When Uruguay secured the right to host the first World Cup in 1929, everything seemed ideal.
The country was a two-time Olympic gold medalist in soccer, had a strong economy, and offered to cover the travel and accommodation expenses of all the teams, combining the tournament with the celebration of 100 years of independence for the country. However, when the time came to submit entries, European support vanished.
The global economic crisis following the crash of 1929 made the transatlantic journey of 15–20-day journey by steamship seem prohibitive.
Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia refused to travel, citing economic and practical reasons. Behind these excuses, however, lay discontent. Many European federations believed that the first World Cup should have been held in Europe and viewed the selection of Uruguay as a blow to their prestige.
Six weeks before kickoff, no European country had registered to participate. The president of FIFA, Gilles Rimet, was forced to resort to personal interventions. He sent letters to France, Belgium, Romania, and Yugoslavia, essentially asking them to save the tournament. In Romania, the intervention of King Charles II was even required, while in Yugoslavia, participation became a political issue due to the conflict between Serbs and Croats.
The Yugoslav delegation was a prime example of the ethnic tensions of the time. Croatian clubs refused to cooperate with the Belgrade federation, and ultimately the team that traveled to Montevideo consisted almost exclusively of Serbian players. Despite the internal division, it reached the semifinals and became one of the tournament’s surprises.
Uruguay never hid its bitterness over Europe’s “ingratitude.” The prevailing view in the local press was that Europe refused to acknowledge the strength of South American soccer, despite the two Olympic gold medals that had preceded it. In the end, only four European teams participated in a tournament that was literally saved at the last minute.
Even the official poster for the event went down in history for a reason that very few people knew. It stated that the World Cup would take place from July 15 to August 15, but the tournament actually began on July 13 and ended on the 30th of that month. The change was made due to late registrations, but the posters had already been printed. Thus, the first World Cup left behind not only the first world champion, but also the first major organizational paradox in the tournament’s history.
🏆 You can read more stories like this in a 640-page, large-format study in the book “World Cup Confidential”, published by Historical Quest.
