Winners Brazil
Teams 16
Host Chile
Teams in qualifiers 56
Notable absentees Sweden
Surprises Colombia
Golden Boot Garrincha, Vavá (Brazil), Leonel Sánchez (Chile), Drazan Jerkovic (Yugoslavia), Flórián Albert (Hungary), Valentin Ivanov (USSR) - 4
Stats A total of 89 goals were scored (2.78 per match); Brazil (14) scored the most
Format Four groups of four, with the top two progressing to the quarter-finals
Number of matches 32
Innovations
• For once, FIFA resisted the temptation to tinker
Controversies
• Brazil's Garrincha was sent off in the semi-finals and should have missed the final but the Brazilian FA managed to get his ban overturned by FIFA, who justified its decision on the grounds the player had been provoked by the crowd
• The tournament was marred by a string of ill-tempered games in the group stage, the worst being the infamous 'Battle of Santiago' between Italy and hosts Chile. "I wasn't reffing a football match," referee Ken Aston said. "I was acting as an umpire in military manoeuvres"
Trivia
• Two years before the start, Chile was hit by a massive earthquake. The president of the organising committee said: "Because we don't have anything, we will do everything in our power to rebuild." And they did
• This World Cup was the last that was not televised live in Europe, just predating the arrival of the Telstar satellite
Source: FIFA, ESPN, AllSports & Getty