The World Cup as a Forum for Discussion

The first FIFA World Cup was hosted by Uruguay, a small nation squished between Brazil and Argentina. Despite it’s size, Uruguay had proved it’s soccer prowess, winning both prior Olympic soccer titles. Additionally, Montevideo was home to Conmebol – South America’s Soccer association – making it a hub for soccer in the region.

Despite it’s qualifications, Uruguay (and South America as a whole) was not seen as a global soccer powerhouse. Rather, the powerhouse title lay with the nations in which the sport originated – England and Scotland. A lack of belief in South American soccer was apparent when the English Football association and many other European associations did not send teams, despite Uruguay’s offers to offset travel and accommodation costs.

The inaugural World Cup played out similarly as to what is expected today of the event – high ticket demand, passionate fans, rivalries, threats of violence, and of course, a stage for discussion.

Uruguay and Argentina proved to be the biggest rivalry of the event, a rivalry that called back to the 1916 Campeonato Sudamericano held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In fact, much of the posturing typical of World Cups could be seen in the 1916 Campeonato Sudamericano.

This tournament, highlighted in From Beauty to Duty: A Footballing History of Uruguay, 1878-1917 by Martin DaCruz, highlighted racial injustices faced by players of color. Controversies surrounding players of color, such as Uruguay’s Juan Delgado, spread beyond Uruguay and framed discussions of the sport itself. The 1916 Campeonato Sudamericano soon found itself as a platform to discuss issues of race and inequality.

These discussions were framed by the complicated topic of national identity as people grappled with their beliefs about race and their desires to see their nation succeed in a transnational sporting event.

The inaugural World Cup helped cement the idea of South America as a hotbed for the sport, with Uruguay as it’s hub. Subsequent World Cups, such as the second held in Mussolini’s Italy or the recently held 2022 World Cup in Qatar, demonstrate how transnational soccer events can facilitate discussion, harkening back to the discussion of race and national identity during the 1916 Campeonato Sudamericano.