The Peninsula
Seeing the grainy black and white video of the first FIFA World Cup Finals between Uruguay and Argentina from 92 year ago might leave us bemused but one thing that remains common throughout is the outpouring of joy that the sport generates even today.
The first FIFA World Cup in Uruguay from July 13 to 30 of 1930 was an invitational tournament, the first and last time in history that no qualifiers took place.
The boat ride
While North and South American teams like Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and the United States of America were eager to participate, getting the European teams on board became a huge issue despite Uruguay’s substantial financial commitments.
In fact, no European team had accepted the invite by the deadline in February 1930. The primary reason was the economic hardships caused worldwide by the Great Depression at the time. Very few players wanted to travel so far and for so long as they feared losing out on whatever regular income source they had.
Jules Rimet, the FIFA president at the time, intervened and personally convinced France, his home country, and Yugoslavia to send teams. German-Belgian FIFA vice-president Rodolphe Seeldrayers convinced Belgium.
“There was no talk of tactics or anything like that, no coaching,” France’s Lucien Laurent said of life on the Conte Verde, quotes a report. “It was just running about the boat on the deck. Running, running all the time. Down below we would do exercise – stretching, jumping, running up stairs, lifting weights. There was also a swimming pool there, which we all used until the weather got cooler. And we would be entertained by a comedy act or a string quartet. It was like a holiday camp. We didn’t really realise the full enormity of why we were going to Uruguay. Not until years later did we appreciate our place in history. It was just adventure. We were young men having fun. The journey on the Conte Verde took 15 days. It was 15 very happy days.”
In all, the first FIFA World Cup became a 13-team affair with Argentina, Chile, Mexico, France in Group 1; Brazil, Bolivia, Yugoslavia in Group 2; Uruguay, Peru, Romania in Group 3 and Paraguay, USA and Belgium as Group 4. Romania too came on board after Carol II, the newly-crowned king of Romania, who reportedly personally selected the squad. He negotiated with the employers of the players to ensure they still had their jobs upon return.
In fact four teams -- France, Romania, Belgium and Brazil -- all travelled in the SS Conte Verde along with Rimet, FIFA officials and European referees.
Unlikely hero in limelight
Uruguayan star Peregrino Anselmo was injured late into the semis, which turned the limelight on to one-armed (nicknamed El Manco) Hector Castro. Though Castro scored Uruguay's first-ever World Cup goal in group stage win over Peru, he lost his place in team and was restored only when Anselmo missed out due to illness.
The final was high-octane match as the rivalry between the two neighbouring countries from 1928 Olympic final when Uruguay edged out Argentina was repeated. And Hector scored the final goal as the last whistle blew.
The animosity between the two nations was such that they both refused to play with a ball provided by the other and FIFA had to intervene and decide that the first half of match would be played with the Argentina ball while the second with Uruguay.
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. In the second half Uruguay gradually became ascendant. Shortly after Stábile missed a chance, 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.
FIFA World Cup made its reputation and four years later every one forgot their difference and competed again in Italy. Uruguay, though, did not participate in Italy as protest at the lack of participation from the Italian side in 1930 tournament.
1930 World Cup in Numbers / 1930 World Cup Facts:
Host: Uruguay
Teams: 13
Format: Group stage, semi-finals and final
Matches: 18
Goals: 70
First goal in World Cup history: French strike Lucien Laurent
Winner: Uruguay
Runners-up: Argentina
Golden boot: Guillermo Stábile (Argentina) (Top scorer in the tournament with eight goals)
Youngest coach to win the World Cup: Uruguay Coach 31-year-old Alberto Horacio Suppici