# Four stars above Uruguay's football crest

The four stars above Uruguay's football crest represent the four FIFA recognized world championships won by the Uruguay national football team in 1924, 1928, 1930, and 1950. From the outset, FIFA and global football associations have recognized the Olympic football tournaments of Paris 1924 and Amsterdam 1928 as open world championships, the only editions in history to be subsequently and officially accepted as equivalent in value to the FIFA World Cup.
Also, FIFA and CONMEBOL at times separates Uruguay's two World Cups from the two Olympic titles, recognizing that they were two separate events.

## FIFA organizes the 1924 and 1928 Olympic football tournaments as open world championships

The 1924 and 1928 Olympic football tournaments had several distinctions that separate them from other editions organized before and after. Firstly, these championships were principally administered by FIFA, the French and Dutch football associations respectively, without obstructive involvement from the International Olympic Committee. Secondly, these two Olympic football tournaments were the first ones in history that were open to all players, including professionals. From the outset, FIFA, the football associations and media outlets from across the globe recognized the legitimacy of these Olympic football tournaments as being exceptional due to these "open" regulations. Also, before the outset of the tournament, FIFA President Jules Rimet and Henri Delaunay, one of the chief architects of the FIFA World Cup, stated that the winners of the 1924 Olympic football tournament would claim the “title of champion of the world”.

## Uruguay adds four stars on their football crest

In 1992, the Uruguay national football team successfully added four stars on their football crest for the first time with approval from FIFA. The request was put forward by Uruguayan football historian and journalist Atilio Garrido, who cited that in 1924, the AUF submitted their official reports to FIFA titled "Uruguay World Football Champion at the Olympics in Paris." In addition to this, in 1928, the Uruguayan association did the same thing, except this time calling their documents: "Olimpiada de Amsterdam, Uruguay campeón del mundo" ("Amsterdam Olympiad, Uruguay World Champions.") These reports were formally submitted to FIFA in 1925 and 1929, and were approved with no objections. In 1992, at the FIFA Congress in Zürich, Atilio Garrido successfully argued Uruguay's official standing as four-time senior (non-amateur) world champions recognized by FIFA as being: "inscribes itself in the continuity of what was officially registered by the directives of that time."

## The AUF adheres to FIFA's uniform regulations

FIFA has strict conditions for the adding of stars on a national team's football crest during the FIFA World Cup. Only teams that have won a World Cup (or a recognized equivalent) can display a five-pointed star on their badge.
Adhering these official FIFA guidelines, the Uruguay national football team has been permitted to wear their four stars on their crest in five consecutive World Cup appearances: 2002, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. An example of FIFA not approving stars on a football crest occurred in 2018, when the Egyptian National Team had to remove their seven stars before the World Cup in Russia, representing the seven African Cup of Nations that they had previously won.

## 2021 incident with Puma

In 2021, a leaked email was sent by Puma to the AUF, revealing that a FIFA employee had asked them to remove two of the stars on Uruguay's crest before an upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier. The AUF organized a defence on the validity of their stars with several historians and primary documents that were later presented to FIFA, who soon after retracted any mentions of this request.
Uruguay were then permitted to use the 4 stars vs. Colombia on October 7, 2021. On 30 May 2022, Uruguay announced a new jersey for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with 4 stars approved for the fifth consecutive tournament (2002, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022), confirming to their official standing as four-time senior (non-amateur) titles recognized by FIFA.

## 2023 FIFA.com article allowing the use of the four stars

On February 1, 2023, an article published on the FIFA.com website titled The stars that adorn la Celeste detailed the history of Uruguay's four senior titles, and the request leaded by Uruguayan historian Atilio Garrido in 1992 asking FIFA for the use of the four stars on Uruguay shirts. The article concluded:
   "Garrido's claim held weight. Before the desire for and the establishment of a football-only international tournament, FIFA had administered the 1924 and 1928 Olympic football tournaments with assistance from the French and Dutch authorities. The two contests also admitted professional footballers and saw the International Olympic Committee only be involved in a minor role. Their open-for-all nature, colluding with the recognition of FIFA and several other football associations, provided legitimacy to the competitions and, thus, contested Garrido and Uruguay, could be classified as world championships.
   FIFA accepted the argument and approved Uruguay's request to display four stars above their badge, ... which they have done across five World Cups - 2002, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022."

