It's a rare thing. A tournament with "world" in the title, where teams from all over the world actually show up. And a sport that plenty people give a shit about, even. I don't like football, but I agree this is the best sports event of them all, even if I barely follow it. There's some pretty sweet history in there, too…
FIFA wrote: FIFA's Congress voted to stage an inaugural world championship in 1930. The only remaining question was where. Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay all expressed an interest but the Uruguayans alone were prepared to pay all travel and hotel expenses as well as build a new stadium at a time of economic uncertainty. Add the fact Uruguay would be celebrating its centenary that same year and FIFA duly plumped for the South Americans, confirming their decision at the 1929 Congress in Barcelona.
Finding the teams to take part was the next challenge. Seven signed up from the home continent along with Mexico and the United States. But two months before the start, there was still no European entrant. The prospect of two months away was an obvious deterrent for players with jobs at home but France and Belgium – the only two FIFA founder members to participate – eventually agreed to undertake the long journey together with Yugoslavia and Romania.
Besides the Yugoslavia party, sailing independently on the MS Florida, the remaining European contenders travelled together on the SS Conte Verde, departing from Barcelona on 22 June. Also embarking on one of football's most significant journeys were FIFA President Jules Rimet with the Goddess of Victory trophy – a statuette 30cm high and weighing 4kg designed by Frenchman Abel Lafleur – and John Langenus, the Belgian who would referee the Final. The Conte Verde stopped at Rio to pick up the Brazil squad and then at Santos where players bought bananas, oranges and pineapples. Finally, on 4 July, the liner arrived at Montevideo where it was greeted by 10,000 Uruguayans.
http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive ... index.html
The first incident of blatant match fixing by a referee? Almeida Rego right there in 1930. He started a long and glorious tradition with flair!
FIFA wrote:The FIFA World Cup's first major controversy provided a footnote to France's defeat in their second game against Argentina two days later. Trailing to a free-kick by Argentine enforcer Luisito Monti, the French were denied the opportunity of an equaliser when referee Almeida Rego halted Marcel Langiller's run on goal by sounding the final whistle. Unfortunately, there were actually six minutes remaining, prompting chaotic scenes that only ended when the Brazilian official brought the teams back on to the pitch to conclude the contest.
As a Scot, and therefore from one of the many footballing nations which struggle to qualify (hell, our next world cup players are yet to even be born…) I'd like to see the tournament turn into a cup. The same number of games played could be a 128 team knockout from the start! What better way to kick off the competition: instead of cautious draws, a riot of drubbings as Germany takes on the Seychelles and Argentina faces Fiji! Scotland could be beat by Wales then, which would be nice.
