The largest football competition in the world is the first World Cup. Each cycle lasts for four years. Competitors include the top national teams from various nations. The First World Cup Final was a local ‘derby’ between Uruguay and Argentina. An estimated. 100,000 fans came to the Centenario Stadium for the final on 30 July. However, how did it begin? Here is a brief account of the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay.
How the World Cup Began
FIFA was run by Jules Rimet. FIFA is the organization in charge of world football. In 1928, he had a thought. He desired to create a brand-new football competition for all nations. At the Olympics, he observed, football was a huge hit. Only European teams, however, excelled at it. He wanted teams from other regions, like South America, to participate.
Rimet faced numerous issues and opponents of his ideas. They did not want to leave town and be late for their own games. But he did not give up. He persuaded them to concur. Also lending a hand was Uruguay. Uruguay said they would host the event and pay for everything.
Uruguay was a good choice for many reasons. They had a big party in 1930. It was 100 years since they became free. Additionally, they excelled at football. In 1924 and 1928, they took home gold medals from the Olympics. They had a big stadium that could fit 100,000 people. And they said they would pay for the travel and stay of all the teams.
How the World Cup Worked
The 1930’s World Cup took place from July 13 to July 30, first. Four groups of 13 teams were present. The top team from each group would advance to the next round and then the championship game. There was no contest to select participants. Instead, FIFA invited all of its members to sign up. However, only four European teams, namely Belgium, France, Romania, and Yugoslavia responded positively. The rest of the teams came from North America (Mexico and the United States), Asia (Egypt), and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay).
On July 13, 1930, the first two World Cup games were played simultaneously. Both France and the US won their games. They beat Mexico 4–1 and Belgium 3–0. Lucien Laurent from France scored the first goal ever in the World Cup.
There were a few surprises and many goals in the first round. For the first time, the United States and Yugoslavia advanced to the next round. Brazil and Argentina won their groups easily. Uruguay also went to the next round as group winners after beating Romania 4–0 in their only game.
The Final Game and What It Meant
The first World Cup’s championship match took place on July 30, 1930, at Montevideo’s large stadium. Uruguay and Argentina were the two South American teams competing. In the competition, both teams performed admirably: Uruguay scored 15 goals and conceded three, while Argentina scored 18 goals and conceded nine.
About 93,000 people watched the championship game, including many Argentine fans who traveled there by boat. Because both teams played well and were motivated to win, the game was very challenging and exciting. At the half, goals from Carlos Peucelle and Guillermo Stabile had put Argentina ahead 2-1. But Uruguay came back strong in the second half, scoring three goals through Pedro Cea, Santos Iriarte and Hector Castro. The final score was 4–2 for Uruguay.
Uruguay thus won the inaugural World Cup in 1930. Later on, Rimet gave them a trophy with his name on it. The next day was a holiday in Uruguay to celebrate their win.
For FIFA and football in general, the first World Cup was extremely beneficial. It established a brand-new custom and method for playing football with other nations. Additionally, it demonstrated how talented and distinctive football players came from various locations and cultures. People eagerly anticipated future World Cups, which would gain in popularity and significance over time.
The End
The 1930 World Cup in Uruguay changed football history. Thanks to Jules Rimet’s foresight and Uruguay’s generosity, it was a success. 13 teams from various continents participated, and they played thrilling games with high scores. Finally, in a thrilling championship match, Uruguay defeated Argentina to win. It established a brand-new custom and benchmark for international football. The football players also showed off their diversity and talent from various nations and cultures. The World Cups that followed set the standard and over time gained popularity and prestige.