Origins

In 1914, FIFA agreed to recognise the Olympic football tournament as a "world football championship for amateurs",[1] and took responsibility for managing the event at the next three Olympiads: from 1920 to 1928. In the 1908 Olympic Games and the 1912 Olympic Games the football competitions had been organised by The Football Association and the Swedish Football Association respectively.

The preliminary schedule for the 1932 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles did not include football. FIFA and the International Olympic Committee disagreed over the status of amateur players, so football was dropped from the Games.[2] On 26 May 1928, at FIFA's Amsterdam conference and on the opening day of the Olympic football tournament, FIFA president Jules Rimet announced plans to stage a tournament independent of the Olympics, open to all FIFA members and with professionalism permitted.[3] The membership voted 25–5 to accept the proposal.[4] Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain and Uruguay all lodged applications to host the event.[1][5] Uruguay's bid became the clear favourite for a number of reasons. Uruguay were reigning Olympic champions, and thus de facto world champions, the bid included plans to build a new stadium as a centrepiece,[6] and the Uruguayan authorities also offered to refund the expenses of all participants.[7] The other nations withdrew their bids,[8] and Uruguay was chosen to host the tournament.