Uruguay

Martin da Cruz

• 15 juni 2026
• 9781836805021

Samenvatting:

Uruguay: Football’s First Global Power, 19181930 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.