FW - Gerhard Siedl - FW - Kurt Clemens - FW - Jakob Balzert - FW - Herbert Martin - FW - Werner Otto


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Saarland vs Norway
Team: - GK - Erwin Strempel - DF - Theodor Puff - DF - Nikolaus Biewer - MF - Kurt Clemens - MF - Waldemar Philippi - MF - Peter Momber - FW - Helmut Fottner - FW - Gerhard Siedl - FW - Jakob Balzert - FW - Herbert Martin - FW - Werner Otto


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Saarland vs Norway
Match rules:90 minutesone injured player can besubstituted before half time


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Saarland vs Norway
Team: - GK - Asbjørn Hansen - DF - Harry Boye Karlsen - DF - Oddvar Hansen - MF - Thorbjørn Svenssen - MF - Thor Hernes - MF - Thorleif Olsen - FW - Willy Olsen - FW - Hans Nordahl - FW - Gunnar Dybwad - FW - Gunnar Thoresen - FW - Harald Hennum


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Saarland vs Norway
Unused Substitutes: - GK - Olaf Førli - DF - Erik Holmberg - FW - Ragnar Hvidsten - FW - Arne Natland


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, West Germany vs Norway
Team: - GK - Toni Turek - DF - Werner Kohlmeyer - DF - Erich Retter - MF - Horst Eckel - MF - Jupp Posipal - MF - Karl Mai - FW - Richard Herrmann - FW - Fritz Walter (capt.) - FW - Ottmar Walter - FW - Max Morlock - FW - Helmut Rahn


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, West Germany vs Norway
Scorers:1-1 Max Morlock (26')2-1 Max Morlock (63')3-1 Ottmar Walter (69')4-1 Fritz Walter (80')5-1 Helmut Rahn (86')


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, West Germany vs Norway
Match rules:90 minutesone injured player can besubstituted before half time


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, West Germany vs Norway
Team: - GK - Asbjørn Hansen - DF - Harry Boye Karlsen sub 29' - DF - Oddvar Hansen - MF - Thorbjørn Svenssen - MF - Thor Hernes - MF - Thorleif Olsen - FW - Ragnar Hvidsten - FW - Hans Nordahl - FW - Gunnar Dybwad - FW - Gunnar Thoresen - FW - Willy Fossli


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, West Germany vs Norway
Unused Substitutes: - GK - Olaf Førli - FW - Harald Hennum - FW - Arne Natland


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Saarland vs West Germany
Team: - GK - Erwin Strempel - DF - Albert Keck - DF - Nikolaus Biewer - MF - Kurt Clemens - MF - Waldemar Philippi sub injured (*) - MF - Peter Momber - FW - Karl Schirra - FW - Gerhard Siedl - FW - Herbert Binkert - FW - Herbert Martin - FW - Werner Otto


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Saarland vs West Germany
Match rules:90 minutesone injured player can besubstituted before half time


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Saarland vs West Germany
Team: - GK - Toni Turek - DF - Werner Kohlmeyer - DF - Erich Retter - MF - Erich Schanko - MF - Werner Liebrich - MF - Jupp Posipal - FW - Hans Schäfer - FW - Josef Röhrig - FW - Fritz Walter (capt.) sub 31' - FW - Max Morlock - FW - Helmut Rahn


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1, Group 1, Saarland vs West Germany
Scorers:0-1 Max Morlock (37')0-2 Max Morlock (51')1-3 Hans Schäfer (83')


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 10
The three teams in this group played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner Yugoslavia qualified for the 1954 FIFA World Cup held in Switzerland.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 10, Team stats, Greece
Head coach:  Kostas Negrepontis (first and second match),  Ioannis Chelmis (third and fourth match)


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 2
The three teams in this group played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner Belgium qualified for the fifth FIFA World Cup held in Switzerland.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 2, Team stats, Belgium
Head coach:  Bill Gormlie (first and second match);  Doug Livingstone (third and fourth match)


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 4
The three teams in this group played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner France qualified for the fifth FIFA World Cup held in Switzerland.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 4, Team stats, Republic of Ireland
Head coach: none, selected by committee, team manager:  Alex Stevenson


