1930 FIFA World Cup
Encyclopedia
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup
, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay
from 13 July to 30 July 1930. FIFA
, football's international governing body
selected Uruguay as host nation as the country would be celebrating the centenary of its first constitution
, and the Uruguay national football team
had successfully retained their football title at the 1928 Summer Olympics
. All matches were played in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo
, the majority at the Estadio Centenario
, which was built for the tournament.
Thirteen teams, seven from South America, four from Europe and two from North America entered the tournament. Few European teams chose to participate because of the difficulty of travelling to South America. The teams were divided into four groups, with the winner of each group progressing to the semi-finals. The first two World Cup matches took place simultaneously, and were won by France
and the United States
, who defeated Mexico
4–1 and Belgium 3–0, respectively. Lucien Laurent
of France scored the first goal in World Cup history, while American goalkeeper Jimmy Douglas
posted the first official "clean sheet" in the tournament.
Argentina
, Uruguay, United States and Yugoslavia
each won their respective groups to qualify for the semi-finals. In the final, hosts and pre-tournament favourites Uruguay defeated Argentina 4–2 in front of a crowd of 93,000 people, and became the first nation to win the World Cup
.
as a "world football championship for amateurs", and took responsibility for managing the event at the next three Olympiads: from 1920 to 1928. In the 1908 Olympic Games and the 1912 Olympic Games the football competitions had been organised by The Football Association
and the Swedish Football Association
respectively.
The preliminary schedule for the 1932 Summer Olympics
held in Los Angeles
did not include football. FIFA and the International Olympic Committee
disagreed over the status of amateur players, so association football was dropped from the Games. On 26 May 1928, at FIFA's Amsterdam conference and on the opening day of the Olympic football tournament
, FIFA president Jules Rimet
announced plans to stage a tournament independent of the Olympics, open to all FIFA members and with professionalism permitted. The membership voted 25–5 to accept the proposal.
in 1929. A golden trophy known as "The Goddess of Victory" was commissioned from French sculptor Abel Lafleur
.
The first World Cup was the only one without qualification
. Every country affiliated with FIFA was invited to compete, and given a deadline of 28 February 1930 to accept. Plenty of interest was shown by nations in the Americas; Argentina
, Brazil
, Bolivia
, Chile
, Mexico
, Paraguay
, Peru
and the United States
all entered. A total of seven South American teams participated, more than in any subsequent World Cup Finals. However, because of the long and costly trip across the Atlantic Ocean, and the length of absence required for players, very few European teams were inclined to take part. Some refused to countenance travel to South America in any circumstances, and no European entries were received before the February deadline. In an attempt to gain some European participation, the Uruguayan Football Association sent a letter of invitation to The Football Association
, even though the Home Nations
were not members of FIFA at the time. This was rejected by the FA Committee on 18 November 1929. Two months before the start of the tournament, no team from Europe had officially entered.
FIFA president Rimet intervened, and eventually four European teams made the trip by sea: Belgium, France
, Romania
, and Yugoslavia
. The Romanians, managed by Constantin Rădulescu and coached by their captain Rudolf Wetzer
and Octav Luchide, entered the competition following the intervention of newly crowned King Carol II
. He selected the squad personally, and negotiated with employers to ensure that the players would still have jobs upon their return. The French entered at the personal intervention of Rimet, but neither France's star striker Manuel Anatol
nor the team's regular coach Gaston Barreau
could be persuaded to make the trip. The Belgians participated at the instigation of FIFA vice-president Rudolf Seedrayers.
The Romanians boarded the SS Conte Verde
at Genoa
, the French were picked up at Villefranche-sur-Mer
on 21 June 1930; and the Belgians embarked at Barcelona
. The Conte Verde carried Rimet, the trophy and the three designated European referees: the Belgians Jean Langenus and Henri Christophe
, along with Thomas Balway
, a Parisien who may have been English. The Brazilian
team were picked up when the boat docked in Rio de Janeiro
on 29 June before arriving in Uruguay on 4 July. Yugoslavia travelled via the mail steamship Florida from Marseille
.
Peru would not compete in another World Cup finals until 1970.
. Three stadiums were used: Estadio Centenario
, Estadio Pocitos
, and Estadio Parque Central
. The Estadio Centenario was built both for the tournament and as a celebration of the centenary of Uruguayan independence. Designed by Juan Scasso, it was the primary stadium for the tournament, referred to by Rimet as a "temple of football". With a capacity of 90,000, it was the largest football stadium outside the British Isles. The stadium hosted 10 of the 18 matches, including both semi-finals and the final. However, a rushed construction schedule and delays caused by the rainy season meant the Centenario was not ready for use until five days into the tournament. Early matches were played at smaller stadiums usually used by Montevideo football clubs Nacional
and Peñarol
, the 20,000 capacity Parque Central and the Pocitos.
.
being the Romanian coach), two Belgians (Henri Christophe
and John Langenus
) and eleven from the Americas – among them six Uruguayans. In order to eliminate differences in the application of the Laws of the Game, the referees were invited to one short meeting in which to iron out the most conflicting issues arising from the game.
Of all the refereeing appointments the two that attracted most attention was that of Gilberto de Almeida Rêgo
in the match between Argentina and France, in which the Brazilian referee blew up six minutes early, and that of the Bolivian Ulises Saucedo
's in the Argentina and Mexico encounter, which Argentina won 6–3. During the game Saucedo, who was also the coach of Bolivia, awarded three penalties.
The following is the list of officials to serve as referees and linesmen. Officials in italics were only used as linesmen during the tournament.
Europe Thomas Balvay
Henri Christophe
Jan Langenus Costel Rădulescu
North America Gaspar Vallejo
South America Gualberto Alonso Martin Aphesteguy Domingo Lombardi Jose Macias
Francisco Mateucci Almeida Rêgo
Ulises Saucedo
Anibal Tejada Ricardo Vallarino Alberto Warnken
format, with two points awarded for a win and one point for a draw. If two teams had tied on points to win a group, a play-off would have been used to decide the group winner; however this was not necessary. The four group winners progressed to the knockout semi-final stage. Extra-time was available in the knockout matches if the two teams were level after ninety minutes, but it was not required.
Since there were no qualifying games, the opening two matches of the tournament were the first World Cup games ever played, taking place simultaneously on 13 July 1930; France beat Mexico 4–1 at the Estadio Pocitos
, while the United States defeated Belgium 3–0 at the same time at the Estadio Gran Parque Central
. France's Lucien Laurent
was the scorer of the first World Cup goal.
had to leave the field after 20 minutes, and Laurent, after a fierce tackle by Luis Monti
, spent most of the match limping. However, they held out for most of the match, only succumbing to an 81st-minute goal scored from a Monti free kick
. The game featured an officiating controversy when referee Almeida Rêgo
erroneously blew the final whistle six minutes early, with Frenchman Marcel Langiller
clear on goal; play only resumed after protests from the French players. Though France had played twice in 48 hours, Chile had yet to play their first match. They faced Mexico the following day, gaining a comfortable 3–0 win.
