Benito Mussolini

France 1938: The Italian team had extra pressure to win the World Cup. Dictator Benito Mussolini laid down the gauntlet by saying: “They must win to show the world what the fascist idea of sport is”. Later, Italian captain Giuseppe Meazza is alleged to have received a telegram engraved with the words from Mussolini: “Vincere o morire” (“Win or die!”).