The first ever Football World Cup was staged in 1930. The games were hosted by the Olympic champions at the time, Uruguay.

Thirteen nations entered and were divided into four groups:

With so few nations involved, only a group stage was played before the semifinals, and despite France's Lucien Laurent scoring the first ever goal in the World Cup, the only European nation in the semifinals were Yugoslavia--who went on to be beaten 6-1 by the indomitable Uruguay. Whilst U.S.A. were also beaten 6-1 by Argentina.

The first ever World Cup Final was played at the Centenario Stadium, Montevideo on July 30th between the host nation and their South American neighbours Argentina.

The game ended 4-2 to Uruguay who added the title World Cup Winners to the already prestigious mantle of Olympic Champions, as Jules Rimet (President of football's governing body FIFA, and inventor of the World Cup concept) presented the World Cup Trophy, which was later to be named after the man himself.

Results - Group Stage:

Group: Team A - Team B Goals A:Goals B (Halftime Goals A:Halftime Goals B)

July 13:

Group 1: France - Mexico 4:1 (3:0)

Laurent is credited with scoring the first goal in World Cup history.

Group 4: USA - Belgium 3:0 (2:0)

July 14:

Group 2: Yugoslavia - Brazil 2:1 (2:0)

Group 3: Romania - Peru 3:1 (1:0)

July 15:

Group 1: Argentina - France 1:0 (0:0)

July 16:

Group 1: Chile - Mexico 3:0 (1:0)

July 17:

Group 2: Yugoslavia - Bolivia 4:0 (0:0)

Group 4: USA - Paraguay 3:0 (2:0)

July 18:

Group 3: Uruguay - Peru 1:0 (0:0)

July 19:

Group 1: Chile - France 1:0 (0:0)

Group 1: Argentina - Mexico 6:3 (3:1)

July 20:

Group 2: Brazil - Bolivia 4:0 (1:0)

Group 4: Paraguay - Belgium 1:0 (1:0)

July 21:

Group 3: Uruguay - Romania 4:0 (3:0)

July 22:

Group 1: Argentina - Chile 3:1 (2:1)

Semi-finals

July 26:

Argentina - USA 6:1 (1:0)

Monti (A) 20', Scopelli (A) 56', Stábile (A) 69', Peucelle (A) 80', 85', Stábile (A) 87', Brown (U) 89'

July 27:

Uruguay - Yugoslavia 6:1 (3:1)

Vujadinović (Y) 4', Cea (U) 19', Anselmo (U) 21', 23', Iriarte (U) 63', Cea (U) 66', 72'

Final

July 30:

Uruguay - Argentina 4:2 (1:2)

Dorado (U) 12', Peucelle (A) 20', Stábile (A) 38', Cea (U) 58', Iriarte (U) 68', Castro (U) 89'

There was no third-place playoff.

Top Scorers

8 goals

• Guillermo Stábile (ARG)

5 goals

• José Pédro Cea (URU)

3 goals

• Juan Pelegrino Anselmo (URU)
• Ivan Beck (JUG)
• Bert Patenaude (USA)
• Carlos Desiderio Peucelle (ARG)
• João Coelho Neto (Preguinho) (BRA)

2 goals

• Héctor Castro (URU)
• Pablo Dorado (URU)
• Victoriano Santos Iriarte (URU)
• André Maschinot (FRA)
• Bartholemew McGhee (USA)
• Luís Fernando Monti (ARG)
• Moderato Visintainer (BRA)
• Manuel Rosas Sanchez (MEX)
• Constantin Stanciu (ROM)
• Carlos Vidal Lepe (CHI)
• Djordje Vujadinovic (JUG)
• Adolfo Bernabé Zumelzú (ARG)

1 goal

• Guillermo Arellano Moraga (CHI)
• Stefan Barbu (ROM)
• James Brown (USA)
• Delfín Benítez Cáceres (PAR)
• Juan Carreño Sandoval (MEX)
• Roberto Gayón Marquéz (MEX)
• Marino Evaristo (ARG)
• Marcel Langiller (FRA)
• Lucien Laurent (FRA)
• Blagoje Marjanovic (JUG)
• Héctor Pedro Scarone (URU)
• Alejandro Scopelli Casanova (ARG)
• Luís Alfonso Souza Ferreira (PER)
• Guillermo Subiabre Astorga (CHI)
• Aleksander Tirnanic (JUG)
• Francisco Antonio Varallo (ARG)

own goal

• Manuel Rosas Sánchez (MEX) against Chile
• Aurelio González (PAR) against USA