Argentina's second match, against Mexico, featured the first penalty
of the tournament. A total of five penalties, three of them controversial, were awarded during the match, which was refereed by the Bolivian coach Ulises Saucedo
. Guillermo Stábile
scored a hat-trick
on his international debut as Argentina won 6–3, despite the absence of their captain Manuel Ferreira
, who had returned to Buenos Aires to take a law exam. Qualification was decided by the group's final match, contested by Argentina and Chile, who had beaten France and Mexico respectively. The game was marred by a brawl sparked by a foul on Arturo Torres by Monti. Argentina won 3–1 against their neighbours and progressed to the semi-finals.
. Yugoslavia qualified for the semi-finals.
Because of construction delays at Estadio Centenario, Uruguay's first match was not played until five days into the tournament. The first to be held at the Centenario, it was preceded by a ceremony in honour of the Uruguayan centenary celebrations. The Uruguayan team spent the four weeks preceding the match in a training camp, at which strict discipline was exercised. Goalkeeper Andrés Mazali
was dropped from the squad for breaking a curfew to visit his wife. One hundred years to the day of the creation of Uruguay's first constitution, the hosts won a tight match against Peru 1–0. The result was viewed as a poor performance by the Uruguayan press, but lauded in Peru. Uruguay subsequently defeated Romania with ease, scoring four first half goals to win 4–0.
, were reputedly nicknamed "the shot-putters" by an unnamed source in the French contingent. They beat their first opponents, Belgium, 3–0. The ease of the victory was unexpected; Uruguayan newspaper Imparcial wrote that "the large score of the American victory has really surprised the experts". Belgian reports bemoaned the state of the pitch
and refereeing decisions, claiming that the second goal was offside
. The group's second match, played in windy conditions, witnessed the first tournament hat-trick
, scored by Bert Patenaude
of the United States against Paraguay
. Until 10 November 2006, the first hat-trick that FIFA acknowledged had been scored by Guillermo Stábile
of Argentina
, two days after Patenaude; however, in 2006 FIFA announced that Patenaude's claim to being the first hat-trick scorer was valid, as a goal previously assigned to teammate Tom Florie
was reattributed to Patenaude. With the United States having secured qualification, the final match in the group was a dead rubber. Paraguay beat Belgium by a 1–0 margin.
, Yugoslavia, Uruguay
and the United States, moved to the semi-finals. The two semi-final matches saw identical scores. The first semi-final was played between the USA and Argentina on a rain-drenched pitch. The United States team, which featured six British-born players, lost midfielder Raphael Tracy after ten minutes to a broken leg as the match became violent. A Monti goal half-way through the first half gave Argentina a 1–0 half-time lead. In the second half the strength of the United States team was overwhelmed by the pace of the Argentinian attacks, the match finishing 6–1 to Argentina.
In the second semi-final there were shades of the 1924 Summer Olympics
match between Yugoslavia and Uruguay. Here, though, Yugoslavia took a surprise lead through Vujadinović
. Uruguay then took a 2–1 lead, but shortly before half-time Yugoslavia had a goal disallowed by a controversial offside decision. The hosts scored three more in the second half to win 6–1, Pedro Cea
completing a hat-trick.
was not established until 1934
, so the 1930 World Cup is unique in having no match take place between the semi-finals and the final. Occasional sources, notably a FIFA Bulletin from 1984, incorrectly imply that a third-place match occurred and was won 3–1 by Yugoslavia. Accounts differ as to whether a third-place match was originally scheduled. According to a 2009 book by Hyder Jawad, Yugoslavia refused to play a third-place match because they were upset with the refereeing in their semi-final against Uruguay. A FIFA technical committee report on the 1986 World Cup
included full retrospective rankings of all teams at all previous World Cup finals; this report ranked the United States third and Yugoslavia fourth, a practice since continued by FIFA. In 2010, the son of Kosta Hadži, the chief of Yugoslav delegation at the 1930 World Cup and the vice-president of the Football Association of Yugoslavia
at the time, claimed that Yugoslavia, as a team, has been awarded one bronze medal, which has been kept by Hadži himself and his family for the following 80 years. According to this source, Yugoslavia was placed third because of the semi-finals loss to the eventual champions, Uruguay. The origin and authenticity of this medal have not yet been officially recognised.
The final was played at the Estadio Centenario
on 30 July. Feelings ran high around the La Plata Basin
, dispelling any uncertainty as to whether the tournament had captured the imagination of the public. The ten boats earmarked to carry Argentine fans from Buenos Aires to Montevideo proved inadequate, and any number of assorted craft attempted the crossing. An estimated 10–15,000 Argentinians made the trip, but the port at Montevideo was so overwhelmed that many did not even make landfall before kick-off, let alone reach the stadium. At the stadium, supporters were searched for weapons. The gates were opened at eight o'clock, six hours before kick-off, and at noon the ground was full, the official attendance 93,000. A disagreement overshadowed the build-up to the match as the teams failed to agree on who should provide the match ball, forcing FIFA to intervene and decree that the Argentine team would provide the ball for the first half and the Uruguayans would provide their own for the second. Uruguay made one change from their semi-final lineup. Castro replaced Anselmo, who missed out due to illness. Monti played for Argentina despite receiving death threats on the eve of the match. The referee was Belgian John Langenus
, who only agreed to officiate a few hours before the game, having sought assurances for his safety. One of his requests was for a boat to be ready at the harbour within one hour of the final whistle, in case he needed to make a quick escape.
The hosts scored the opening goal through Pablo Dorado
, a low shot from a position on the right. Argentina, displaying superior passing ability, responded strongly. Within eight minutes they were back on level terms; Carlos Peucelle
received a Ferreira through-ball, beat his marker
and equalised. Shortly before half-time leading tournament goalscorer Guillermo Stábile gave Argentina a 2–1 lead. Uruguay captain Nasazzi protested, maintaining that Stábile was offside, but to no avail. In the second half Uruguay gradually became ascendant. Shortly after Monti missed a chance to make the score 3–1, Uruguay attacked in numbers, and Pedro Cea
scored an equaliser. Ten minutes later a goal by Santos Iriarte gave Uruguay the lead, and just before full-time Castro made it 4–2 to seal the win. Langenus ended the match a minute later, and Uruguay thus added the title World Cup winners to their mantle of Olympic champions. Jules Rimet presented the World Cup Trophy, which was later named for him, to the head of the Uruguayan Football Association, Raúl Jude
. The following day was declared a national holiday in Uruguay; in the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires
, a mob threw stones at the Uruguayan consulate. Francisco Varallo
(who played as a forward for Argentina) was the last player of the final to die, on 30 August 2010.