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 5
The 1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 5 contained Austria and Portugal.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 6
The 1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 6 contained Spain and Turkey.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 6, Matches
Spain and Turkey finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 6, Matches
Turkey qualified after drawing lots. Since the 1970 FIFA World Cup finals, goal difference has been used as a tiebreaker for future qualifying rounds. Had those rules been in place, Spain would have qualified, and Turkey would have been eliminated. A 14-year-old local (i.e. Roman) boy whose father worked at the stadium, Luigi Franco Gemma, picked Turkey's name from the lots with his eyes blindfolded.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 9
The 1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 9 contained Italy and Egypt.


1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 9, Team stats, Italy
Head coach: Technical Commission:  Lajos Czeizler,  Angelo Schiavio,  Silvio Piola


1954 FIFA World Cup squads
Below are the squads for the 1954 FIFA World Cup final tournament in Switzerland. This was the first World Cup where the players were assigned squad numbers.


1954 FIFA World Cup squads
Scotland were the only team to have players from foreign clubs (namely 7 players from English clubs).


1954 FIFA World Cup squads, Group 1, Mexico
Roca, Ochoa, Cortes, although registered the official list remained on stand by in Mexico


1954 FIFA World Cup squads, Group 2, Turkey
Gurbuz, Günar and Aytaç, although registered the official list remained on stand by in Turkey.


1954 FIFA World Cup squads, Group 3, Scotland
Head coach: Andy Beattie (quit after first match; remaining match was managed by a selection committee)


1954 FIFA World Cup squads, Notes
Each national team had to submit a squad of 22 players. All the teams included 3 goalkeepers, except Yugoslavia, Mexico, South Korea, Uruguay, Scotland and England who only called two.


1954 FIFA Youth Tournament Under-18
The FIFA Youth Tournament Under-18 1954 Final Tournament was held in West Germany. It was the last time the FIFA was organiser, from next year on, the UEFA would take over.


1954 Faroese general election
General elections were held in the Faroe Islands on 8 November 1954. The Union Party emerged as the largest party in the Løgting, winning 7 of the 27 seats.


1954 Finnish parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 7 and 8 March 1954.


1954 Finnish parliamentary election, Background
In June 1953, Prime Minister Urho Kekkonen had presented a simultaneous deflationary program, which tried to lower wages, prices and public expenditures to the level of the export industry's profitability. Among other proposals, the deflationary program aimed to remove the Finnish parents' family allowances for their first children, reduce income, sales and corporate taxes, cut the interest rate, and reduce wages by 10%. Finance Minister Juho Niukkanen (Agrarian League) presented an austerity budget to Parliament in September 1953, which proposed cutting all major government expenditures by 15%. The Social Democratic Party and People's Party of Finland opposed the austerity budget.


1954 Finnish parliamentary election, Background
Since Parliament refused to approve the government's planned changes to the state-subsidized apartment buildings' and other residences' construction, Kekkonen resigned in November 1953. Despite President Juho Kusti Paasikivi's urgings (in his opinion, Kekkonen was a valuable Prime Minister because he managed Finnish-Soviet relations skilfully), the Social Democrats refused to allow Kekkonen to continue as Prime Minister.


1954 Finnish parliamentary election, Background
Sakari Tuomioja, a member of the Liberal League who had earlier served in the government, for example as Foreign Minister, and had been Governor of the Bank of Finland since 1945, formed a centre-right caretaker government. Tuomioja's government wanted to keep rationing wages, but wanted to dismantle other types of rationing. Coffee was released from rationing in March 1954. Finnish exports grew, and the government's expenditures increased by over 20% compared to Kekkonen's fourth government's proposal. Various right-wingers and Social Democrats preferred early elections to boost their number of deputies, and to prevent Kekkonen from becoming Prime Minister again. Given President Paasikivi's advanced age (83 years) and close relations with Kekkonen, the latter could well succeed Paasikivi as President, should Paasikivi suddenly die or resign.


