By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (December 20^th 2025)

The Amateurism Schism

The issue of amateurism in football played a huge role in the breach between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and FIFA. 1928 was the last Olympic Games Football Tournament that dominated football – there was no tournament in 1932 and the FIFA World Cup took over as football’s top tournament, in 1930 after FIFA’s Congress in Barçelona in 1929.

It should, however, be remembered that between 1908 – just after FIFA was established – and 1928 the Olympic Games’ Football Tournament was organised by FIFA. Those tournaments – at least 1924 and 1928 deserve to be acknowledged as unofficial World Cups as that is what they were.

Great Britain had been a powerhouse in the game in the Olympics until they were humbled in 1920. They boycotted in 1924 and 1928 over ‘creeping professionalism’ – actually it wasn’t, it was just compensation for loss of earnings. This played a huge role in the schism between the IOC and FIFA. It led to withdrawals of those nations from FIFA – Wales’ membership of FIFA lapsed due to non-payment of its dues.

Australia, who had wanted to enter, lost their chance due to its relationship with the FA – it was not affiliated to FIFA, but the FA. No Asian or team from Oceania took part in the Olympic Games Football Tournament in 1928 – that would come in the infamous 1936 Olympics.

The withdrawal of Sweden over the amateurism issue meant that the Netherlands was the only nation to have entered all the previous Olympic Football tournaments that had been run by FIFA up to 1928. Meanwhile, Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia had introduced some professionalism to their football and chose not to attend the 1928 tournament. Bulgaria, Estonia and Greece were late withdrawals, meaning an unwieldy 17 nations took part.

The schism was serious and would soon become irreparable, at least for the times as professionalism would eventually be accepted within the Olympics movement. In fact, the ancient Olympiads, upon which the Olympic Games was supposed to have been based certainly rewarded the winning athletes.

The Participants

Despite the absentees (see above) the 1928 Olympic Games Football Tournament was an inclusive one – far more than the inaugural FIFA World Cup, which involved slot-buying by the then King of Romania, King Carol II. The monarch insisted on players receiving time of work and some compensation to play – he selected the team (bizarrely this is celebrated by FIFA. How was this not political interference? And how were some of the absences from 1930 explained (see future articles)?

Egypt, building on their two previous appearances, attended again, but this time without their legendary former captain Hussein Hegazi. Uruguay, returned to defend their title. Argentina also crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Amsterdam – it was their first appearance in the Olympic Games Football Tournament.

Portugal dispatched Chile 4-2 to give Chile the unwanted distinction of being the only entrant not to reach the first round. Belgium beat Luxemburg 5-3 (hardly a thrashing of minnows) whereas Germany, returning to the tournament for the first time since Jewish, record-holder for Germany, Gottfried (Godfrey) Fuchs – the scorer of 10 goals in a match – graced Germany’s team in the 1912 Olympiad, thrashed Switzerland 4-0. Egypt beat Turkey 2-0 and Italy edged past France 3-2. Portugal beat Yugoslavia 2-1 and Argentina walloped the United States of America 11-2. Spain thrashed México 7-0 and Uruguay ended the hosts’ involvement 2-0.

The second round (quarter-finals) proceeded without the Netherlands. Italy beat Spain 7-1 in a replay, necessitated by a 1-1 draw. Egypt beat Portugal 2-1 – the legendary Mahmoud Mokhtar (El-Tetsh) scored their first. Argentina sent Belgium packing 6-3 and Uruguay beat Germany 4-1.

Uruguay beat Italy 3-2 and Argentina thrashed Egypt 6-0 to set up an all-South American final – one that would be repeated two years later in Montevideo’s Estadio Centenario in FIFA’s inaugural World Cup Final. Italy thrashed Egypt 11-3 to win the bronze medal – for different reasons both losing semi-finalists would be absent from the 1930 World Cup. They were not alone in failing to make the trip to Uruguay.

Chile and the Netherlands drew 2-2 in the Consolation Final while Uruguay defeated their neighbours 2-1 in the replay caused by a 1-1 draw in the first match.

Uruguay were the champions again and this marked the second of the four stars on their jerseys – an ongoing controversy.