France, Yugoslavia and the United States all undertook friendlies in South America following the competition. Brazil played France on 1 August, Yugoslavia on 10 August and the United States on 17 August, while Argentina hosted Yugoslavia on 3 August.
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5 goals Pedro Cea
4 goals
Bert Patenaude
3 goals
Carlos Peucelle
Preguinho
Peregrino Anselmo
Ivan Bek
2 goals
Luis Monti
Adolfo Zumelzú
Moderato Carlos Vidal
André Maschinot
Manuel Rosas
Héctor Castro
Pablo Dorado
Victoriano Santos Iriarte
Bart McGhee
Đorđe Vujadinović
1 goal
Mario Evaristo
Alejandro Scopelli Francisco Varallo
Guillermo Subiabre
Marcel Langiller
Lucien Laurent
Juan Carreño
Roberto Gayón
Luis Vargas Peña
Luis Souza Ferreira
Ştefan Barbu
Adalbert Deşu
Constantin Stanciu
Jim Brown
Héctor Scarone
Blagoje Marjanović
Branislav Sekulić
Aleksandar Tirnanić
Final
Eliminated in the semi-finals
Eliminated at the group stage
, who died on 3 July 1984 at the age of 76. However, many other players who participated in the tournament were still alive by this stage and the last surviving player from the tournament was Argentina's Francisco Varallo
, who died on 30 August 2010 at the age of 100 – 80 years after the tournament.
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
from 13 July to 30 July 1930. FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, football's international governing body
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
selected Uruguay as host nation as the country would be celebrating the centenary of its first constitution
Constitution of Uruguay
The Constitution of Uruguay is the supreme law of Uruguay. Its first version was written in 1830 and its last amendment was made in 2002. A new amendment is in talks as of April 2007....
, and the Uruguay national football team
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
had successfully retained their football title at the 1928 Summer Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
. All matches were played in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, the majority at the Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario is a stadium in Parque Batlle, Montevideo, Uruguay, used primarily for football. The stadium was built between 1929 and 1930 to host the 1930 FIFA World Cup, as well as to commemorate the centennial of Uruguay's first constitution...
, which was built for the tournament.
Thirteen teams, seven from South America, four from Europe and two from North America entered the tournament. Few European teams chose to participate because of the difficulty of travelling to South America. The teams were divided into four groups, with the winner of each group progressing to the semi-finals. The first two World Cup matches took place simultaneously, and were won by France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
and the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, who defeated Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
4–1 and Belgium 3–0, respectively. Lucien Laurent
Lucien Laurent
Lucien Laurent was a French association football player. He is famous for having scored the first ever FIFA World Cup goal.-Career:Laurent was born in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Val-de-Marne, near Paris....
of France scored the first goal in World Cup history, while American goalkeeper Jimmy Douglas
Jimmy Douglas (American soccer)
Jimmy Douglas was a U.S. soccer goalkeeper who spent his career in the first American Soccer League . He earned nine caps with the U.S. national team, making his first appearance for the "Stars and Stripes" at the 1924 Summer Olympics...
posted the first official "clean sheet" in the tournament.
Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, Uruguay, United States and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
each won their respective groups to qualify for the semi-finals. In the final, hosts and pre-tournament favourites Uruguay defeated Argentina 4–2 in front of a crowd of 93,000 people, and became the first nation to win the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
.
Background
In 1914, FIFA agreed to recognise the Olympic football tournamentFootball at the Summer Olympics
Association football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...
as a "world football championship for amateurs", and took responsibility for managing the event at the next three Olympiads: from 1920 to 1928. In the 1908 Olympic Games and the 1912 Olympic Games the football competitions had been organised by The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
and the Swedish Football Association
Swedish Football Association
The Swedish Football Association is the governing body of football in Sweden. It organises the football leagues — Allsvenskan for men and Damallsvenskan for women — and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in Solna and is a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA...
respectively.
The preliminary schedule for the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
held in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
did not include football. FIFA and the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
disagreed over the status of amateur players, so association football was dropped from the Games. On 26 May 1928, at FIFA's Amsterdam conference and on the opening day of the Olympic football tournament
Football at the 1928 Summer Olympics
Football at the 1928 Summer Olympics tournament, won by Uruguay against Argentina, would be the precursor to the first FIFA World Cup held in 1930 in Uruguay.-Medalists:-Background:...
, FIFA president Jules Rimet
Jules Rimet
Jules Rimet was a French football administrator who was the 3rd President of FIFA, serving from 1921 to 1954. He was FIFA's longest serving president, having served for 33 years. He also served as the president of the French Football Federation from 1919 to 1946...
announced plans to stage a tournament independent of the Olympics, open to all FIFA members and with professionalism permitted. The membership voted 25–5 to accept the proposal.
Host selection
Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain and Uruguay all lodged applications to host the event. Uruguay's bid became the clear favourite for a number of reasons. Uruguay were reigning Olympic champions, and thus de facto world champions, the bid included plans to build a new stadium as a centrepiece, and the Uruguayan authorities also offered to refund the expenses of all participants. The other nations withdrew their bids, and Uruguay was chosen to host the tournament at a FIFA congress at BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
in 1929. A golden trophy known as "The Goddess of Victory" was commissioned from French sculptor Abel Lafleur
Abel Lafleur
Abel Lafleur was a French sculptor who designed and made the FIFA World Cup trophy, first simply called 'Coupe du Monde', later renamed the Jules Rimet Trophy. The trophy was 35 cm in height, weighed 3.8 kg and was made of gold-plated sterling silver, with a blue base of semi-precious...
.
Participants
FIFA World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments...
. Every country affiliated with FIFA was invited to compete, and given a deadline of 28 February 1930 to accept. Plenty of interest was shown by nations in the Americas; Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, Bolivia
Bolivia national football team
The Bolivia national football team is the national team of Bolivia and is controlled by the Federación Boliviana de Fútbol. After playing in the 1930 and 1950 World Cups, they qualified just once—in 1994...
, Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
, Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
, Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
, Peru
Peru national football team
The Peru national football team, known as 'el equipo inca', represents Peru in international football competition and is managed by the Peruvian Football Federation . The team competes against the other nine members of FIFA's CONMEBOL conference, which encompasses the countries of South America...
and the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
all entered. A total of seven South American teams participated, more than in any subsequent World Cup Finals. However, because of the long and costly trip across the Atlantic Ocean, and the length of absence required for players, very few European teams were inclined to take part. Some refused to countenance travel to South America in any circumstances, and no European entries were received before the February deadline. In an attempt to gain some European participation, the Uruguayan Football Association sent a letter of invitation to The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, even though the Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
were not members of FIFA at the time. This was rejected by the FA Committee on 18 November 1929. Two months before the start of the tournament, no team from Europe had officially entered.
FIFA president Rimet intervened, and eventually four European teams made the trip by sea: Belgium, France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
, and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
. The Romanians, managed by Constantin Rădulescu and coached by their captain Rudolf Wetzer
Rudolf Wetzer
Rudolf 'Rudy' Wetzer was the captain and team-coach alongside Octav Luchide, under the management of Costel Rădulescu of the first Romanian side to participate in a FIFA World Cup. He was a Jewish-Romanian footballer....
and Octav Luchide, entered the competition following the intervention of newly crowned King Carol II
Carol II of Romania
Carol II reigned as King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until 6 September 1940. Eldest son of Ferdinand, King of Romania, and his wife, Queen Marie, a daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second eldest son of Queen Victoria...
. He selected the squad personally, and negotiated with employers to ensure that the players would still have jobs upon their return. The French entered at the personal intervention of Rimet, but neither France's star striker Manuel Anatol
Manuel Anatol
Manuel Anatol Aristegi was a naturalized French professional football player.- Career :Anatol was born in Irun, a town in the Basque Country of Spain. He played for three clubs in the country; hometown club Real Unión, Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid. In 1929, Anatol ventured to France and joined...
nor the team's regular coach Gaston Barreau
Gaston Barreau
Gaston Barreau was a French football player and coach.-References:*...
could be persuaded to make the trip. The Belgians participated at the instigation of FIFA vice-president Rudolf Seedrayers.
The Romanians boarded the SS Conte Verde
SS Conte Verde
SS Conte Verde was an Italian Lloyd Sabaudo Line ocean liner active in the early 20th century.It was built in 1923 and had a GRT of 18.765. She originally provided transatlantic passenger transport between Genoa and New York City. After acquisition by Italian Line in 1932, she became a part of...
at Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, the French were picked up at Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera.-Geography:...
on 21 June 1930; and the Belgians embarked at Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. The Conte Verde carried Rimet, the trophy and the three designated European referees: the Belgians Jean Langenus and Henri Christophe
Henri Christophe (referee)
Henri Christophe was an international football referee from Belgium in the 1920s and 1930s.Christophe had established his international reputation at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam – but had been a referee from 1919 and, due to Belgian's participation in the 1930 FIFA World Cup...
, along with Thomas Balway
Thomas Balvay
Thomas Balvay was a football referee in the 1920s and 1930s and one of four European referees who participated in the first FIFA World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay...
, a Parisien who may have been English. The Brazilian
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
team were picked up when the boat docked in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
on 29 June before arriving in Uruguay on 4 July. Yugoslavia travelled via the mail steamship Florida from Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
.
Peru would not compete in another World Cup finals until 1970.
Venues
All matches took place in MontevideoMontevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
. Three stadiums were used: Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario is a stadium in Parque Batlle, Montevideo, Uruguay, used primarily for football. The stadium was built between 1929 and 1930 to host the 1930 FIFA World Cup, as well as to commemorate the centennial of Uruguay's first constitution...
, Estadio Pocitos
Estadio Pocitos
Estadio Pocitos was a multi-use stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay, that does not exist today. This stadium was mainly used for football matches of the owner club Peñarol from 1921 to 1933...
, and Estadio Parque Central
Estadio Gran Parque Central
The Estadio Gran Parque Central, usually just Parque Central, is the stadium of Club Nacional de Football. It is located in Montevideo, Uruguay, near Nacional headquarters , in the La Blanqueada neighbourhood...
. The Estadio Centenario was built both for the tournament and as a celebration of the centenary of Uruguayan independence. Designed by Juan Scasso, it was the primary stadium for the tournament, referred to by Rimet as a "temple of football". With a capacity of 90,000, it was the largest football stadium outside the British Isles. The stadium hosted 10 of the 18 matches, including both semi-finals and the final. However, a rushed construction schedule and delays caused by the rainy season meant the Centenario was not ready for use until five days into the tournament. Early matches were played at smaller stadiums usually used by Montevideo football clubs Nacional
Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
and Peñarol
C.A. Peñarol
Club Atlético Peñarol also known as Carboneros, Aurinegros and familiarly as Manya, is an Uruguayan sports club based in the Peñarol barrio, Montevideo, best known for its professional football team. The team plays their home matches in Estadio Centenario, the largest stadium in the country, but...
, the 20,000 capacity Parque Central and the Pocitos.
| Montevideo Montevideo Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento... |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Estadio Centenario Estadio Centenario Estadio Centenario is a stadium in Parque Batlle, Montevideo, Uruguay, used primarily for football. The stadium was built between 1929 and 1930 to host the 1930 FIFA World Cup, as well as to commemorate the centennial of Uruguay's first constitution... |
Estadio Gran Parque Central Estadio Gran Parque Central The Estadio Gran Parque Central, usually just Parque Central, is the stadium of Club Nacional de Football. It is located in Montevideo, Uruguay, near Nacional headquarters , in the La Blanqueada neighbourhood... |
Estadio Pocitos Estadio Pocitos Estadio Pocitos was a multi-use stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay, that does not exist today. This stadium was mainly used for football matches of the owner club Peñarol from 1921 to 1933... |
|
| 34°53′40.38"S 56°9′10.08"W | 34°54′4"S 56°9′32"W | 34°54′18.378"S 56°9′22.428"W | |
| Capacity: 90,000 | Capacity: 15,000 | Capacity: 1,000 | |
 |
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Squads
For a list of all squads that appeared in the final tournament, see 1930 FIFA World Cup squads1930 FIFA World Cup squads
-Argentina:Head coach: Francisco Olazar and Juan José Tramutola-Chile:Head coach: György Orth-France:Head coach: Raoul Caudron-Mexico:Head coach: Juan Luque de Serralonga...
.
Match officials
Fifteen referees participated in the tournament: four Europeans – a Frenchman, a Romanian (Costel RadulescuCostel Radulescu
Constantin 'Costel' Rădulescu was a footballer and manager from Romania who rose to prominence in the 1920s and 1930s...
being the Romanian coach), two Belgians (Henri Christophe
Henri Christophe (referee)
Henri Christophe was an international football referee from Belgium in the 1920s and 1930s.Christophe had established his international reputation at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam – but had been a referee from 1919 and, due to Belgian's participation in the 1930 FIFA World Cup...
and John Langenus
John Langenus
John L. Langenus was a Belgian football referee, who officiated for FIFA in three World Cup competitions, including the first ever Final match in 1930.-Life and career:...
