1930: Uruguay get the party started

1930: Uruguay get the party started
With FIFA based in Europe, the world's oldest leagues thriving across the continent and the inspiration behind the whole concept being a 57-year-old French lawyer, it came as something of a surprise that the very first World Cup was held in Uruguay.

Potent force
Yet there was not much surprise in the tiny South American republic. The Uruguayans, despite a population of only two million, had already demonstrated their potency as a footballing power with back-to-back Olympic titles in 1924 and 1928, and with 1930 the centenary of their independence, where else should the tournament be held?

Europe rebels
The Europeans, however, had different ideas. Would-be hosts Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden, aggrieved at FIFA's decision to award the tournament to Uruguay, sank into a sulk and went home, very nearly killing off the whole World Cup idea in the process. Just a few weeks before it was due to begin, there was a grand total of zero European entries.

Uncertain start
Some blamed economic hardship, some the havoc a long sea voyage would wreak on their domestic season, while others - notably the British nations who had withdrawn from FIFA in 1928 after a row over professionalism - simply ignored the tournament altogether. With the World Cup ideal threatening to descend further into farce when the South Americans, furious at the actions of the Europeans, threatened to pull out of FIFA altogether, the day was eventually saved by the timely intervention of Jules Rimet, the long-serving FIFA president, and the newly crowned King Carol of Romania.

Rimet steps in
Rimet, desperate to see the success of his brainchild, badgered France and Belgium into competing, while in Romania King Carol took personal control of the national team, ordering employers to give players time off work. When Yugoslavia also agreed to make the journey, Europe had somehow mustered four participants to add to the nine from the Americas.

Tournament begins
It was a close-run thing but finally, on 13 July 1930, the World Cup began. With no qualifying tournament the 13 teams were divided into four groups (three of three, one of four) with the winners of each going into the semi-finals. Argentina, France, Chile and Mexico were in Group One; Brazil, Bolivia and Yugoslavia in Group Two; Uruguay, Peru and Romania in Group Three; and the United States, Belgium and Paraguay in Group Four.

Small crowds
With most of the games being staged in Montevideo, the opener in Pocitos was something of an anti-climax, with only 1,000 spectators turning up to see Frenchman Lucien Laurent score the first-ever World Cup goal in a 4-1 defeat of Mexico. Even fewer, just 300, witnessed the first sending off when Peru’s Mario de las Casas was dismissed in an unruly 3-1 defeat by Romania.

Pitch invasion
The most controversial match, however, was between France and Argentina. With Uruguayans in the crowd supporting France against their arch-rivals there was a pitch invasion after the referee blew the final whistle six minutes early with Argentina leading 1-0. After furious debate the match was restarted with some of the players having to be dragged from their bath. No further goals were scored but the Argentinians, who had to be escorted off the pitch by armed guards, threatened to return home. Thankfully, they stayed and went on to confirm a semi-final place with a 6-3 thrashing of Mexico and a 3-1 defeat of Chile.

Flowing football
Meanwhile, the hosts, playing in front of huge crowds at the newly built Centenario stadium, had struggled to an unconvincing 1-0 win over Peru. However, second time out, against Romania, the Uruguayans produced a superb exhibition of flowing football to romp home 4-1 and secure their place in the last four.

Simply outclassed
The semi-finals were something of a mismatch with both Uruguay and Argentina cruising home by 6-1. The United States, who had reached the last four with 3-0 victories over both Belgium and Paraguay, were no match for the Argentinians, while Yugoslavia, who had kept the European flag flying with victories over Brazil and Bolivia, were equally outclassed by Uruguay.

First final
So the first World Cup final, on 30 July, was between the sides that two years earlier had contested the Olympic final in Amsterdam. Played in front of a capacity 93,000 crowd it was an exciting match, although the rivals’ mutual mistrust was such that a different ball had to be used for each half, one manufactured in Uruguay, one in Argentina.

End to end
The hosts took an early lead through Pablo Dorado in the 12th minute but the Argentinians hit back with goals by Carlos Peucelle and Guillermo Stabile – who took his tally for the tournament to eight to win the first Golden Boot. With the home crowd urging Uruguay on in the second half they finally drew level after 57 minutes with a goal by Pedro Cea and then went 3-2 ahead courtesy of a long-range drive by Santos Iriatre. With time running out Stabile was denied an equaliser by the bar and the Uruguayans’ victory was only sealed when the one-handed Héctor Castro headed home their fourth in the last minute.

Diplomatic incident
The result sparked wild celebrations in Montevideo but rioting in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires. Indeed, it was so bad that after the Uruguayan consulate was stoned and diplomatic relations between the two countries were broken off. The World Cup had arrived.