Uruguay

Uruguay: Football’s First Global Power, 1918–1930 tells the extraordinary story of how a small South American nation reshaped the global game and became football’s first true superpower.

Drawing on rare archival material from Montevideo, historian Martin da Cruz reconstructs a decisive era in world football, from Uruguay’s pioneering innovations to their crowning moment on the sport’s biggest stage.

• Traces the rise of La Celeste • from regional innovators to global champions, changing how football was played and understood • Explores Uruguay’s explosive impact at the 1924 Paris Olympics, where their revolutionary style stunned Europe and redefined the sport • Covers back?to?back Olympic triumphs in 1924 and 1928, alongside celebrated tours of Europe and North America • Profiles iconic figures such as José Nasazzi, José Leandro Andrade and Héctor Scarone, whose intelligence, skill and athleticism set new international standards • Recreates the drama of the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Montevideo, won amid political tension, construction crises and European boycotts • Examines the cultural, social and sporting forces that shaped one of football’s most influential generations

A richly researched and vivid account of football’s formative years – essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the World Cup, South American football or the origins of the modern game.

© 2026 Pitch Publishing (Ebook): 9781836805021

Release date

Ebook: 15 June 2026