100 years of the “Olympic Tour”, a Uruguayan heritage

A hundred years ago, on June 9th, the "Vuelta Olímpica" was created in Uruguay. The "celestials" dazzled different European cities with their football, arriving at the Colombes Olympic Stadium on May 26th, where they faced the Yugoslavian team and won convincingly with a 7-0 score.

This clear victory and spectacular football earned them passage to the next round, where on May 29th they faced the United States and once again won decisively with a 3-0 scoreline. They reached the quarter-finals, scheduled for June 1st, facing the locals, and once again won decisively with a score of 5-1, establishing themselves as clear favorites in the tournament.

On June 6th, in the semifinals against the Netherlands, it was a tough victory, but it put the Uruguayans in the World Cup final and in contention for the gold medal. In the other semifinal, Switzerland defeated Sweden 2-1, so on June 9th, Uruguay and Switzerland faced each other.

As throughout the tournament, the Colombes Olympic Stadium was the stage for the grand final. The "celestials", as in almost every game of the championship, were far superior to their opponents and defeated Switzerland 3-0, thus winning the World Cup and the gold medal, along with the great admiration of the European public.

The ovation from the fans was so great that, in a gesture of reciprocity, the Uruguayans took a lap around the field, greeting and returning the love received, giving rise to the famous "Vuelta Olímpica", a ritual that every champion performs as a form of celebration.