Italian players wave to spectators after beating Czechoslovakia 2-1 in the 1934 World Cup final in Rome, Italy, on Oct 6, 1934. As with the Berlin Olympics two years later, the World Cup was a high-profile example of a sporting event being used for overt political gain. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was keen to use the tournament as a means of promoting fascism, seizing on Italy's hosting as a showcase for the re-birth of Italian power, drawing on the athletic imagery of the Roman Empire. He managed to fix the World Cup result and made Italy win the final. [Photo/icpress.cn]

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