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Uruguay 1930 World Cup Betting

Year: 1930

Participants: 13

Countries: Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, France, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, United States, Uruguay, and Yugoslavia.

Championship: Uruguay 4, Argentina 2

Top goal scorer: Guillermo Stabile, Argentina (8 goals)

Uruguay, which had won the 1924 and '28 Olympic soccer titles, was awarded the site of the first World Cup in honor of the country's 100th birthday in 1930. The fact that Uruguay was willing to pay travel expenses for all countries didn't hurt its cause, either. Still, only four European teams were willing to make the trip.

The tournament kicked off July 13, when France beat Mexico 4-1 in Pocito before 1,000 fans. The championship game between Uruguay and Argentina in Centenario Stadium drew slightly more interest, attracting 9300 fans.

Hey, who knew the United States could play soccer? In 1930 they could, thanks to the help of several naturalized immigrants. The U.S. team won two games in 1930; it took another 64 years to bring its victory total to four.

And yes, the first World Cup even had its moments of mayhem. On July 15, fans stormed the field after a referee accidentally ended a game between France and Argentina six minutes early. (The end of the game was eventually played after the people were cleared from the field, with Argentina winning, 1-0.) Before the championship game, Uruguay and Argentina argued over what type of ball would be used, so a different one was used in each half. And in Buenos Aires, angry Argentines threw bricks at the Uruguayan embassy after their team lost.

Uruguay 1930 Schedule and Results