1954 Finnish parliamentary election, Background
The Social Democrats went to the election campaign trail with the lofty slogan:  "Kekkonen Kampinkadulle" (lit. Kekkonen Back to Camp Street (Kampinkatu), his home of 25 years before his premiership & which was subsequently renamed after him). To their surprise and to that of right-wingers, the Agrarians gained two seats, while the Social Democrats, National Coalition Party and Swedish People's Party suffered a net loss of four seats. Ralf Törngren of the Swedish People's Party formed a centre-left government in May 1954, with Kekkonen as Foreign Minister.


1954 Finnish parliamentary election, Background
The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions favoured the lowering of living costs, through subsidies, to the start level of the economic stabilization period. The Social Democrats and Agrarians agreed and, dissatisfied with Prime Minister Törngren's economic compromises, caused Törngren to resign and Kekkonen to become Prime Minister for the fifth time in October 1954.


1954 Five Nations Championship
The 1954 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-fifth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixtieth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between 9 January and 10 April. It was contested by England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Wales, England and France shared the championship; this marked France's first title. England won the Triple Crown and the Calcutta Cup.


1954 Five Nations Championship
England missed out on a seventh Grand Slam after losing to France at Stade Colombes.


1954 Five Nations Championship, Results
This was the last Ireland international played at Ravenhill until 2007. Players from the Republic of Ireland threatened not to line out for the UK anthem unless their anthem and flag were also used. The IRFU resolved the issue by moving all future home matches to Dublin.


1954 Florida A&M Rattlers football team
The 1954 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1954 college football season. In their 10th season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled an 8–1 record, including a victory over Maryland State in the Orange Blossom Classic. The team played its home games at Bragg Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.


1954 Florida A&M Rattlers football team
The Pittsburgh Courier selected Florida A&M as Black college national co-champion in a five-way tie with four other teams. The "Pigskin Huddle" rated Florida A&M No. 2 with Tennessee A&I as the national champion.


1954 Florida Gators football team
The 1954 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1954 college football season. The season was the fifth for Bob Woodruff as the Florida Gators football team's head coach. The Gators' standout players included running back Mal Hammack. The season was one of mixed results for the Gators: their best-ever Southeastern Conference (SEC) win–loss record, balanced by five overall losses. The highlights of the season were five SEC wins over the fifth-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (13–12), Auburn Tigers (19–13), Kentucky Wildcats (21–7), Mississippi State Maroons (7–0) and Tennessee Volunteers (14–0). Woodruff's 1954 Florida Gators finished 5–5 overall and 5–2 in the SEC, placing third in the twelve-team conference—their best SEC showing to date.


1954 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 1954 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University in the 1954 college football season.


1954 Florida gubernatorial special election
The 1954 Florida gubernatorial special election was held on November 2, 1954. Democratic nominee LeRoy Collins defeated Republican nominee J. Thomas Watson with 80.43% of the vote.


1954 Florida gubernatorial special election, Background
On September 28, 1953, Governor Daniel T. McCarty, who was elected in the 1952 gubernatorial election, died in office of pneumonia. McCarty's death elevated Florida Senate President Charley E. Johns to acting governor and a special election for November 1954 was called to fill the position for the final two years of McCarty's term. The state constitution was revised in 1968 to establish a position of Lieutenant Governor who is first in line to succeed the governor.


1954 Florida gubernatorial special election, Primary elections
Primary elections were held on May 4, 1954, with the Democratic runoff held on May 25, 1954.


1954 Florida gubernatorial special election, General election, Campaign
Watson, the Republican nominee, died on 24 October. His name remained on the ballot.


1954 Football Championship of the Ukrainian SSR
The 1954 Football Championship of UkrSSR were part of the 1954 Soviet republican football competitions in the Soviet Ukraine.


1954 Footscray Football Club season
The 1954 Footscray season was the club's 29th since they began competing in the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1925. After falling short in the Preliminary final the previous season, the Bulldogs finally won through to their first Grand Final, and beat Melbourne to claim their first VFL premiership, making them the first of the teams admitted to the VFL in 1925 to do so.


