The first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930, included teams representing Yugoslavia and Romania. The Romanians beat Peru, but were eliminated in the Group Stages after defeat to the host nation. The Yugoslavs reached the Semi Finals after victories over Brazil and Bolivia, but they could not compete with Uruguay, losing 6-1 to the eventual champions. The next two World Cups were held in Europe, encouraging more European sides to enter. In Italy in 1934 Austria met Hungary in the Second Round, with the Austrians going on to lose to Italy in the Semi Final. The Italians then beat Czechoslovakia in the Final itself, the Czech’s having already condemned Romania to another First Round exit. The same fate awaited Romania four years later, when they lost a First Round replay against Cuba. Also out in the First Round were Poland, and Austria who were forced to withdraw following German occupation. Czechoslovakia went out in Round Two, but Hungary advanced all the way to the final, only to lose to Italy.
The next World Cup was not until 1950, when Yugoslavia were the only Eastern European side to compete. Despite victories of Switzerland and Mexico, they went out at the First Round. It was a different story in 1954 however, as Hungary, Yugoslavia and Austria all advanced to the knock out stages, only for all three to be beaten by West Germany, Yugoslavia in the Quarter Final, Austria in the last four, and Hungary in the Final. Eastern Europe had by this stage produced three losing finalists in five World Cups. Teams for the region were less effective in Sweden in 1958 however. Although Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union reached the finals, only Yugoslavia and the USSR made the Second Round, and neither progressed any further. In 1962 Czechoslovakia caused a shock by battling through to their second World Cup final, beating Hungary and Yugoslavia in the knock out rounds. The Soviet Union were also Quarter Final losers. Once again the Czech’s were denied the trophy however, this time losing out to Brazil.
Poland Perform Strongly in the World Cup
The 1966 World Cup was short on Eastern European competitors, with only Hungary and the Soviet Union taking part. They met in the last eight, with the USSR victorious. However West Germany proved too strong in the Semi Finals, and the Soviet Union eventually finished fourth, their best World Cup showing. The Soviet Union continued their record of reaching the Second Round into a fourth successive tournament in 1970, before losing a Quarter Final against Uruguay. Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Romania were all eliminated in the First Round. There was a strong Eastern European presence in 1974 in West Germany, when Poland, Yugoslavia and East Germany all made the last eight. Poland went on to finish in third place. The Poles continued to be one of the most successful sides from the region, reaching the last eight again in 1978, along with Austria, although neither team could make the last four. The World Cup hosted by Spain in 1982 included six nations from Eastern Europe. Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia went out in the First Round, while Austria and the Soviet Union fell in the Second Group stage, but Poland went on to the Semi Final, and ultimately finished third for the second time in three tournaments.
Croatia Make an Immediate Impact on the World Cup
Hungary, their golden age sadly behind them, went out in Round One in 1986, but the Soviet Union topped their group, and Poland and Bulgaria crept through to an enlarged knock out stage despite finishing third in their respective tables. All three were eliminated in the last sixteen. The Soviet Union and Austria both failed to negotiate the First Round in 1990, but that still left Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia in the tournament. The Yugoslav’s and Czech’s reached the last eight, where both were defeated. And by the time of the next World Cup in 1994 both nations had undergone significant upheavals, as the map of Eastern Europe was altered radically by the fall of the Soviet Union and communism. Bulgaria and Romania were joined in the USA by Russia. The Russian’s made little impact, going out early, while Romania lost a Quarter Final penalty shoot-out. But Bulgaria enjoyed their best World Cup, defeating Germany on the way to finishing fourth, the best Eastern European placing since 1982. Bulgaria fell at the first hurdle in 1998, as did Austria, but Yugoslavia (now effectively Serbia) and Croatia had risen from the war torn years of the early nineties to make an impact on the football world. Yugoslavia lost in the last sixteen, while the Croats eliminated Romania and Germany in the knock out stages before being beaten in the Semi Final by the host nation France. They won the third place play off to round off a memorable first World Cup appearance.
Croatia were less successful in 2002, going out in Round One, as did World Cup debutants Slovenia, another former Yugoslavian state. Russia and Poland also failed to reach Round Two. This left Turkey as the only side from the region in the tournament. Despite only one previous appearance, a First Round exit in 1954, the Turks moved through the draw, beating both Japan and South Korea as they eventually finished third in the competition. More European nations debuted in the 2006 World Cup, Serbia and Montenegro, the Czech Republic and Ukraine making their first independent appearances alongside Croatia and World Cup stalwarts Poland. However only Ukraine reached the Second Round, a penalty shoot out then took them to the Quarter Final, where they were well beaten by Italy.
While producing no World Cup winner, Eastern Europe has provided four runners-up, five third places, and five fourth places. At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia will be looking to add to that record.
Jonathan Squirrell - Jon Squirrell is a freelance writer and 3-dimensional cartoonist currently living on Humberside. As well as writing for Suite 101, Jon ...
