The Estadio Centenario, inaugurated on July 18, 1930

The Estadio Centenario, inaugurated on July 18, 1930, was specifically built for the first FIFA World Cup held in Uruguay. Previously, the football tournaments at the Paris 1924 and Amsterdam 1928 Olympic Games were also considered world championships due to FIFA's organization.

Uruguay's first match in that World Cup was against Peru, in a group that also included Romania. The result was a 1-0 victory for Uruguay, with a goal scored by Héctor "Manco" Castro at the 60-minute mark, making it the first goal ever scored in the "colossus of cement."

The stands of the stadium were named in honor of the two Olympic/world titles won in 1924 (Colombes) and 1928 (Amsterdam). The other two stands were named "America," after the continent, and "Olympic," after the Olympic laps the team had taken by then.

On that winter afternoon against the Peruvians, Uruguay lined up with Enrique Ballestrero, José Nasazzi, Domingo Tejera, José Leandro Andrade, Lorenzo Fernández, Álvaro Gestido, Santos Urdinarán, Héctor Castro, Pedro Petrone, Pedro Cea, and Santos Iriarte. The coach was Prof. Alberto Suppici.

On the other hand, Peru played with Jorge Pardón, Mario De Las Casas, Antonio Maquilón, Alberto Denegri, Plácido Galindo, Eduardo Astengo, José María Lavalle, Julio Lores, Alejandro Villanueva, Demetrio Neyra, and Luis De Souza. The coach was Paco Bru.

The match was officiated by Belgian referee Jean Langenus. The attendance was 57,735 people.

Monument to World Football

On July 18, 1983, 53 years after its inauguration, the stadium was named a "Monument to World Football" by FIFA. As part of the celebrations, the 1930 match between Uruguay and Peru was replayed, ending in a 1-1 draw. The referee for the match was Claudio Busca, and the Uruguayan goal was scored by Arsenio Luzardo.

Under the technical direction of Omar Borrás, Uruguay lined up with Rodolfo Rodríguez, Raúl Esnal, Nelson Gutiérrez, Nestor Montelongo, Nelson Agresta (Mario Saralegui), Washington González, Wilmar Cabrera, Jorge Barrios, Fernando Morena, Víctor Rabuñal (Arsenio Luzardo), and Luis Acosta (Carlos Aguilera).

The Estadio Centenario has witnessed several Uruguayan triumphs, including the Copa América titles in 1942, 1956, 1967, and 1995, the 1979 Youth Continental Championship, and the 1980-81 Gold Cup.