83 years ago, Uruguay hosted the first FIFA World Cup in the history of the sport.2 photos

The choice of Uruguay as the host country for this sporting event was no coincidence. The national team of this country won the 8th Olympic Games in Paris in 1924 and the 9th Olympic Games in Amsterdam in 1928, which gave this Latin American nation the right to host the first World Championship in the most spectacular sport: football.

Specifically for these competitions, a new stadium was built in Montevideo. To celebrate the country’s independence anniversary, it was named “Sentenario” – meaning “centenary”. All expenses related to hosting the guests of the championship were borne by the Uruguayan authorities.

A total of 13 teams participated in the tournament: from France, Yugoslavia, Romania, Belgium, Peru, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

In the opening matches, the French team faced the Mexican team, while the Belgian team competed against the American team. The first goal in the history of World Championships was scored by the French player Lucien Laurent. However, on July 30, the Uruguayan team won the championship by defeating the Argentine team in the final match with a score of 4:2.

In Montevideo, celebrations continued for several days following the victory in the championship.