For Brazilian football, 1950 was the first point of reference, not 1958 or 1970. Brazil were the World Cup hosts. They had built a new stadium – the Maracana – to host the final game. This was said to be their greatest ever team and their opponents in the World Cup’s final match (there was no knockout games) Uruguay were understood to be taking part merely to step aside. All Brazil needed to win their first World Cup was a draw. “These are the world champions,” the Brazilian newspaper O Mundo said on the morning of the game above a…

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