) and eleven from the Americas – among them six Uruguayans. In order to eliminate differences in the application of the Laws of the Game, the referees were invited to one short meeting in which to iron out the most conflicting issues arising from the game.
Of all the refereeing appointments the two that attracted most attention was that of Gilberto de Almeida Rêgo
Gilberto de Almeida Rêgo
Gilberto de Almeida Rêgo was a Brazilian football referee. He refereed some 1930 FIFA World Cup games.-References:...
in the match between Argentina and France, in which the Brazilian referee blew up six minutes early, and that of the Bolivian Ulises Saucedo
Ulises Saucedo
Ulises Saucedo was a Bolivian football coach and referee. He coached the Bolivian national team during the first FIFA World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, and also acted as a referee during the tournament....
's in the Argentina and Mexico encounter, which Argentina won 6–3. During the game Saucedo, who was also the coach of Bolivia, awarded three penalties.
The following is the list of officials to serve as referees and linesmen. Officials in italics were only used as linesmen during the tournament.
Europe Thomas Balvay
Thomas Balvay
Thomas Balvay was a football referee in the 1920s and 1930s and one of four European referees who participated in the first FIFA World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay...
Henri Christophe
Henri Christophe (referee)
Henri Christophe was an international football referee from Belgium in the 1920s and 1930s.Christophe had established his international reputation at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam – but had been a referee from 1919 and, due to Belgian's participation in the 1930 FIFA World Cup...
Jan Langenus Costel Rădulescu
North America Gaspar Vallejo
South America Gualberto Alonso Martin Aphesteguy Domingo Lombardi Jose Macias
José Macías
José Prado Macías Salazar is a Major League Baseball player. He currently plays for the Piratas de Campeche in the Mexican League...
Francisco Mateucci Almeida Rêgo
Gilberto de Almeida Rêgo
Gilberto de Almeida Rêgo was a Brazilian football referee. He refereed some 1930 FIFA World Cup games.-References:...
Ulises Saucedo
Ulises Saucedo
Ulises Saucedo was a Bolivian football coach and referee. He coached the Bolivian national team during the first FIFA World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, and also acted as a referee during the tournament....
Anibal Tejada Ricardo Vallarino Alberto Warnken
Format
The thirteen teams were drawn into four groups, with group 1 containing four teams, and the others containing only three. Each group played a round-robinRound-robin
The term round-robin was originally used to describe a document signed by multiple parties in a circle to make it more difficult to determine the order in which it was signed, thus preventing a ringleader from being identified...
format, with two points awarded for a win and one point for a draw. If two teams had tied on points to win a group, a play-off would have been used to decide the group winner; however this was not necessary. The four group winners progressed to the knockout semi-final stage. Extra-time was available in the knockout matches if the two teams were level after ninety minutes, but it was not required.
Draw
Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and the USA were seeded, and were kept apart in the draw, which took place in Montevideo once all the teams arrived.Since there were no qualifying games, the opening two matches of the tournament were the first World Cup games ever played, taking place simultaneously on 13 July 1930; France beat Mexico 4–1 at the Estadio Pocitos
Estadio Pocitos
Estadio Pocitos was a multi-use stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay, that does not exist today. This stadium was mainly used for football matches of the owner club Peñarol from 1921 to 1933...
, while the United States defeated Belgium 3–0 at the same time at the Estadio Gran Parque Central
Estadio Gran Parque Central
The Estadio Gran Parque Central, usually just Parque Central, is the stadium of Club Nacional de Football. It is located in Montevideo, Uruguay, near Nacional headquarters , in the La Blanqueada neighbourhood...
. France's Lucien Laurent
Lucien Laurent
Lucien Laurent was a French association football player. He is famous for having scored the first ever FIFA World Cup goal.-Career:Laurent was born in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Val-de-Marne, near Paris....
was the scorer of the first World Cup goal.
Group 1
The first group was the only one to contain four teams: Argentina, Chile, France and Mexico. Two days after France's victory over Mexico, they faced group favourites Argentina. Injuries hindered France; goalkeeper ThépotAlex Thépot
Alexis 'Alex' Thépot was a French football player. He was the goalkeeper of the French national team in the first two World Cups, 1930 and 1934....
had to leave the field after 20 minutes, and Laurent, after a fierce tackle by Luis Monti
Luis Monti
Luis Felipe Monti was an Italian Argentine footballer who played as a midfielder. Monti has the distinction of having played in two FIFA World Cup final matches with two different national teams. He played the first of these finals with his native Argentina in 1930, which he lost to Uruguay; and...
, spent most of the match limping. However, they held out for most of the match, only succumbing to an 81st-minute goal scored from a Monti free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
. The game featured an officiating controversy when referee Almeida Rêgo
Gilberto de Almeida Rêgo
Gilberto de Almeida Rêgo was a Brazilian football referee. He refereed some 1930 FIFA World Cup games.-References:...
erroneously blew the final whistle six minutes early, with Frenchman Marcel Langiller
Marcel Langiller
Marcel Langiller was a French footballer. He played in a striker role, and was nicknamed "La Caille"....
clear on goal; play only resumed after protests from the French players. Though France had played twice in 48 hours, Chile had yet to play their first match. They faced Mexico the following day, gaining a comfortable 3–0 win.
Argentina's second match, against Mexico, featured the first penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
of the tournament. A total of five penalties, three of them controversial, were awarded during the match, which was refereed by the Bolivian coach Ulises Saucedo
Ulises Saucedo
Ulises Saucedo was a Bolivian football coach and referee. He coached the Bolivian national team during the first FIFA World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, and also acted as a referee during the tournament....
. Guillermo Stábile
Guillermo Stábile
Guillermo Stábile was an Argentine footballer and manager. At club level, Stábile won two national championships with Huracán and played in Italy and France. He was the top-scorer of the first 1930 World Cup...
scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
on his international debut as Argentina won 6–3, despite the absence of their captain Manuel Ferreira
Manuel Ferreira
Manuel Ferreira was an Argentine footballer who was a member of the Argentina national team....
, who had returned to Buenos Aires to take a law exam. Qualification was decided by the group's final match, contested by Argentina and Chile, who had beaten France and Mexico respectively. The game was marred by a brawl sparked by a foul on Arturo Torres by Monti. Argentina won 3–1 against their neighbours and progressed to the semi-finals.
