Argentina, with all its footballing potential, aspired to emulate Uruguay’s feat of 1924, but once again Uruguay became Olympic champions—two finals that astonished Europe. Jules Rimet, president of FIFA, witnessed the football boom in the Río de la Plata region and was determined at that time to separate professional football from the Olympic Games and create the World Cup.Argentina, with all its footballing potential, aspired to emulate Uruguay’s feat of 1924, but once again Uruguay became Olympic champions—two finals that astonished Europe. Jules Rimet, president of FIFA, witnessed the football boom in the Río de la Plata region and was determined at that time to separate professional football from the Olympic Games and create the World Cup.
Not only was Uruguay a candidate, but Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden were also eagerly awaiting the decision. The South American bloc mounted a strong defense of Uruguay’s rights, winning the hosting rights unanimously and with the congress standing ovation. By winning this first global battle at the boardroom against the most prestigious figures in the sport, CONMEBOL gave South American football a significant boost on the world stage.
Uruguay’s designation as the first World Cup host forced the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) to change the host country of the 1929 Copa América from Montevideo to Buenos Aires and put all its effort into strongly supporting Uruguay at the FIFA congress in Barcelona.
