Uruguay has gained two World Cup titles however there are 4 stars on its uniform. Right here’s why

Uruguay is likely one of the most celebrated soccer nations on the planet.

A lot of its notoriety does come from its heyday as regardless of boasting a significant world title in current reminiscence, the South American nation gained the primary FIFA World Cup in 1930, after which once more in 1950 in Brazil.

Earlier this summer time, Uruguay was a win away from qualifying for the Copa America however misplaced within the semifinals to Colombia. Moreover the World Cup, the Copa America is the second-largest match in South America, one Uruguay can lay declare to profitable 15 occasions, with its final victory in 2011.

Nevertheless, profitable home championships doesn’t add stars above the crest in your nation’s uniform — profitable main world titles does.

Uruguay has solely gained two FIFA World Cups. So why are there 4 stars above its uniform?

Photograph by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Photographs

FIFA’s hand to play

Earlier than capturing World Cup glory in 1930, Uruguay celebrated wins within the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Video games. These video games, a 3-0 win over Switzerland in 1924 and a match that assuredly kickstarted a rivalry following a 2-1 defeat of fellow South American nation, Argentina in 1928, had been really FIFA sanctioned — not formally acknowledged but by the Worldwide Olympic Committee.

See, the IOC let FIFA who already had its act collectively when it got here to soccer, take the lead on organizing an working the soccer portion of the Summer season Video games, a job bestowed upon FIFA till soccer’s largest governing physique determined it needed to formulate its personal match.

Enter the 13-nation FIFA World Cup in 1930.

Nonetheless, as a result of FIFA largely can lay declare to organizing Olympic soccer, it acknowledges any nation that gained in these occasions as FIFA-sanctioned wins.

So for Uruguay, two wins within the Summer season Video games, and two wins within the World Cup.

4 stars.

Photograph by Stephen Nadler/ISI Photographs/Getty Photographs

Controversy abounds

Nevertheless, it’s reported that FIFA needed to renege on honoring Uruguay’s 4 stars upfront of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It’s mentioned that the group reached out to Puma, Uruguay’s official attire provider and advised them to take away two of the celebrities on their kits.

Naturally, Puma reached out to the Uruguayan federation, who had been appalled at FIFA’s determination to 1, not wish to readily honor the wins of the 1924 and 1928 Summer season Video games but additionally not inform the federation of its determination, first.

“FIFA has all the time acknowledged, even publicly, that Uruguay has 4 World Cups as a result of in 1924 and 1928 it [the Olympic football tournament] was organised by FIFA and it’s in 1930 after they determined to do the championships independently,” AUF vp Gaston Tealdi mentioned in accordance with a 2022 ESPN report.

In the long run…

Regardless of FIFA’s, umm, recommendations, Uruguay proudly took the sector in its matches in Qatar with 4 stars emblazoned throughout its Puma uniforms, maybe changing into one of the best consumer case for this hilarious meme…

In that match nonetheless, La Celeste or “The Sky Blue” crashed out of Group H — marking the primary time they failed to succeed in the knockout levels of a World Cup since 2022. following a mix of a 2-0 loss to Portugal, and being on the latter finish in objective differential, with the ability to boast 4 stars throughout its chest, the identical because it all the time had assuredly felt like just a little victory.