The great resonance of the Olympic Football Tournaments in 1924 and 1928 intensified FIFA's wish for its own World Championship. FIFA President Jules Rimet was the driving force in the search for the means to realise this dream. Following a proposal of the Executive Committee, the FIFA Congress in Amsterdam on 28 May 1928 decided to stage an official FIFA World Championship: the World Cup was born.
One year later Uruguay, twice Olympic Champion, planning the celebration of its 100th anniversary of independence in 1930, was assigned the organisation of the first FIFA World Cup. FIFA's decision to hold the first World Cup in Uruguay did not meet universal acclaim, as Europe was in the midst of an economic crisis. Participation in a World Cup taking place overseas involved a long sea journey.
Moreover, for some clubs it meant having to go without their best players for two months. The organisation of the first World Cup looked rather different from today's tournament - with no qualifying competition the 13 teams entered by invitation and the final draw was not made until the teams arrived in Uruguay.