Uruguay won two FIFA Global Cups (1930 and 1950), but is officially recognized as a four-time world winner. That's why we have four stars on our tee. Get it?
The country was relegated to Division 2 at the first World Cup in 1930, but returned to the top division in 1944.
Their best performance at a World Cup was in 1954 when they reached the quarter-finals. Luis Suárez scored one of the greatest goals in World Cup history when he netted with a header off a free kick against England at Maracanã Stadium.
That was enough for Uruguay to advance to the last eight for the first time in their history. They were eliminated by Sweden after losing 1-4.
Suárez helped his team reach the final match of the 2014 World Cup without him when he was injured during the semi-final win over Brazil. However, Uruguay lost that game too (1-7).
After three consecutive years without a title, José Mujica became Uruguay's president in 2010. He resigned just five months into this role after being diagnosed with cancer. His vice president took over.
The Olympics were the world's most prestigious competition prior to the inaugural World Cup in 1930. So, because FIFA officially recognizes the gold medals from the 1924 and 1928 Olympics as World Championships, Uruguay may add them to its two World Cup victories—hence the four stars on the jerseys.
Uruguay is one of the most successful teams in the world, having won 19 FIFA recognized trophies, including two World Cups, two Olympic Games, and 15 Copa America titles - a World Cup record.
| Year | 1950 |
|---|---|
| W | 3 |
| D* | 1 |
| L | 0 |
| GS | 15 |
Football (soccer) is a national passion in Uruguay, and the country has one of the most illustrious soccer histories. Uruguay has won more world championships than any other country, and its players come from all over the world.... An estimated 100 million people worldwide play soccer.
In Latin America, football is far more popular than baseball or American sports like ice hockey or basketball. In fact, according to some sources, football is more popular in Latin America than tennis or boxing combined! The region also has by far the highest number of professional soccer players in the world. There are many factors that have led to the popularity of soccer in Uruguay and Latin America as a whole, but above all else it's because football is easy to learn and fun to watch.
The earliest records of soccer being played in Europe date back to 1851. However, it wasn't until much later that it became an organized sport with rules and regulations. Today, soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with estimates ranging from 200 million to 350 million players. It is difficult to find a country where soccer is not popular; in fact, an estimated 100 million people worldwide play soccer.
In Asia, cricket is widely popular, while in Africa soccer dominates the sporting scene.
CONMEBOL national association football teams have won the event nine times, including Brazil's record five titles. Five CONMEBOL countries have hosted the finals. ... General Information
| Team | Uruguay |
|---|---|
| No. | 13 |
| Years | 1930, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1990, 2002, 2010, 2014, 2018 |
| Best result | 1st |
Sport has been an integral component of Uruguayan culture from the country's inception. Uruguay has been a consistently successful sports nation in continental and global dimensions, having won major honors such as the FIFA World Cup, the French Open, and Olympic medals. The most popular sport in Uruguay is soccer (or fútbol as it is known in Spanish-speaking countries). Other prominent sports include tennis, swimming, basketball, and American football.
Uruguay has been ranked first in the Americas by Forbes for its sporting wealth. The country's most valuable club is Barcelona SC with a value estimated at $150 million. The largest stadium in Montevideo is now-defunct Estadio Centenario which was used by Barcelona SC for games vs. Montevideo Wanderers FC.
The national team has won the South American Championship five times and the Copa América once. It also finished second three times in this competition.
In terms of television coverage, La Uruera (the Urubu) is the national flag. Uruguay is one of only two nations in South America to have their sport on television throughout the year. Soccer matches are usually shown live on Montevidean Channel 10 or Radio Uruguay during the season. International competitions such as the World Cup and the Copa América are also widely covered by media outlets across the country.
Two world championships Argentina is competing in the FIFA World Cup. The team has won two world championships, in 1978 and 1986, and has been eliminated from the finals three times: in 1930, 1990, and most recently in 2014. The Argentine national football team is one of the most successful in international competition.
Argentina's first World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay. The team went on to win another title in 1938 before being disqualified by France due to political tensions with Spain. Argentina returned to World Cup action in 1958 and has been back every year since then, except for 1966 when Mexico replaced it at the last minute due to a diplomatic incident with Brazil. Argentina has always been placed within the top two countries at the time of the tournament. In 1978 they became the first South American country to win the championship when they defeated European power England 2-1 in Santa Clara. In 1986 they again defeated England in a match played at Madrid's Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. Today, Argentina is ranked fourth behind Brazil, Germany, and Italy.
After their first two victories the team went on to lose all subsequent games against Yugoslavia, Poland, and Chile. However, Argentina did not qualify for the next four tournaments because of poor performance in qualifying rounds.
With 15 different titles, Uruguay has the most Copa America titles. Argentina has 14 championships, whereas Brazil has nine. Other past champions include Paraguay, Peru, and Chile, each with two championships, and Bolivia and Colombia, each with one. The United States has never won the cup.
Chile's two Copa America victories came in 1958 and 1962. They were the only two victories by a South American team at that time. In fact, Chile is the only South American country to have ever won the cup.
An agreement known as "Olympic truce" ended all major wars and hostilities between France and Britain (as well as Spain and Portugal), which allowed the two countries to compete together in the first Copa America in 1916. This was the only edition of the tournament before it was cancelled due to the outbreak of World War I. France had been scheduled to host the tournament, but because of the war they sent its team instead. Britain played in a combined squad with Ireland as they also wanted to show off their skills before going to war too.
The second Copa America took place in 1918 and was also called the "Copa América International Tournament". This time there were two tournaments held back-to-back due to problems with the original venue. The final match was not played because of concerns about security so both countries decided to go to war instead.
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