Group 2
The second group contained Brazil, Bolivia and Yugoslavia. Brazil, the group seeds, were expected to progress, but in the group's opening match, unexpectedly lost 2–1 to Yugoslavia. Going into the tournament Bolivia had never previously won an international match. For their opener they paid tribute to the hosts by wearing shirts each emblazoned with a single letter, spelling "Viva Uruguay" as the team lined up. Both of Bolivia's matches followed a similar pattern, a promising start gradually transforming into heavy defeat. Against Yugoslavia, they held out for an hour before conceding, but were four goals down by the final whistle. Misfortune played its part; several Bolivian goals were disallowed. Against Brazil, when both teams had only pride to play for, the score was 1–0 to Brazil at half-time. Brazil added three more in the second half, two of them scored by the multi-sportsman PreguinhoPreguinho
João Coelho Neto, known more commonly as Preguinho was a Brazilian footballer in the striker position. He was born in Rio de Janeiro....
. Yugoslavia qualified for the semi-finals.
Group 3
Hosts Uruguay were in a group with Peru and Romania. The opening match in this group saw the first sending off in the competition, when Plácido Galindo of Peru was dismissed against Romania. The Romanians made their man advantage pay; their 3–1 win included two late goals. This match had the smallest crowd of any in World Cup history. The official attendance was 2,459, but the actual figure is generally accepted to be around 300.Because of construction delays at Estadio Centenario, Uruguay's first match was not played until five days into the tournament. The first to be held at the Centenario, it was preceded by a ceremony in honour of the Uruguayan centenary celebrations. The Uruguayan team spent the four weeks preceding the match in a training camp, at which strict discipline was exercised. Goalkeeper Andrés Mazali
Andrés Mazali
Andrés Mazali was a twice Olympic Gold medallist for Uruguay in the 1924 and 1928 Olympic football tournaments, but is, perhaps, famous for his ill-judged decision to break curfew in the days leading up to the start of the first, deciding to go out on a date with a mystery blond before the FIFA...
was dropped from the squad for breaking a curfew to visit his wife. One hundred years to the day of the creation of Uruguay's first constitution, the hosts won a tight match against Peru 1–0. The result was viewed as a poor performance by the Uruguayan press, but lauded in Peru. Uruguay subsequently defeated Romania with ease, scoring four first half goals to win 4–0.
Group 4
The United States dominated the fourth group. The American team, which contained a significant number of new capsCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
, were reputedly nicknamed "the shot-putters" by an unnamed source in the French contingent. They beat their first opponents, Belgium, 3–0. The ease of the victory was unexpected; Uruguayan newspaper Imparcial wrote that "the large score of the American victory has really surprised the experts". Belgian reports bemoaned the state of the pitch
Association football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
and refereeing decisions, claiming that the second goal was offside
Offside (football)
Offside is a law in football which states that if a player is in an offside position when the ball is touched or played by a teammate, he may not become actively involved in the play...
. The group's second match, played in windy conditions, witnessed the first tournament hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
, scored by Bert Patenaude
Bert Patenaude
Bertrand "Bert" Arthur Patenaude was an American soccer player. Although earlier disputed, he is now officially credited by FIFA as the scorer of the first hat-trick in World Cup history. He is a member of the United States Soccer Hall of Fame.-Club career:...
of the United States against Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
. Until 10 November 2006, the first hat-trick that FIFA acknowledged had been scored by Guillermo Stábile
Guillermo Stábile
Guillermo Stábile was an Argentine footballer and manager. At club level, Stábile won two national championships with Huracán and played in Italy and France. He was the top-scorer of the first 1930 World Cup...
of Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, two days after Patenaude; however, in 2006 FIFA announced that Patenaude's claim to being the first hat-trick scorer was valid, as a goal previously assigned to teammate Tom Florie
Tom Florie
Thomas Florie was an American soccer forward. He played in both the first and second American Soccer Leagues, winning two U.S. Open Cup titles. Florie was also a member of the United States men's national soccer team at the 1930 and 1934 FIFA World Cup. He was inducted into the U.S...
was reattributed to Patenaude. With the United States having secured qualification, the final match in the group was a dead rubber. Paraguay beat Belgium by a 1–0 margin.
Semi-finals
The four group winners, ArgentinaArgentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, Yugoslavia, Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
and the United States, moved to the semi-finals. The two semi-final matches saw identical scores. The first semi-final was played between the USA and Argentina on a rain-drenched pitch. The United States team, which featured six British-born players, lost midfielder Raphael Tracy after ten minutes to a broken leg as the match became violent. A Monti goal half-way through the first half gave Argentina a 1–0 half-time lead. In the second half the strength of the United States team was overwhelmed by the pace of the Argentinian attacks, the match finishing 6–1 to Argentina.
In the second semi-final there were shades of the 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
match between Yugoslavia and Uruguay. Here, though, Yugoslavia took a surprise lead through Vujadinović
Đorđe Vujadinović
Đorđe "Đokica" Vujadinović was a Serbian international football player and manager.-Career:...
. Uruguay then took a 2–1 lead, but shortly before half-time Yugoslavia had a goal disallowed by a controversial offside decision. The hosts scored three more in the second half to win 6–1, Pedro Cea
Pedro Cea
José Pedro Cea was an Uruguayan football player and coach.-Club career:At club level, he played for Nacional, where he won several Uruguayan Championships.-International career:...
completing a hat-trick.
Third and fourth place
The now-traditional third place playoffThird place playoff
The third place playoff is a single match that is included in many sporting knockout tournaments to decide which competitor or team will be credited with finishing third and fourth. The teams that compete in the third place playoffs are usually the two losing semi-finalists in a particular...
was not established until 1934
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
, so the 1930 World Cup is unique in having no match take place between the semi-finals and the final. Occasional sources, notably a FIFA Bulletin from 1984, incorrectly imply that a third-place match occurred and was won 3–1 by Yugoslavia. Accounts differ as to whether a third-place match was originally scheduled. According to a 2009 book by Hyder Jawad, Yugoslavia refused to play a third-place match because they were upset with the refereeing in their semi-final against Uruguay. A FIFA technical committee report on the 1986 World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
included full retrospective rankings of all teams at all previous World Cup finals; this report ranked the United States third and Yugoslavia fourth, a practice since continued by FIFA. In 2010, the son of Kosta Hadži, the chief of Yugoslav delegation at the 1930 World Cup and the vice-president of the Football Association of Yugoslavia
Football Association of Yugoslavia
The Football Association of Yugoslavia was the governing body of football in Yugoslavia, based in Belgrade, with a major administrative branch in Zagreb....
at the time, claimed that Yugoslavia, as a team, has been awarded one bronze medal, which has been kept by Hadži himself and his family for the following 80 years. According to this source, Yugoslavia was placed third because of the semi-finals loss to the eventual champions, Uruguay. The origin and authenticity of this medal have not yet been officially recognised.
