Uruguay was the first South American country to host the FIFA World Cup, in 1930.
The inaugural tournament took place in Uruguay from 13 to 30 July 1930. Montevideo hosted every match, including the final at the Estadio Centenario, where Uruguay defeated Argentina 4–2 and became the first World Cup champion.
Uruguay was selected partly because it was celebrating the centenary of its first constitution in 1930 and had a strong football tradition. The tournament was much smaller than modern editions: 13 teams participated, and several European teams made the long journey across the Atlantic by ship.
Argentina later hosted the tournament in 1978, while Chile hosted it in 1962 and Brazil hosted it in 1950 and 2014. Uruguay also won the second World Cup held in South America, defeating Brazil in the 1950 final in Rio de Janeiro.