13th July 1930: Inaugural FIFA World Cup begins in Uruguay during the centenary of the country’s first constitution

**Scott Allsop** (0:00)
On the 13th of July 1931, the inaugural FIFA World Cup began in Uruguay during the centenary of the country's first constitution. Welcome to HistoryPod.
Football had featured in the Olympic Games since 1900 but was restricted by regulations that prevented many leading professional players from taking part. FIFA president Jules Rimet consequently set about organizing football's own independent international championship. In 1929, FIFA selected Uruguay as the host nation due to Uruguay's victories in the Olympic football tournaments of 1924 and 1928, as well as the country's willingness to finance the event during the centenary celebrations of its first constitution. However, travel to South America presented considerable difficulties. The journey from Europe required a lengthy voyage across the Atlantic by ship, and the effects of the Great Depression made participation expensive for many football associations. As a result, only four European teams– Belgium, France, Romania and Yugoslavia– accepted the invitation. They joined seven South American teams, together with representatives from North America.
The tournament opened on the 13th July in Montevideo with two matches played simultaneously. The United States beat Belgium 3-0 while France defeated Mexico 4-1 in a match that saw French forward Lucien Laurent score the first goal in World Cup history. The competition continued over the following weeks before the host nation Uruguay defeated Argentina 4-2 in the final on the 30th July to become the inaugural World Champions. Although modest in scale compared with later tournaments, the success of the 1930 World Cup confirmed the international appeal of football and laid the foundations for an event that would grow into one of the defining spectacles of modern sport.