Riots, thuggery, snow, berets and a team that literally missed the boat — for sheer craziness the current Qatar World Cup has nothing on the first tournament in 1930.
The host nation was Uruguay, chosen as two-time Olympic champions and with the country celebrating the centennial of its constitution.
No qualification was required, with 16 countries invited, although some of the biggest names in world football were missing.
England felt the competition was beneath them, while Denmark and Germany objected to the inclusion of professional footballers, believing only amateurs should play.
In the end, seven South American countries signed up and only four from Europe. Japan and Siam — now Thailand — sent their apologies, with the journey to South America involving several weeks on a boat in an age before regular air travel.
All the games were played in Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital, using five stadiums, including the 90,000 capacity Estadio Centenario.
Journey far from plain sailing
A month before the World Cup, the European teams prepared to depart for South America and the fun began.
The Romanian squad, selected personally by the king, Carol II, were the first to board the liner Conte Verde as it set sail from the Italian port of Genoa, the players having first endured a gruelling two-day train journey.
At Viilefranche-sur-Mer, near Nice, the ship stopped to pick up the French team, three referees and the then president of Fifa, Jules Rimet, who was carrying the “Victory” trophy, later named in his honour, in a suitcase.
There was another stop in Barcelona to pick up the Belgians, and finally, on the other side of the Atlantic, in Rio do Janeiro, to collect Brazil.
Yugoslavia had left the decision to take part so late that the Conte Verde was fully booked. Instead they travelled to Marseilles to join the mail ship Florida.
Egypt had also booked the Florida but a storm in the Mediterranean delayed them by a day, and they arrived to find the ship had sailed without them, ending their World Cup campaign without a kicking a ball.
Wild weather for World Cup kick off
Over in Uruguay, preparations were chaotic. It had rained solidly for six weeks and the Estadio Centenario, then the second-biggest stadium in the world, after Wembley, had not been finished. It did not host games until five days into the tournament.
France beat Mexico in the opening match on July 13. Unlike Qatar, heat was not the problem, with the match played in the driving snow of a South American winter.
Uruguay had the honour of having the first player sent off in a World Cup and went on to lose 3-1 to Romania in front of the smallest crowd in the tournament’s history, in a stadium with a 1,000 capacity.
Argentina, meanwhile, quickly established themselves as the dirtiest team in the contest. In their opening game with France, a crippling tackle forced the French goalkeeper to leave the pitch after 20 minutes, and there was more controversy when the Brazilian referee blew the final whistle six minutes early and with Argentina leading 1-0.
Argentina then threatened to leave the tournament after a hostile reception from Uruguayan fans who pelted them with stones. With the Argentinian captain returning home to take a law exam, it took a personal intervention from the president of Uruguay to persuade the rest of the team to stay.
A fight for victory
They celebrated with a massive fight in their final game with Chile, broken up by police, but qualified for the knockout stages, along with Uruguay, Yugoslavia and the USA.
These were also the semi-finals, with the Argentina-USA game a classic, at least for those who like to combine comedy with extreme violence.
Four minutes into the game, a foul on the US goalkeeper left him with a badly twisted knee. Six minutes later, a particularly brutal foul broke the leg of US defender Ralph Tracy.
The US trainer, Jack Coll, rushed on to the pitch to confront the referee, who like all officials, was wearing a suit. Coll tripped and accidentally smashed a bottle of chloroform in his pocket, collapsing unconscious from the fumes. He was stretched off the field along with Tracy.
Reduced to nine men, and with no substitutes allowed in those days, the Americans, who fielded six British-born players, succumbed 6-1 to Argentina.
In the other semi-final, the hosts also won 6-1 against tournament underdogs Yugoslavia, who had previously beaten a Bolivian team that played in berets.
That set up a final between Uruguay and neighbours Argentina, then the most bitter rivalry in South American football. Even before the first kick, there was controversy over the ball to be used, with match officials eventually using an Argentinian ball for the first half and a Uruguayan one for the second.
Thousands of Argentinian fans crossed the River Plate border in an armada of small boats, chanting “Victoria o muerte” (victory or death). More than 90,000 spectators crammed into the Estadio Centenario in an atmosphere so intimidating the Belgian referee requested a ship be made available after the game for a quick escape.
Uruguay would win the first World Cup 4-2, sparking massive celebrations and the declaration of a public holiday. In Argentina the mood turned ugly, with an estimated 15,000 fans, who had missed the game after getting lost in fog, rioting. In Buenos Aires the Uruguayan consulate was stoned.
Lost World Cup star back from the dead
The tournament was over but there was a bizarre postscript. After three months, the Romanian team returned home, but without one of their star players, Alfred Feraru, who had been taken ill with pneumonia on the voyage over.
A rumour swept Bucharest that Feraru had died and his distraught family prepared for a funeral. Feraru, now fit and healthy after a stay in an Italian hospital, walked through the door on the day of his wake, prompting his mother to faint.
World Cup 2022 - in pictures
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
