July 13, 1930 – The first-ever football (soccer) World Cup competition begins in Uruguay. When soccer was dropped as a competitive sport for the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, FIFA President Jules Rimet decided to organize an international tournament for 1930.
European football fans were disgruntled when, Uruguay, the winner of back-to-back gold medals at the 1924 Paris Olympics and 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, was chosen to host the inaugural World Cup series. On this day there were simultaneous matches where France defeated Mexico 4-1 and the United States blanked Belgium 3-0.
The Great Depression forced many of Europe’s greatest stars to stay home so as not to lose their jobs so teams such as Italy, England, Germany, Holland, and Spain were not represented. Uruguay agreed to pay travel expenses for teams like France, Romania, Belgium, and Yugoslavia so they were convinced to participate so that all was not lost.
In the first World Cup final, held on July 30, 1930, 93,000 spectators looked on as Uruguay defeated Argentina 4–2 in a rematch of the 1928 Olympic gold medal game. The US squad took third after losing to Uruguay 6-1 in the semi-final game.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
The Miracle On Ice (America’s Version of David Vs. Goliath – From The 1980 Olympics)
America’s first President, George Washington, was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on February 22,
The Playoff Runs of the 1972 Cleveland Browns and 1978 Houston Oilers
At this time of the year, the NFL playoffs are on the minds of
The Adventures, Calamities, and Hijinks of the Stanley Cup
Of all the championship trophies in North American sport, none has the beauty and
The Men Behind The Best Football Nicknames (Early Chicago Football)
In professional sports, we have experienced a wide spectrum of clearly memorable nicknames. For
Beyond Broadway Joe: The Super Bowl TEAM That Changed Football
In this episode, I talk to Bob Lederer about his book – Beyond Broadway
Super Bowl XXX (Steelers vs. Cowboys): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXX, which was held on January 28, 1996, at
5 Boxers With An Undefeated Record
In this segment ladies and gentlemen, I am going to discuss “The Undefeated” throughout
Big Ben: What A Difference A Great Quarterback Makes!
So, Ben Roethlisberger has finally hung up his cleats. We have enjoyed eighteen years