When France faced off against Mexico, and the United States met Belgium in matches at different venues in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, few people could imagine what had been unleashed on the world. A quarter of a century or so after the idea of a global footballing tournament was first mooted, 13 teams, including the host, gathered in Uruguay. Many European countries, including Italy and Spain, opted against making the multi-week boat trip, while the four British associations had withdrawn from FIFA. Uruguay, which won the gold medal in the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games, was given the right to host the competition for the Jules Rimet Trophy, the World Cup's original name, and termed in honor of the then FIFA president who had done so much to make the tournament a reality. For the record, France beat Mexico 4-1, while the U.S. defeated Belgium 3-0. France's Lucien Laurent scored the first goal in World Cup history. On July 30, Uruguay became the first World Cup champion when it beat Argentina 4-2 at Centenario Stadium.
(AP)