1938 FIFA World Cup France
The third World Cup was played in a Europe on the brink of war. Italy beat Hungary 4–2 to become the first team to retain the title. The next two tournaments were cancelled because of the war.
Le Miroir des sports · Public domain · Source
The tournament was held in France from 4 to 19 June 1938. With the event in Europe again, Argentina and Uruguay stayed away; Spain was absent because of its civil war, and Austria, which had qualified, withdrew after its annexation by Germany. The Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) became the first Asian team and Cuba the first Caribbean one. In the final at the Stade de Colombes outside Paris on 19 June, Italy beat Hungary 4–2 and became the first team to win twice in a row.
The Second World War meant there were no tournaments in 1942 or 1946. During the war FIFA’s Italian vice-president Ottorino Barassi is said to have kept the Jules Rimet Cup safe in a shoebox under his bed.