The tournament was a single-elimination format with 27 teams entered. Mexico and the Saar did not show leaving 25 teams to compete, with nine first-round matches. The huge number of entered teams would necessitate qualifying standards in the future. The matches were held at five different venues around Finland – Helsingin Olympiastadion, Helsinki; Töölön Pallokenttä, Helsinki; Kotkan Urheilukeskus, Kotka; Kupittaan Jalkapallostadion, Turku; Lahden Kisapuisto, Lahti; and Ratinan Stadion, Tampere.
Hungary’s national side in the early 1950s was one of the most famous teams in football history. In Helsinki they defeated Sweden in the semi-finals, 6-0, and Yugoslavia, 2-0, in the final to win the gold medal. Sweden, the 1948 Olympic champion, defeated Germany, 2-0, for the bronze medal.
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