The Fascist World Cup: Mussolini's Football Dictatorship | History of the World Cup

The Rest Is History

How did Benito Mussolini’s regime in the 1930s use sport to spread his ideology and prepare Italy for war? What infrastructure and propaganda strategies did he use to make the 1934 World Cup a showcase for fascism? And, did this form of propaganda actually work?


In this brand new The Rest Is History Club mini series, Dominic is joined by Paul Rouse to talk about dictatorships’ connections to football World Cups.


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Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton

Social Producer: Harry Balden

Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

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2026-06-16 61 min

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