The FIFA World Cup is arguably the biggest sporting spectacle in the world, with its expectations and excitement being second to no other sports competitions. In this article we will be looking back at the very first FIFA World Cup which took place in 1930, marking the beginning of Football’s biggest ever cup tournament.
1930 FIFA World Cup Location and venue
Uruguay was selected to be the first-ever nation to host a World Cup, with the country celebrating the centenary of its first constitution and the Uruguay national football team had successfully retained their football title at the 1928 Summer Olympics being the key factors for the decision.
All the matches were played in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, with the main venue being the Estadio Centenario stadium that was especially built for the competition. It is also commonly known as the Uruguay World Cup 1930.
Tournament structure
The very first FIFA World Cup had a total of 13 teams, with seven from South America, four from Europe, and two from North America. Only a few European teams chose to participate due to the difficulty of traveling to South America because of the Great Depression at the time.
Teams were divided into 4 groups, with one of the group's having 4 teams and the rest with 3. The winner of each group would progress to the semi-finals.
First FIFA World Cup: List of Participants
The tournament initially had 16 teams that qualified for the competition, but 3 teams eventually ended up withdrawing from the competition. Japan, Egypt, and Siam were the countries that couldn't make it to the tournament.
The first FIFA World Cup, held in 1930, featured 13 participating teams from around the globe. These teams were:
Argentina
Belgium
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
France
Mexico
Paraguay
Peru
Romania
United States
Uruguay (hosts)
Yugoslavia
1930 FIFA World Cup Group Stage
The first group had Argentina, Chile, France, and Mexico. It was also the only group with 4 teams. Argentina went on to dominate the group by winning all 3 matches and qualifying for the semi-finals.
Yugoslavia, Bolivia, and Brazil were a part of the second group. A major shock occurred in this group, as group favorites Brazil suffered a shocking 2-1 lose against Yugoslavia. This ultimately saw The Selecao crash out of the tournament, with Yugoslavia emerging as surprise group winners.
There were no surprises in the 3rd group, with favorites Uruguay overcoming Romania and Peru with ease to top the group.
United States emerged as winners of the final group, beating Paraguay and Belgium.
1930 FIFA World Cup semi final
Both the semi-finals were decided, with Uruguay facing Yugoslavia and Argentina facing the United States. Those who expected a close encounter in the semi-finals were immensely disappointed though, as what occured was absolute domination from two teams.
Yugoslavia couldn't repeat their magical performance against Brazil this time around, as Uruguay were just simple too good for them. The host nation destroyed their opponents 6-1 to seal their place in the finals.
Argentina went on to prove that they are equally devastating as well, beating the United states with the exact same scoreline. The stage was set for a magnificent final between two outstanding teams.
1930 FIFA World Cup final
The very first FIFA World Cup ended up being an absolute masterclass, as it showcased the brilliance of the game. The Uruguay national team had humongous expectations from their home supporters, while Argentina looked to break their hearts and make history.
Uruguay began the match in devastating fashion, taking just 12 minutes to score the first goals. Argentina responded in the most epic way though, as they scored back 2 goals in the span of just 25 mins. The first-half ended 2-1.
The second-half saw the beauty of football in it's full extent, as the emotions of heartbreak, passion, and belief were all seen in an unbelievable final 45 minutes. Uruguay went on to make an extraordinary comeback in the second-half, scoring 3 goals to end the match 4-2.
History was made, as Uruguay became the first ever country to lift the FIFA World Cup, earning them an eternal place in the history books of football.
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