1930 - Final (half time scores in brackets)
July 30, 1930
Uruguay - Argentina 4:2 (1:2)

Attendance: 90,000

Teams:

Uruguay:

Ballesteros, Nasazzi, Mascheroni, Andrade, Fernandez, Gestido, Dorado, Scarone, Castro, Cea, Iriarte.

Scorers: Dorado, Cea, Iriarte, Castro.

Argentina

Botasso, Della Torre, Paternoster, J. Evaristo, Monti, Suarez, Peucelle, Varallo, Stabile, Ferreira, M. Evaristo.

Scorers: Peucelle, Stabile.

Referee: J. Langenus.

The first ever World Cup Final was played at the Centenario Stadium, Montevideo on July 30th. However, the game was preceded by the seemingly pointless dispute as to who should provide the match ball. FIFA stepped in with the Solomon-like decision to split the disputed baby: Argentina provided the ball for the first half, Uruguay provided one for the second.

Uruguay, which was celebrating a centenary of independence from Spanish rule, and had twice triumphed at the Olympics in football, eventually won 4-2, but not before enduring the trauma of a half time 1-2 deficit after a questionable goal from Stabile. Captained by Jose Nasazzi the Uruguayans proved a much more durable team, Pedro Ceo scoring a memorable equaliser, Iriarte then put the hosts ahead, a position cemented by a further goal from Castro (who played under the handicap of an arm being partially missing). Thus the Argentines, led by “Nalo” Ferreira, who had played one more game than their Uruguayan hosts, were unable to obtain revenge for their defeat at the hands of Uruguay in the 1928 Olympic final. Riots followed in Argentina, an ugly obverse side of the coin to the wild celebrations in Montevideo and elsewhere in Uruguay. The 31 July 1930 was a national holiday for the victors.