Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterWhen Montevideo hosts its centenary match as one of South America's three one-off cities during World Cup 2030, it will be the second time a World Cup has been played in Uruguay.South America's 10th largest population has outdone many of those more populous during the 100-year history of the World Cup. Automatic qualification as a co-host in 2030 means Uruguay will have played in 16 of 24 tournaments despite being a nation of 3.5 million people even now.They haven't failed to qualify since World Cup 2006, reaching the semi-finals in South Africa in 2010 and the quarter-finals in Russia in 2018.Play our free match predictor and win �1kHave Uruguay won the World Cup?Uruguay were losing semi-finalists in 1954 and 1970, but have two World Cup wins to their name. La Celeste won the first World Cup as hosts in 1930, beating neighbours Argentina 4-2 in the final.They beat Romania and Peru in an initial group stage before putting six past Yugoslavia in the semi-finals. They played all four matches at the historic Centenario in Montevideo, where the 2030 centenary fixture will be played. You may like Where is the next World Cup 2030? How to watch Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay for FREE Uruguay squad World Cup 2026: Marcelo Bielsa's names his players for Saudi Arabia opener Uruguay won two consecutive World Cups for which they competed. They qualified automatically as champions in 1934 but refused to travel to Italy because so few teams made the trip from Europe to South America four years earlier.In 1938, they joined Argentina in boycotting the World Cup in France over a controversial incident involving Peru at the Olympic Games in 1936. War put paid to any prospect of a World Cup in 1942 or 1946 before Uruguay returned to the fold in Brazil in 1950.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Thus, they won their second tournament 20 years after their first. The 1950 'final' wasn't actually a final at all. Four group stage winners Brazil, Uruguay, Spain and Sweden played one another in a second group, with the winners crowned world champions.As it happened, the last fixture at the famous Maracana was a winner-takes-all affair akin to a final. Fans in Rio de Janeiro anticipated a Brazil win and a first World Cup win for the three-time and reigning Copa America champions.Uruguay's 2-1 win from behind was a shock that shook Brazilian football in a way only Brazilian football can be shaken. The de facto final became known as Maracanazo.There have been fallow spells for Uruguay. They failed to qualify for the World Cup in 1978 and 1982, 1994 and 1998, and 2006. They've gone out in the group stage four times.Yet Uruguay's overall record, topped by two wins but also marked out by three semi-finals and two other runs as far as the last eight, is remarkable. Should they somehow produce a third win, it would be their mightiest achievement by far.Where do Uruguay rank among the great nations of world football? Have your say in the comments below...TOPICSUruguayArgentinaBrazilChris NeeChris is a Warwickshire-based freelance football writer specialising in West Midlands football, the Premier League, the EFL and the J.League. He is the author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter and owner of Aston Villa Review. He supports Coventry Sphinx.
