English below…
100 YEARS SINCE URUGUAY'S FIRST GOLD MEDAL AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
On June 9th, Uruguay celebrated the centenary of its first gold medal at the Olympic Games. This achievement was in football, precisely in Paris 1924, where in just over a month, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will once again take place.
This historic performance, now a hundred years old, marked the first major victory for Uruguayan football. Moreover, from this triumph at the Colombes Stadium, it was considered the birth of competitive football on a global scale. The championship met all the necessary requirements to be called a World Cup; in fact, in the following years, it was referred to as such. So much so that Uruguay's conquest left a mark on the history of sports. Since that moment in Paris 1924, international competitions began to be organized, which later became known as the FIFA World Cups. To start this new global stage, the first selected host in 1930 was the city of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
Regarding the beginning of this historic event, it is worth noting that at that time, the options were very different from today. The Uruguayan team departed from South America several months earlier. The journey was by boat and lasted about 21 days. Upon arriving in Europe, the Uruguayan delegation had to undertake an itinerary in which nine friendly matches were played. The proceeds from these matches would finance the costs of the trip to Paris 1924.
From that stage, the Uruguayan team began to attract people's attention due to their excellent performance. The players from Uruguay displayed a very high level of play in the old continent before the Olympics. They became known as the "Olympic flash" for their extremely offensive and stylish game, which caught the attention of Europeans.
The debut of the Uruguayan team in the 1924 Paris Olympics was no different. The Uruguayan National Team began the championship by defeating Yugoslavia 7-0. The audience could not believe the sensational performance of the South American team.
In the next match, Uruguay faced the United States, with more than 20,000 spectators. La Celeste defeated the Americans 3-0, and the excitement of the fans grew exponentially. In France, there was talk of a game never seen before and that would be impossible to surpass.
With this victory, Uruguay qualified for the round of 16, already achieving a prestigious eighth place among the 22 teams that started the tournament. For this match, Uruguay had to face the hosts. France played at home, at the Colombes Stadium. Tickets sold out immediately, and the number of spectators for this match rose to 30,000. The people's anxiety was immense. Everything seemed to indicate that the hosts would win this match; they had a great team and all the people on their side, but it was not so. Uruguay crushed France 5-1 and advanced to the semifinals. The disappointment of the French after this match lingered for a long time in the public's memory, who never expected such a result.
In the semifinals, the Uruguayans had to face the Netherlands. The match started with a goal in favor of the Dutch, and Uruguay was surprised by the excellent level of the opponent. After halftime, a hopeful equalizer was achieved, which ended with a goal at the end of the match, securing passage to the final.
In the final match, Uruguay had to face Switzerland. On June 9, 1924, at the Colombes Stadium, more than 40,000 spectators were present. Audience and revenue records were broken at that time. La Celeste once again took to the field to demonstrate their characteristic wonderful game, and with an imposing 3-0, the Uruguayan team was crowned Olympic Champion.