1954 Footscray Football Club season, Home-and-Away Season Summary and Results
The Bulldogs went into the 1954 VFL season as premiership contenders. However, the season did not start well with losses St Kilda and Richmond, both of which finished in the bottom four the previous season. In the following two matches, against South Melbourne and Carlton, the club returned to form with Jack Collins booting eight and nine goals respectively to help propel the Bulldogs to victory.


1954 Footscray Football Club season, Home-and-Away Season Summary and Results
In Round 7 against Hawthorn at Glenferrie Oval, Footscray, led by Don Ross after Ted Whitten injured his shoulder, came from 23 points down at the last break to kick seven goals and win by nine points. With Richmond upsetting Collingwood at Victoria Park that same day, the Bulldogs went to the top of the ladder, where they would stay until Round 11, when they lost to Collingwood by ten points in a top-of-the-ladder clash at Victoria Park.


1954 Footscray Football Club season, Home-and-Away Season Summary and Results
Footscray slipped to fourth in Round 16 when, at Arden Street Oval against North Melbourne, they looked set for a win, being 13 points up with five minutes remaining, before the home side rallied to snatch a draw with a behind on the siren. With two rounds remaining and seven teams still in contention for a finals berth, the pressure was on the Bulldogs when they met second-placed Essendon at Windy Hill. In a performance that set them up for their premiership success, Footscray won the match with a decisive five-goal-to-none third quarter to run out 19-point winners. Whitten was judged best on ground and Collins kicked six goals, while Essendon were clearly missing full-forward John Coleman, who had gone down with a career-ending knee injury earlier in the season.


1954 Footscray Football Club season, 1954 Finals Series
Captain-coach Charlie Sutton, who had been struggling since injuring his left knee against Carlton, was declared fit by the selectors to play against Geelong in the Semi Final after getting through a training session, but pulled out at the last minute on advice of the club doctor. Lionel Ryan, who had been dropped to accommodate Sutton, was reinstated to the team, and defender Wally Donald took charge of the team on the field.


1954 Footscray Football Club season, 1954 Finals Series
The Melbourne Cricket Ground was undergoing renovation work to be ready for the 1956 Summer Olympics, and the demolition of the public stand left a gap for the breeze to affect the game. Geelong kicked with the wind in the first quarter, and in the early going it looked like the pace and class which had taken them to the last three Grand Finals would again do the job. The Bulldogs began to work their way into the match, led by their defence – the finest in the League – which managed to restrict Geelong to four goals whilst themselves kicking three against the wind, goals that would be crucial in deciding the outcome.


1954 Fordham Rams football team
The 1954 Fordham Rams football team represented Fordham University during the 1954 college football season. The Rams went 1–7–1 and amassed 96 points while their defense allowed 292 points. It was their worst season since the winless 1946 campaign. Shortly afterwards, and following a disastrous, 41–0 season finale home loss to previously winless (0–9) Villanova, head coach Ed Danowski resigned. Speculation grew around five coaches, all former Fordham players, rumored as replacements.


1954 Fordham Rams football team
In order of likeliness the candidates were Vince Lombardi, at the time a backfield coach with the New York Giants; Johnny Druze, at the time a line coach with Notre Dame; Harry Jacunski, at the time a line coach with Yale and two long shots who were each successful in the high school ranks. They were Ray Riddick, at the time head coach of Lowell High School's powerhouse program in Massachusetts and Leo Paquin, in charge of Xavier High School's program in Manhattan.


1954 Fordham Rams football team
In the end none of the five were chosen. Instead, sighting poor attendance numbers and financial losses of $100,000 per year, the school decided to drop its football program on December, 15th.


1954 Fordham Rams football team
Alumni, many hoping Lombardi would be named head coach, led a campaign to cover all operating costs for the 1955 season and honor an already announced schedule  in the process. The university however stood by their decision. After more pushing, the alumni movement was finally abandoned in May, 1955. With that came the lost opportunity at hiring, arguably, the single greatest football coach of all time. They also lost the services of freshmen quarterbacks Chuck Zimmerman and Jim Reese who had platooned the freshman team to a promising 3-1 record. Reese transferred to Minnesota where in 1958 he became the first Golden Gopher to throw for 200 yards in a game. Zimmerman transferred to Syracuse where in that same season he threw for over 700 yards while leading the Orangemen to the Orange Bowl.


