By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (December 27^th 2025)

A Weakened Tournament

The creeping row over professional footballers and the demand among some nations for full amateurism led to the schism between FIFA and the IOC. FIFA originally had no plans to organise a World Cup until the schism and the 1929 FIFA Congress meant the end of the Olympic Games Football Tournament as an unofficial World Cup.

FIFA’s solution, the 1930 World Cup, was a far weaker tournament than 1928’s Olympic Games Football Tournament. Both losing semi-finalists in 1930, the USA and Yugoslavia failed to impress at the 1928 tournament – losing in the first round. The USA lost 11-2 in the first round to eventual silver medallists Argentina and Portugal beat Yugoslavia 2-1. The fact that first round casualties in 1928 either means that both improved substantially or the participants in 1930 were far weaker than they were in1928 or a combination of both.

The Battle of the Stars

So, what is the significance? It is at least arguable that Uruguay richly deserved the two stars that it wears on its jersey with pride for 1924 and 1928 more than it does for 1930’s inaugural FIFA World Cup. To be fair Uruguay tried hard to attract the best teams to come to their country. They offered to pay both transport and accommodation, but only three European countries that participated in 1928 accepted the invitation, Belgium, France and Yugoslavia. For different reasons there was to all effects a European boycott of the inaugural World Cup. While Italy, the bronze medallists in 1928 did not participate on the pitch, they were very active off it. Italians attended to observe Argentinians with Italian origins. Luis Monti is the best known of the Oriundi. Monti lost with Argentina in 1928 and 1930, but switched international allegiance to Italy, winning the FIFA World Cup in 1934 – he also won four Italian titles with Juventus. Another of the great Oriundi was Raimundo Orsi, but he left Argentina for riches in Italy in 1928. The Argentine-born Orsi, along with Monti won the World Cup in 1934 – Italy had won the right to host in 1932.

Arguably, FIFA had erred. Not only did Benito Mussolini abuse the prestige of the tournament, but Italy had boycotted the previous edition in Uruguay. The first FIFA World Cup winners retaliated by refusing to defend their title. Argentina protested against the recruitment of their players by Italy by sending a weakened squad to Italy’s World Cup.

The Strangest Absence

Uruguay’s World Cup was dominated by American teams – the United States of America an México represented North and Central America. Four European nations attended including the slot buying Romanians, which left seven South American nations including the finalists from the last two Olympiads. Conspicuous by their absence were any representatives from Asia or Oceania, but by far the strangest absence was that of Africa’s sole representative at the last three Olympic Games Football Tournament, Egypt.

The story of Egypt’s absence is baffling. As the fourth placed team at the 1928 Olympiad, their absence was baffling. They certainly deserved an invitation, but years after Uruguay lifted the FIFA World Cup an explanation surfaced. Egypt had been invited, but the North-Africans had literally missed the boat.

No evidence was ever provided to back up this claim. If this was true, surely the tickets for the Egyptians could be provided. Wouldn’t Uruguay have sent tickets and confirmation of arrangements to both FIFA and the relevant FAs. If Uruguay has records of any of this it has never been provided and nor have FIFA provided evidence.

So, why was Egypt absent at a time when they stood a real chance of improving on their finish of two years earlier? We still await a credible answer.