33 Votes

Did two countries ever have to play against each other twice during one FIFA World Cup?

Question by Square | Last update on 2022-12-20 | Created on 2018-03-15

I have just once again looked at my last Football Worldcup Planner and started a little thought experiment. Assuming the first two teams of any group in the preliminary round would win all other matches.

Then it would eventually come to the situation that the two teams would have to play against each other again. In the round of 16 and in the quarterfinals, the teams would still be separated, but at the latest in the semifinals or in the final, the teams would meet again and would have to play a second time in the same tournament against each other.

Therefore, my question, whether this has happened anytime before: Has it ever been the case that two teams had to compete against each other twice within one football World Cup?

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3Best Answer3 Votes

This case has often occurred during a Football World Cup in the past. Spontaneously, I come up with the following games:

  • 1954 in Switzerland, Germany against Turkey: 4-1 and 7-2 both in the preliminary round
  • 1954 in Switzerland, Switzerland against Italy: 2-1 and 4-1 in the preliminary round
  • 1954 in Switzerland, Germany against Hungary: 8-3 in the preliminary round and 3-2 in the finals
  • 1962 in Chile, Brazil against Czechoslovakia: 0-0 in the preliminary round and 3-1 in the finals
  • 1982 in Spain, Italy against Poland: 0-0 in the preliminary round and 2-0 in the semifinals
  • 2002 in Japan/South Korea, Brazil against Turkey: 2-1 in the preliminary round and 1-0 in the semifinals
  • 2022 in Qatar, Croatia against Morocco: 0-0 in the preliminary round and 2-1 in the game for 3rd place

Of course, in today's tournaments, double encounters can only happen once in the group stage and once in the knockout rounds, because first everyone has to play against everyone for one time and later at least one team of the two has to go home after each match.

1954 was an exception: At that time, Germany and Turkey as well as Switzerland and Italy played twice in the preliminary round against each other. In those days, there was another matching method, which was why such a competition was necessary.
Last update on 2022-12-20 | Created on 2018-03-15

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