The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural global men's football championship, establishing the template for the tournament held every four years.
Key Facts
- Host nation
- Uruguay
- Teams participating
- 13
- Final attendance
- 68,346 people
- Final score
- Uruguay 4–2 Argentina
- First World Cup goal scorer
- Lucien Laurent (France)
- Tournament dates
- 13–30 July 1930
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
FIFA chose Uruguay to host the first World Cup because the country was celebrating the centenary of its first constitution and its national team had won the football title at the 1928 Summer Olympics. Despite the invitation, most European nations declined to participate due to the financial strain of the Great Depression and the lengthy sea voyage required.
Thirteen nations competed in four groups in Montevideo from 13 to 30 July 1930, with all matches played in the Uruguayan capital. Uruguay, Argentina, the United States, and Yugoslavia advanced to the semi-finals. In the final, host nation Uruguay defeated Argentina 4–2 before 68,346 spectators at the Estadio Centenario, becoming the first FIFA World Cup champion.
Uruguay's victory established the FIFA World Cup as the premier international football competition. The tournament set numerous firsts — including the first goal, scored by Lucien Laurent, and the first clean sheet, kept by Jimmy Douglas — and created a lasting template for the quadrennial competition that continues to this day.
Result
at Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay