![Switzerland’s dreams of hosting the World Cup here at home faded years before the actual event ...](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/logo-bewerbung-300x225.jpg)
World Cup dreams made of steel pipes
Little Switzerland had big dreams: our nation put in a bid to host the 1998 Football World Cup. It started with plans for gigantic stadiums, and ended with makeshift arrangements on village squares – and huge embarrassment.
The Swiss football stadiums of the 1954 World Cup. YouTube
![A glimpse into the SFV’s application dossier.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/luzern-1-300x200.jpg)
![Lucerne’s Waldstadion existed only as a rough sketch.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/luzern-stadion-300x243.jpg)
![Initiative Committee schedule.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/zeitplan-initiativkomitee-210x300.jpg)
![Sepp Blatter with the World Cup, 1998.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/blatter-222x300.jpg)
Opening ceremony of the World Cup in Italy 1990. YouTube
![World Cup games were even scheduled to be played in Thun’s Lachen stadium. The photo is from 1995.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/stadion-lachen-thun-300x195.jpg)
![The SFV sought to cover the capacity shortfalls with makeshift measures. A number of examples were set out in the application dossier.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/provisorium-300x217.jpg)