By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (December 24^th 2025)

Come of Age

South America’s first continental football tournament the Copa América took place in 1916 – Uruguay won the first of their 15 titles to date, despite drawing 0-0 with the hosts Argentina 0-0 in the last match of the tournament. Within a decade Uruguay began its domination of the football world winning the Olympic Games Football title of 1924, succeeding Belgium’s only winning Golden Generation.

It was Uruguay’s first appearance in that competition. Four years later Uruguay retained their Olympic title – 17 teams took part, eclipsing the 13 that took part in the inaugural FIFA World Cup.

In 1928 South America proved that it was the dominant force in world football – Uruguay beat Argentina 2-1 (after a replay) in the final. Both teams had earned their place in the final at the expense of Italy and Egypt, both of whom missed the 1930 FIFA World Cup, but for different reasons. Italy thrashed Egypt 11-3 in the match for the bronze medal, but the aspiring Pharaohs had established their right to a place at football’s top table even if they did not get to take the slot that they had earned.

European Slot Buying

The 1929 FIFA Congress in Barçelona decided that Urugay should host its inaugural World Cup in 1930 – European hands did not object then, but a year later they did with their feet. France had to be persuaded at the last minute and Romania’s King Carol II was allowed to buy his country a slot at the World Cup.

The Romanian monarch, later deposed, ensured that the players he wanted – he selected the team – were given time off work and had their expenses paid. This was the first time a country had been allowed to buy a place in the World Cup, but far from condemning this conduct, FIFA celebrate it (see https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/articles/romania-king-carol-second-1930-uruguay from FIFA’s website).

The Participants

FIFA faced a crisis in its inaugural World Cup. Despite the unanimous agreement in 1929 that Uruguay should host there were many withdrawals as European nations objected to the long journey to Uruguay – it appears they had no problem inflicting such a voyage on the South Americans despite the last three Olympiads having occurred in Europe, meaning the South Americans had to travel those distances in 1924 and 1928. They did so and won. Uruguay had earned the right to host the first FIFA World Cup

The list of European absentees from the 1930 World Cup was telling, especially when compared to the 1928 Olympiad, which was the third in a row to take place in Europe – Amsterdam in this case.

Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Argentina, Chile, Egypt, México, the United States of America, Turkey and Uruguay contested the Olympic Games Football Tournament in Amsterdam. Only 13 countries would attend FIFA’s inaugural World Cup. France was a late addition – after initially deciding not to travel, they were persuaded to attend by Jules Rimet who travelled with them and the trophy, among others to the tournament.

Belgium, France and Yugoslavia were the only European nations involved in the Olympic Games Football Tournament to make the trip to Uruguay – they were joined by Romania, whose King Carol II had bought them a place.

Argentina, Chile, México, the United States and Uruguay were the other veterans of 1928 to cross the Atlantic Ocean to South America, so less than half of the participants in Amsterdam played in Uruguay.

Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Perú and Romania were the other participants in 1930. Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland were European countries who had played in Amsterdam, but did not go to Uruguay. Turkey was an absentee, but by far the strangest absentee was Egypt, which alone represented Africa at the Olympic Games Football Tournaments throughout the 1920s almost two decades before the Confederation of African Football, Confédération Africaine de Football, (CAF) was established.

The participants in the inaugural FIFA World Cup were considerably weaker than in Amsterdam’s Olympiad. Less than half of the participants of 1928 took part. And the tournament of 1924, admittedly lacking Germany and Argentina was stronger too. Why then, are two of Uruguay’s stars disputed – they earned them.

The 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games Football Tournaments were clearly of a higher standard than the 1930 World Cup and worse would follow – far worse.