1954 Formula One season
The 1954 Formula One season was the eighth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1954 World Championship of Drivers and a number of non-championship races. The World Championship of Drivers was contested over a nine race series which commenced on 17 January and ended on 24 October 1954. The championship was won by Juan Manuel Fangio who drove, and won races, for both Maserati and Mercedes-Benz over the course of the series. Argentine drivers gained the first two positions in the championship with José Froilán González placing second to his compatriot Fangio.


1954 Formula One season, Championship summary
With Formula One changing to 2.5 litre unsupercharged engines for 1954, Mercedes re-entered Grand Prix racing for the first time since the Second World War at the French Grand Prix with the Mercedes-Benz W196, a streamlined single seater which Fangio and Karl Kling took to a 1–2 win. Fangio's French success had come after switching from the Maserati team, with whom he had won the first two Grands Prix of the season. Although the streamlined, closed-wheel body proved unsuitable for Silverstone, Mercedes produced a more conventional open-wheel body for the Nürburgring race; Fangio won three of the remaining four races.


1954 Formula One season, Championship summary
Reigning champion Alberto Ascari had a less successful switch of teams, choosing to leave Ferrari for the newly formed Lancia team. Lancia's car, the D50, was not ready until the final World Championship race, meaning he had to sit out most of his title defence.


1954 Formula One season, Championship summary
Championship points were awarded for first five places in each race on an 8-6-4-3-2 basis with 1 point awarded for the fastest lap. Only the best five of nine scores counted towards the championship. Points for shared drives were divided equally between the drivers, regardless of who had driven more laps unless one of the drivers was deemed to have completed "insufficient distance". Drivers who shared more than one car during a race received points only for their highest finish.


1954 Formula One season, Championship summary
Argentine Onofre Marimón was killed during practice for the German Grand Prix driving a Maserati 250F. It was the first fatality at a championship Formula One race weekend.


1954 Formula One season, Season review
The following races counted towards the 1954 World Championship of Drivers.


1954 Formula One season, Season review
All championship races were open to cars complying with FIA Formula One regulations with the exception of the Indianapolis 500 which was for cars complying with AAA National Championship regulations, and also counted towards the 1954 AAA Championship.


1954 Formula One season, Season review
The Dutch Grand Prix was originally scheduled to be held at Zandvoort but there was no money for the race to be held, and it was cancelled.


1954 Formula One season, Season review
The German Grand Prix was given the honorary title of being the European Grand Prix of 1954.


1954 Formula One season, Teams and drivers
The following teams and drivers competed in the 1954 FIA World Championship of Drivers.


1954 Formula One season, World Championship of Drivers standings
Points were awarded on an 8–6–4–3–2 basis to the top five finishers at each race, with an additional point scored for the fastest lap. Only the best five results counted towards the championship. Numbers without parentheses are championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.


1954 Formula One season, Non-championship races
The following is a summary of the races for Formula One cars staged during the 1954 season that did not count towards the 1954 World Championship of Drivers.


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile
The 1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile was a series of matches of the France national team during their tour to Argentina and Chile in 1954. It was the second visit of a French side to Argentina after the 1949 tour over the country.


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile
French touring party arrived in Buenos Aires and then moved to Hindú Club, where the team would reside during their stay in Argentina. All the games in Argentina were played at Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires, the main venue for rugby games in those years.


