On This Day

First FIFA World Cup Final, Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay: Uruguay beats Argentina 4-2 in the inaugural event

The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 to 30 July 1930.

The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 to 30 July 1930. FIFA, football's international governing body, selected Uruguay as the host nation, as the country would be celebrating the centenary of its first constitution and the Uruguay national football team had retained their football title at the 1928 Summer Olympics. All matches were played in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, the majority at the purpose built Estadio Centenario.

Thirteen teams (seven from South America, four from Europe, and two from North America) entered the tournament. Only a handful of European teams chose to participate because of the difficulty of traveling to South America due to the Great Depression.

Historical Significance

The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national football teams.

Events Before

  1. Australian cricket icon Don Bradman follows up a first-innings 79 by scoring 112 in the third Test against England in Me

    Australian cricket icon Don Bradman follows up a first-innings 79 by scoring 112 in the third Test against England in Melbourne; his first of 29 Test centuries

  2. Mitford sister Diana Mitford (18) marries Irish peer Bryan Walter Guinness (23) in the British society wedding of the ye

    Mitford sister Diana Mitford (18) marries Irish peer Bryan Walter Guinness (23) in the British society wedding of the year

  3. Vatican City, the world's smallest country, becomes an enclave of Rome

    Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano; Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae), often shortened as the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state.

  4. Saint Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago, seven gangsters are killed, allegedly on Al Capone's orders

    Saint Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago, seven gangsters are killed, allegedly on Al Capone's orders

  5. Cleveland Indians become the first MLB team to permanently feature numbers on the backs of uniforms; numbers correspond

    Cleveland Indians become the first MLB team to permanently feature numbers on the backs of uniforms; numbers correspond to the position in the batting order

Events After

  1. "City Lights", American silent romantic comedy film directed by Charlie Chaplin, starring himself and Virginia Cherrill,

    "City Lights", American silent romantic comedy film directed by Charlie Chaplin, starring himself and Virginia Cherrill, premieres at Los Angeles Theater

  2. New Zealand's worst natural disaster, the Hawke's Bay earthquake, kills 256 and injures thousands, devastating Napier an

    New Zealand's worst natural disaster, the Hawke's Bay earthquake, kills 256 and injures thousands, devastating Napier and the Hawke's Bay region

  3. The original "Dracula" film starring Bela Lugosi as the titular vampire is released

    Renfield is a 2023 American action comedy horror film inspired by characters from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula and its 1931 feature film adaptation.

  4. Chicago White Sox and NY Giants play the first exhibition night game

    The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division.

  5. "The Star-Spangled Banner" officially becomes the US national anthem by congressional resolution; lyrics by Francis Scot

    "The Star-Spangled Banner" officially becomes the US national anthem by congressional resolution; lyrics by Francis Scott Key in 1814 are set to John Stafford Smith's 18th-century tune "The Anacreontic Song"

More from the 1930s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 30, 1930?
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 to 30 July 1930. FIFA, football's international governing body, selected Uruguay as the host nation, as the country would be celebrating the centenary of its first constitution and the Uruguay national football team had retained their football title at the 1928 Summer Olympics.
Why is First FIFA World Cup Final, Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay: Uruguay ... significant?
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national football teams.

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