What Day Was the start of the first FIFA World Cup?

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The first FIFA World Cup tournament kicked off in Uruguay, which had been selected partly because it was reigning Olympic football champion and was celebrating its centennial of independence that year.

Thirteen teams competed, and host nation Uruguay went on to win the tournament, defeating Argentina in the final.

Because sea travel was still the primary means of international transport, most European teams that competed had to spend roughly two weeks crossing the Atlantic Ocean by ship simply to reach the tournament.

Several major European footballing nations, including England, declined to participate in the inaugural tournament at all, partly due to the long sea voyage required and tensions with FIFA over amateurism rules of the era.

The tournament used a specially made trophy, later named the Jules Rimet Trophy after FIFA's president at the time, which was awarded to World Cup winners for decades before being permanently retired to Brazil in 1970.