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match summary
Complete list of matches played by France in Argentina and Chile:


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match details
ADF= Deportiva Francesa, BCR=Buenos Aires C.R.C., BAC=Belgrano A.C., CASI=C.A. San Isidro, CP=Pucará, EB=La Plata, H= Hindú, LM=Los Matreros, LT=Los Tilos, OG= (Old Georgian), ORC= Olivos, OS= Obras Sanitarias, SIC=San Isidro Club


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match details
Belgrano A.C.: O.Elía; L.Camardón, R.Bazán, E.Gahan, C.Lennon; M.Hughes, P.Felisari; R.Pineo, E.Arntsen (capt. ), E.Moore; A.Dillon, A.Parola; E.Hirsch; M.Caldwell J.Lescano. France: M.Vannier; G.Murillo, R.Martine, A.Boniface, L.Rogé; A.Haget, P.Danos, Y.Duffaut, M.Celaya, J.Barthe; B.Chevallier, P.Capitani; R.Bienés (capt. ), P.Labadie, J.Bichindaritz.


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match details
Combinado A: E.Niño (CASI); A.Caride (CASI), J.Guidi (ADF), E.Dramis (OS), C.Lennon (BAC); I.Comas (H), E.Holmgren (ORC); D.Cowan (BCR – capt. ), A.Bublath (O.S. ),R.Collie (OG); O.Martínez ((ADF), C.Brondsted (ORC); R.Gorostiaga (LT), V.Christianson ((ADF), R.Ferrari (LM). France: M.Vannier; L.Rogé, R.Martine, R.Bassauri, A.Boniface; A.Haget, P.Danos; Y.Duffaut, M.Celaya, J.Barthe; B.Chevallier, P.Capitani; R.Bienés (capt. ), J.Bénétiére, J.Bichindaritz.


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match details
Provincia: R.Frigerio (CP); L.Caffarone (ORC RC), A.Palma (CP), A.Salinas (ORC), O.Bernacchi (CP); J.Guidi ADF G.Ehrman (capt. – CP); J.Lourés (CP), M.Sarandón (SIC), R.Grosse (ORC); E.Domínguez (CP), O.Martínez ADF; C.Travaglini (CASI), H.Lambruschini (ORC), R.Follet (OG). France: M.Vannier; G.Murillo, R.Martine, R.Bassauri, A.Boniface; A.Haget, P.Danos, Y.Duffaut, M.Celaya, J.Barthe; P.Capitani, B. 'Chevallier; R.Bienés (capt. ), J.Bénétiére, J.Bichindaritz.


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match details
C.A.S.I. : E.Niño; A.Caride, J.Berro García, P.Guastavino, C.Ramallo; J.M.Belgrano (capt. ), F.Varela; L.Bavio, R.Aldao; R.Ochoa, W.Aniz, E.Pasman; C.Travaglini, M.Iraola, R.Lagarde. France: R.Bassauri; L.Rogé, J.Murillo, J.Meynard, A.Boniface; A.Haget, J.Barbe, R.Bienés (capt. ), M.Celaya, J.Barthe; B.Chevallier, P.Capitani; A.Berilhes, J.Bénétiére, H.Lazies.


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match details
Capital: J.Comotto (H); J.Santiago (H), M.Hardy (AC), R.Bazan (BAC), C.Lennon (BAC), M.Hughes (BAC), P.Felisari (BAC); M.Aspiroz (OS), E.Arntsen (BAC), R.Pineo (BAC); B.Yustini (H), J.Repossi (OS); B.Grigolón (H), M.Caldwell (BAC), E.Hirsch (BAC). France: M.Vannier; L.Rogé, R.Martine, A.Boniface, G, Muillo; R.Bassauri, P.Danos; J.Barthe, M.Celaya, Y.Duffaut; P.Capitani, B.Chevallier; R.Bienés, P.Labadie, J.Bichindaritz.


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match details
Eva Perón: C.Zaparat EB); J.Balbín (LT), C Mercader EB), A.Fernández EB), E.Vergara (LT); J.Ocampo (LT), J.Jáuregui EB); 1.Lembo EB), L.Nápoli EB), M.Morón (LT); C.Olivera EB), E.Gitard (LT); R.Gorostiaga (capt. – LT), A.Dentone EB), R.Giner EB). France: M.Vannier; L.Rogó; R.Martine, R.Bassauri, A.Boniface; A.Haget, P.Danos; J.Barthe, M.Celaya (capt. ), Y.Duffaut; P.Capitani, B.Chevallier; A.Barilhe, P.Labadie, J.Bichindaritz.


