Netherlands national football team scored to Willem Hesselink. The Netherlands made their first appearance at the FIFA World Cup final tournament in 1934. After a second appearance in 1938, they did not appear in another World Cup until 1974. The 1970s saw the invention of Total Football (), pioneered by Ajax and led by playmaker Johan Cruyff and national team head coach Rinus Michels. The Dutch made significant strides, qualifying for two World Cup finals in the decade. The captain of the Brazilian team that won the 1970 FIFA World Cup, Carlos Alberto, went on to say, "The only team I've seen that did
Brazil national football team 2-1 by eventual winners Italy. Brazil were the only South American team to participate in this competition. The 1949 South American Championship held in Brazil ended a 27-year streak without official titles. The last one had been in the 1922 South American Championship, also played on Brazilian soil. After that, Brazil first achieved international prominence when it hosted the 1950 FIFA World Cup. The team went into the last game of the final round, against Uruguay at Estádio do Maracanã in Rio, needing only a draw to win the World Cup. Uruguay, however, won the match and the Cup in