Today Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics is celebrated, a date/reason that invites us to reflect on the importance of Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics in our lives. Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics is a topic that has gained relevance in recent years, generating great interest in society. In this article we are going to explore Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics in depth, analyzing its impact on different aspects of our daily lives. From its origin to its evolution over time, through its influence on current culture and society, Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics is a topic that continues to arouse the curiosity and interest of many people. Join us on this tour of Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics and discover everything there is still to know about this fascinating topic.
The football tournament of the 1948 Summer Olympics was won by Sweden. This remains Sweden's only international title at a senior male football level and was the first international appearance of the trio that would later be known as Gre-No-Li dominating the Italian league at A.C. Milan in the 1950s.
It was the first international football tournament ever to be broadcast on television, with the semi-finals, final and bronze medal play-off all being broadcast live in full on the BBC Television Service.
The tournament began on 26 July 1948 with a preliminary round of two matches: Luxembourg defeating Afghanistan 6–0 and the Netherlands beating Ireland 3–1, with Faas Wilkes scoring two goals for the Dutch. In the first round, which began five days later, the Netherlands played Great Britain at Highbury, Britain prevailing 4–3 after extra time. In goal for Britain was Ronnie Simpson, who would go on to become the oldest Scottish international debutant in history and one of the Lisbon Lions. Yugoslavia (victors over Luxembourg) and Sweden (3–0 winners against Austria) also went through. France eliminated India.
In the quarter-finals, Sweden defeated both the South Koreans and the Danes in the semi-final. In the second semi-final, Great Britain played Yugoslavia at Wembley Stadium, going out by three goals to one. 3–1 was also the score in the final in favour of Sweden over Yugoslavia.