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match details, First test
Argentina: R.Frigerio (CP); E.Caffarone (ORC), A.Palma (CP), E.Gahan (BAC), O.Bernacchi (CP); M.Hughes (BAC), G.Ehrman (capt. – CP); M.Sarandón (SIC), R.Grosse (ORC), R.Pineo (BAC); B.Yustini (H), E.Domínguez (CP); E.Hirsch (BAC), V.Christianson ADF, B.Grigolón (H). France: M.Vannier; A.Boniface, G.Murillo, I.Meynard, L.Rogé; R.Bassauri, P.Danos; J.Barthe, M.Celaya, Y.Duffaut; P.Capitani, B.Chevallier; R.Bienés (capt. ), I.Bénétiére, J.Bichindaritz.


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match details, First test
Provincia: E.Niño (CASI); E.Caffarone (ORC), A.Salinas (ORC), A.Palma (CP), A.Caride (CASI); J.Guidi ADF, G.Ehman (capt.-CP); M.Sarandón (SIC), R.Grosse (ORC), L.Bavio (CASI); C.Brondstedt (ORC), O Martínez ADF; R.Follet (OG), V.Christianson ADF, C.Travaglini (CASI). France: M.Vannier; A.Boniface, G.Murillo, J.Meynard, L.Rogé; R.Bassauri, P.Danos; J.Barthe, H.Lazies, Y.Duffaut; P.Capitani, B.Chevallier; R.Bienés (capt. ), J.Bénétiére, J.Bichidaritz.


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match details, First test
Pucará: R.Frigerio; H.Poulet, L.Trotta, A.Palma, O.Bernacchi; H.Laborde, G.Ehrman, E.Bonfante, C.Olavarría, J.Lourés; R.Cernadas; E.Domínguez; J.Culotta, E.Dacharry; F.Ibáñez. France: M.Vannier; A.Boniface, R.Bassauri, G.Murillo, L.Rogé; R.Martine, P.Danos; J.Barthe, M.Celaya, Y.Duffaut; P.Capitani, A.Berilhe; R.Bienés, J.Bénétiére, J.Bichindaritz.


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match details, First test
Capital: O.Elía (BAC); J.Santiago (capt.-H), R.Bazán (BAC), E.Gahan (BAC), C.Lennon (BAC); M.Hughes (BAC), P.Felisari (BAC); E.Moore (BAC), E.Arntsen (BAC) M.Aspiroz (OS); J.Repossi (OS), B.Yustini (H); B.Grigolón (H), M.Caldwell (BAC), E.Hirsch (BAC). France: M.Vannier; L.Rogé, A.Boniface, R.Bassauri, A.Morel; R.Martine, J.Barbe; J.Barthe, M.Celaya, A.Berilhe; P.Capitani, H.Lazies; R.Bienés (capt. ), J.Bénétiére, J.Bichndaritz


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match details, Second test
Argentina: O.Elía (BAC); E.Caffarone (ORC), A.Palma (CP), E.Gahan (BAC), A.Salinas (ORC); M.Hughes (BAC), G.Ehrman (capt-CP); J.Lourés (CP) R.Grosse (ORC), L.Bavio (CASI); E.Domínguez (CP), O.Martínez ADF; B.Grigolón (H), V.Christianson ADF, R.Follet (OG). France: M.Vannier; L.Rogé, A.Boniface, R.Martine, A.Morel; A.Haget, P.Danos; Y.Duffaut, M.Celaya, J.Barthe; H.Lazies, P.Capitani; J.Bichindaritz, P.Labadie, R.Bienés (capt. ).


1954 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Chile, Match details, Second test
Chile: n/iFrance: M.Vannier; A.Morel, A.Boniface, R.Basauri, J.Meynard; J.Barbe, P.Danos; H.Lazies, M.Celaya, J.Barthe; B.Chevallier, P.Capitani; A.Berilhe, P.Labadie, R.Bienés (capt.) |}