The 1930 Uruguay World Cup

Uruguay 1930

The first one

Winning Olympic gold in 1924 and 1928 granted Uruguay the right to host the first-ever World Cup. In the first two tournaments, a ball similar to the one used in 1920 was used, but it was brown in color. This ball is now preserved in a museum.

Participating teams: 13

Bolivia
Argentina
Brazil
Romania
United States
Peru
Belgium
Mexico
Uruguay
Yugoslavia
Paraguay
France
Chile

Goalkeepers were required to wear caps, and referees wore wide black pants that extended below the knees.

Despite all of Europe being invited, only four teams attended: France, Yugoslavia, Belgium, and Romania, with Spain and Italy notably absent.

Top players of the tournament:

José Nasazzi (Uruguay): Best defender, nicknamed "The Wall."
José Leandro Andrade (Uruguay): The only player capable of playing in all positions.
Guillermo Stábile (Argentina): The top scorer with 8 goals.

France and Mexico played the first-ever World Cup match on June 13, 1930, with France winning 4-1.

The first goal in World Cup history was scored by Frenchman Lucien Laurent.

The match between Romania and Peru had the lowest attendance in World Cup history, with only 300 spectators.

The final took place on June 30, 1930, between Uruguay and Argentina, in front of 80,000 fans forming a sea of straw hats. Uruguay, after trailing 2-0, came back to win 4-2, claiming the Jules Rimet Trophy.

Final Standings