Hosts Uruguay beat arch-rivals to first world crown.

The first FIFA World Cup™ was one of a kind. Taking place wholly in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, the sport's inaugural showpiece was rich in details that might bemuse the modern football fan: four teams arriving together on the same boat, an unfinished stadium, even a one-armed goalscorer in the Final. Yet it ended with a familiar outpouring of joy as the whole of Uruguay took a public holiday after the Celeste became the first world champions by defeating neighbours Argentina 4-2.

The maiden tournament had been some years in the offing. FIFA, at its founding meeting in 1904, declared that it alone had the right to organise an international championship, yet only in the 1920s did the idea gather support. The 1924 Olympic football tournament in Paris proved hugely popular, with over 40,000 spectators watching Uruguay beat Switzerland in the final. Yet when the British associations, with their professional leagues, declined to participate in that event after a row over players' amateur status, it was evident the time was ripe for a separate international football competition.