1930 FIFA World Cup

The estadio Centenario,

The final was played at theEstadio centenario on 30 July. Feelings ran high around the la plata basin dispelling any uncertainty as to whether the tournament had captured the imagination of the public. The ten boats earmarked to carry Argentine fans from Buenos Aires to Montevideo proved inadequate, and any number of assorted craft attempted the crossing. An estimated 10–15,000 Argentinians made the trip, but the port at Montevideo was so overwhelmed that many did not even make landfall before kick-of let alone reach the stadium. At the stadium, supporters were searched for weapons. The gates were opened at eight o'clock, six hours before kick-off, and at noon the ground was full, the official attendance 93,000. A disagreement overshadowed the build-up to the match as the teams failed to agree on who should provide the match ball, forcing FIFA to intervene and decree that the Argentine team would provide the ball for the first half and the Uruguayans would provide their own for the second. Uruguay made one change from their semi-final lineup. Castro replaced Anselmo, who missed out due to illness. Monti played for Argentina despite receiving death threats on the eve of the match. The referee was Belgian Jean Langenus, who only agreed to officiate a few hours before the game, having sought assurances for his safety. One of his requests was for a boat to be ready at the harbour within one hour of the final whistle, in case he needed to make a quick escape

France, Yugoslavia and the United States all undertook friendlies in South America following the competition. Brazil played France on 1 August, Yugoslavia on 10 August and the United States on 17 August, while Argentina hosted Yugoslavia on 3 August

Venues

All matches took place in Montevideo. Three stadiums were used: estadio centenario Estadio pocitos and estadio parque central. The 100,000 capacity Estadio Centenario was built both for the tournament and as a celebration of the centenary of Uruguayan independence. Designed by juan scasso it was the primary stadium for the tournament, referred to by Rimet as a "temple of football". The stadium hosted 10 of the 18 matches including both semi-finals and the final. However, a rushed construction schedule and delays caused by the rainy season meant the Centenario was not ready for use until five days into the tournament. Early matches were played at smaller stadiums usually used by Montevideo football clubs National and penarol, the 20,000 capacity Parque Central and the Pocitos