Final
The resounding wins for Uruguay and Argentina in the semi-finals meant the final was a repeat of the matchup in the 1928 Olympic final, which Uruguay had won 2–1 after a replay.The final was played at the Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario is a stadium in Parque Batlle, Montevideo, Uruguay, used primarily for football. The stadium was built between 1929 and 1930 to host the 1930 FIFA World Cup, as well as to commemorate the centennial of Uruguay's first constitution...
on 30 July. Feelings ran high around the La Plata Basin
La Plata Basin
The Río de la Plata Basin , sometimes called the Platine basin or Platine region, is the name given to the hydrographical area that covers parts of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay...
, dispelling any uncertainty as to whether the tournament had captured the imagination of the public. The ten boats earmarked to carry Argentine fans from Buenos Aires to Montevideo proved inadequate, and any number of assorted craft attempted the crossing. An estimated 10–15,000 Argentinians made the trip, but the port at Montevideo was so overwhelmed that many did not even make landfall before kick-off, let alone reach the stadium. At the stadium, supporters were searched for weapons. The gates were opened at eight o'clock, six hours before kick-off, and at noon the ground was full, the official attendance 93,000. A disagreement overshadowed the build-up to the match as the teams failed to agree on who should provide the match ball, forcing FIFA to intervene and decree that the Argentine team would provide the ball for the first half and the Uruguayans would provide their own for the second. Uruguay made one change from their semi-final lineup. Castro replaced Anselmo, who missed out due to illness. Monti played for Argentina despite receiving death threats on the eve of the match. The referee was Belgian John Langenus
John Langenus
John L. Langenus was a Belgian football referee, who officiated for FIFA in three World Cup competitions, including the first ever Final match in 1930.-Life and career:...
, who only agreed to officiate a few hours before the game, having sought assurances for his safety. One of his requests was for a boat to be ready at the harbour within one hour of the final whistle, in case he needed to make a quick escape.
The hosts scored the opening goal through Pablo Dorado
Pablo Dorado
Pablo Dorado was a striker for Uruguay in the 1930 World Cup. In the final against Argentina, he scored the 1st goal of the match in the 12th minute, putting the hosts Uruguay in front by shooting the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper Botasso making him the first player ever to score in a...
, a low shot from a position on the right. Argentina, displaying superior passing ability, responded strongly. Within eight minutes they were back on level terms; Carlos Peucelle
Carlos Peucelle
Carlos Desiderio Peucelle was an Argentine football player that played inside right/wing and is considered one of Argentina's most technical players in their history as well as being the catalyst for starting "La Maquina" with River Plate who went on to dominate football in South America in the...
received a Ferreira through-ball, beat his marker
Marking (association football)
In association football, marking is an organized defensive strategy which aims to prevent a member of the opposing team from taking control of the ball...
and equalised. Shortly before half-time leading tournament goalscorer Guillermo Stábile gave Argentina a 2–1 lead. Uruguay captain Nasazzi protested, maintaining that Stábile was offside, but to no avail. In the second half Uruguay gradually became ascendant. Shortly after Monti missed a chance to make the score 3–1, Uruguay attacked in numbers, and Pedro Cea
Pedro Cea
José Pedro Cea was an Uruguayan football player and coach.-Club career:At club level, he played for Nacional, where he won several Uruguayan Championships.-International career:...
scored an equaliser. Ten minutes later a goal by Santos Iriarte gave Uruguay the lead, and just before full-time Castro made it 4–2 to seal the win. Langenus ended the match a minute later, and Uruguay thus added the title World Cup winners to their mantle of Olympic champions. Jules Rimet presented the World Cup Trophy, which was later named for him, to the head of the Uruguayan Football Association, Raúl Jude
Raúl Jude
-Background:A prominent member of the Uruguayan Colorado Party, he was a lawyer by profession.His son, Raumar Jude, served as a Deputy and Senator.-Public offices:...
. The following day was declared a national holiday in Uruguay; in the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, a mob threw stones at the Uruguayan consulate. Francisco Varallo
Francisco Varallo
Francisco Antonio "Pancho" Varallo was an Argentine football forward. He played for the Argentine national team from 1930 to 1937. He was a member of Argentina's squad at the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930...
(who played as a forward for Argentina) was the last player of the final to die, on 30 August 2010.
France, Yugoslavia and the United States all undertook friendlies in South America following the competition. Brazil played France on 1 August, Yugoslavia on 10 August and the United States on 17 August, while Argentina hosted Yugoslavia on 3 August.
Group 1
| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 13 | −9 | 0 |
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----
----
----
----
Group 2
| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | −8 | 0 |
----
----
Group 3
| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 2 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0 |
----
----
Group 4
| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 2 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 |
----
----
Knockout stage
Semi-finals
----Final
Goalscorers
8 goals Guillermo StábileGuillermo Stábile
Guillermo Stábile was an Argentine footballer and manager. At club level, Stábile won two national championships with Huracán and played in Italy and France. He was the top-scorer of the first 1930 World Cup...
5 goals Pedro Cea
Pedro Cea
José Pedro Cea was an Uruguayan football player and coach.-Club career:At club level, he played for Nacional, where he won several Uruguayan Championships.-International career:...
4 goals
Bert Patenaude
Bert Patenaude
Bertrand "Bert" Arthur Patenaude was an American soccer player. Although earlier disputed, he is now officially credited by FIFA as the scorer of the first hat-trick in World Cup history. He is a member of the United States Soccer Hall of Fame.-Club career:...
3 goals
Carlos Peucelle
Carlos Peucelle
Carlos Desiderio Peucelle was an Argentine football player that played inside right/wing and is considered one of Argentina's most technical players in their history as well as being the catalyst for starting "La Maquina" with River Plate who went on to dominate football in South America in the...
Preguinho
Preguinho
João Coelho Neto, known more commonly as Preguinho was a Brazilian footballer in the striker position. He was born in Rio de Janeiro....
Peregrino Anselmo
Peregrino Anselmo
Juan Peregrino Anselmo was a striker for Uruguay who was a member of the champion squad at the 1930 FIFA World Cup, as he scored 3 goals in the tournament, including 2 in the semi-finals. He also won the gold medal with Uruguay at the 1928 Summer Olympics. He was a player and later coach of C.A....
Ivan Bek
Ivan Bek
Ivan "Ivica" Bek was a football player. Born to a German father, and a Czech mother in Belgrade borough of Čubura. At age of 16, started playing in BSK Belgrade for which he scored 51 goal in 50 matches. In 1928 Bek moved to Mačva, and soon proceeded to French FC Sète...
2 goals
Luis Monti
Luis Monti
Luis Felipe Monti was an Italian Argentine footballer who played as a midfielder. Monti has the distinction of having played in two FIFA World Cup final matches with two different national teams. He played the first of these finals with his native Argentina in 1930, which he lost to Uruguay; and...
Adolfo Zumelzú
Adolfo Zumelzú
Adolfo Bernabé Zumelzú was a football player from Argentina.Zumelzú represented the Argentina at the South American Championship 1927 and the South American Championship 1929 both won by Argentina....
Moderato Carlos Vidal
André Maschinot
André Maschinot
André Maschinot was a French footballer. He played for FC Sochaux, and played for the France national football team in the 1930 FIFA World Cup. He scored two goals in one of the two first ever World Cup matches, against Mexico.-External links:*...
Manuel Rosas
Manuel Rosas
Manuel Rosas Sánchez nicknamed Chaquetas was a Mexican footballer who participated in the 1930 FIFA World Cup. He was the first player in the history of FIFA World Cup who scored a goal from the penalty kick spot...
Héctor Castro
Héctor Castro
Héctor Castro was a Uruguayan football player and coach.-Early life:Castro was born in Montevideo...
Pablo Dorado
Pablo Dorado
Pablo Dorado was a striker for Uruguay in the 1930 World Cup. In the final against Argentina, he scored the 1st goal of the match in the 12th minute, putting the hosts Uruguay in front by shooting the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper Botasso making him the first player ever to score in a...
Victoriano Santos Iriarte
Victoriano Santos Iriarte
Victoriano Santos Iriarte , nicknamed "El Canario" , was an Uruguayan football forward, member of the Uruguay national team that won the first ever World Cup in 1930, and of Racing Club de Montevideo at the club level.Iriarte, an outside left, played all four of Uruguay's matches in the 1930 World...
Bart McGhee
Bart McGhee
Bartholomew “Bertie” or “Bart” McGhee was an American soccer forward who typically played left wing forward. He played for the United States men's national soccer team at the 1930 FIFA World Cup, and scored the second goal in World Cup history against Belgium. He was inducted into the U.S...
Đorđe Vujadinović
Đorđe Vujadinović
Đorđe "Đokica" Vujadinović was a Serbian international football player and manager.-Career:...
1 goal
Mario Evaristo
Mario Evaristo
Marino "Mario" Evaristo was an Argentine footballer who played for the Argentina national football team...
Alejandro Scopelli Francisco Varallo
Francisco Varallo
Francisco Antonio "Pancho" Varallo was an Argentine football forward. He played for the Argentine national team from 1930 to 1937. He was a member of Argentina's squad at the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930...
Guillermo Subiabre
Guillermo Subiabre
Guillermo Subiabre Astorga was a Chilean footballer. During his career he played for Colo-Colo , Santiago Wanderers, and the Chile national football team...
Marcel Langiller
Marcel Langiller
Marcel Langiller was a French footballer. He played in a striker role, and was nicknamed "La Caille"....
Lucien Laurent
Lucien Laurent
Lucien Laurent was a French association football player. He is famous for having scored the first ever FIFA World Cup goal.-Career:Laurent was born in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Val-de-Marne, near Paris....
Juan Carreño
Juan Carreño
Juan Carreño Lara was a Mexican footballer, and a participant of the 1930 FIFA World Cup. He was the first Mexican to score in the FIFA World Cup. During this tournament he was connected with Atlante F.C.. He also scored Mexico’s first goal in Olympic Games in Amsterdam 1928...
Roberto Gayón
Roberto Gayón
Roberto Gayón Márquez was a Mexican football forward who made two appearances for the Mexican national team at the 1930 FIFA World Cup.-External links:...
Luis Vargas Peña
Luis Vargas Peña
Luis Vargas Peña was one of the greatest Paraguayan footballers before the Second World War. He was the first Paraguayan to score a goal for the Paraguay national football team in a FIFA World Cup, accomplishing that in a match valid for the group stage of the 1930 FIFA World Cup against Belgium,...
Luis Souza Ferreira
Luis De Souza Ferreira
Luis Alfonso de Souza Ferreira Huby, was a football forward player from Peru who played for Universitario de Deportes....
Ştefan Barbu
Stefan Barbu
Ştefan Barbu was a Romanian football striker, who played at the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay.- Career :...
Adalbert Deşu
Adalbert Desu
Adalbert Deşu , Austria-Hungary — died 6 June 1937 in Timişoara) was a Romanian football striker. He was a member of Romania national football team which competed at the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay...
Constantin Stanciu
Constantin Stanciu
Constantin Stanciu was a Romanian football Forward.- Career :During his career he has made eight appearances and four goal for the Romanian national team....
Jim Brown
Jim Brown (soccer)
James "Jim" Brown was a Scottish American association football player who played for the United States men's national soccer team at the 1930 FIFA World Cup, scoring the only goal of the American team in their 6-1 semi-final loss to Argentina...
Héctor Scarone
Héctor Scarone
Héctor Pedro Scarone Beretta was a Uruguayan football striker. He went on for many years Since 1930 to holds the record as the all-time leading scorer with 31 goals in 52 games between 1917 and 1930 for the Uruguayan national team...
Blagoje Marjanović
Blagoje Marjanovic
Blagoje "Moša" Marjanović was a Serbian football forward who played for Yugoslavia at FIFA World Cup 1930. He scored one goal in that tournament in the game versus Bolivia . During the tournament his club was BSK....
Branislav Sekulić
Branislav Sekulic
Branislav "Bane" Sekulić was a Serbian football player and football manager....
Aleksandar Tirnanić
Aleksandar Tirnanic
Aleksandar "Tirke" Tirnanić was a Serbian football player and manager....
FIFA retrospective ranking
In 1986, FIFA published a report that ranked all teams in each World Cup up to and including 1986, based on progress in the competition, overall results and quality of the opposition. The rankings for the 1930 tournament were as follows:Final
Eliminated in the semi-finals
Eliminated at the group stage
Last surviving players
The last surviving player from the winning side was Ernesto MascheroniErnesto Mascheroni
Ernesto Mascheroni was a footballer from Uruguay. His position was defender. He played as a left-back.He was born in Montevideo....
, who died on 3 July 1984 at the age of 76. However, many other players who participated in the tournament were still alive by this stage and the last surviving player from the tournament was Argentina's Francisco Varallo
Francisco Varallo
Francisco Antonio "Pancho" Varallo was an Argentine football forward. He played for the Argentine national team from 1930 to 1937. He was a member of Argentina's squad at the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930...
, who died on 30 August 2010 at the age of 100 – 80 years after the tournament.