## References throughout history

Since 1924, the officialization of the 1924 and 1928 Olympic football tournaments being recognized as equivalents to the FIFA World Cup has been stated by various FIFA administrations, media outlets, football historians and football associations until most recently in 2021. For example:
* 1924: Très Sport Magazine from France declares Uruguay champions of the world after winning the world championship organized by FIFA and the French Football Federation.
* 1930: Chilean World Cup History book named Uruguay a "three-time world champion" shortly after winning the title in Montevideo.
* 1943: John Langenus, The referee of the 1928 Olympic football final, and of the 1930 FIFA World Cup final, confirmed the popularly accepted notion that the 1924 and 1928 Olympic football tournaments were equivalents to the FIFA World Cup. In his 1932 book, Whistling Around the World, the Belgian referee explained the names of the stands of the Estadio Centenario: "Those behind the arches had been baptized Colombes and Amsterdam in memory of the first world title victories". He noted that the main grandstand was called "America" because, as he put it, "a third world title victory was expected in Montevideo".
* 1944: The book Football Joie du Monde by ex-footballer and renowned journalist Maurice Pefferkorn explained how 20 years after the 1924 final in Colombes, he was still impacted by the memory of that July 9 final between Uruguay and Switzerland, feeling the "mysticism and sentimental exaltation guided the 55,000 spectators at the announcement that the title of world champion was in play." FIFA President Jules Rimet agreed with Pekkerforn's assertion and further praised his research for being a "a meticulous investigation, a complete and sure documentation, and above all an intellectual probity that results from a curiosity never satisfied."
* 1950: Football broadcaster Carlos Solé called Uruguay "World champions for the fourth time" after Uruguay defeated Brazil 2–1 in the Maracanazo.
* 1950: El Informador from Mexico names Uruguay a four-time world champion after winning the World Cup in Rio de Janeiro.
* 1954: In his book Histoire Merveilleuse de la Coupe du Monde (Wonderful History of the World Cup), FIFA President Jules Rimet signalled that in the 1930 World Cup, Uruguay conquered a "triple crown of victory", referencing how the 1924 and 1928 Olympic football titles were recognized as valid senior (non-amateur) world titles by FIFA.
* 1962: Argentina's El Grafico magazine names Uruguay as a four-time world champion, citing the open (non-amateur) world titles won in 1924, 1928, 1930 and 1950.
* 2001: A March 30, 2011 article published by the International Olympic Committee states: "Today, the shirts worn by the players of La Celeste are notable for their four gold stars. This is because they won the two Olympic tournaments held before the creation of the World Cup. A decoration fully acknowledged by FIFA, which recognizes the Olympic tournaments in 1924 and 1928 as world championships."
* 2002: The FIFA approved DVD set of History Of Soccer: The Beautiful Game states that Uruguay are four-time FIFA World champions on several occasions. This was specifically quoted in Volume 3. South American Superpowers: Uruguay's Golden Age: "In 1924, With a population of just 3 million inhabitants, Uruguay had taught the Europeans a lesson and had become world champions...In 1928, when Uruguay scored the winning goal in the second-half, it already meant a second consecutive world title for the eastern band…Uruguay was the first world cup champion and won three consecutive world titles…In 1950 the diminutive Uruguay already had the second world cup and a fourth world title."
* 2004: The FIFA sanctioned book 100 years of glory: The True History of Uruguayan Football has an entire section dedicated to primary official FIFA documents that confirm Uruguay's official standing as four-time (non-amateur) world champions recognized by FIFA by citing quotes from past administrations.
* 2008: A France vs. Uruguay international friendly was officially designated by the French Football Federation as "Match Des 5 Étoiles" (The match of 5 stars)
* 2010: Football historian Didier Rey, writing for the French newspaper Libéracion on 6 July 2010, wrote: "When in 1930, two years after the victory in Amsterdam, La Celeste imposed its law on Argentina again in the final of the first edition of the 1930 World Cup organized by FIFA, becoming the first triple world champion in the history of football, which was consecrated in a span of just six years." Rey further added: "This required a tacit agreement between FIFA and the IOC, which stated that a victory at the Olympic games effectively designated the world champion."
* 2019: Historian Márcio Trevisan, in his book A História do Futebol para quem tem pressa (A History of Football for those in a hurry) also disputed FIFA and Tony Mason's versions of football history, detailing in his book several instances of FIFA and world media outlets recognizing the 1924 Olympic football tournament as the legitimate first open (non-amateur) world championship. In the chapter titled "Olympics: The 'Start' for the World Cup, Trevisan wrote: "Uruguay was the first nation to be crowned four-time world champion. That's right: our neighbours in the south boast four golden stars on the symbol of their confederation, and they do so with full knowledge and approval by FIFA."
* 2020: Pierre Arrighi's book 1924: First Football World Championship in History details Uruguay's standing as a four-time senior (non-amateur) world champion with several primary and secondary documents from decades past. The research found in this book was integral in FIFA retracting the alleged request for Uruguay to remove 2 of the 4 stars on 6 September 2021.
* 2023: An article on the official FIFA website detailed FIFA accepting Uruguay's standing as four time non-amateur FIFA world champions in 1992.
* 2024: The newest edition of the "Official History of the FIFA World Cup" (released May 2024) re-confirms Uruguay's status as 4x FIFA (non-amateur) world champion.
* 2024: Diario El País: A plaque was unveiled at the Olympic Stadium in Colombes, France, in recognition of Uruguay's first FIFA World Cup title, of the four it won in its centenary, in a ceremony organized by the French government and the Olympic Committee. The plaque was donated by the Uruguayan embassy.

## FIFA Museum recognition

The FIFA Museum in Zürich, Switzerland has several mentions of FIFA's recognition of the 1924 and 1928 Olympic football tournaments being officially recognized by them as open (non-amateur) senior world titles, equivalent to the FIFA World Cup. For example:
* In a section showcasing one of Uruguay's Olympic gold medals, a plaque states: "By Winning Olympic Gold in 1924 and 1928, and the World Cup in 1930, Uruguay achieved a hat-trick of World titles."
* The FIFA Museum also includes the 1924 and 1928 Olympics when referencing Uruguay's record undefeated streak at the FIFA World Cup: "Before their defeat by Hungary, Uruguay were undefeated in 21 world championship matches spread over 30 years, which includes two Olympics and three World Cups."
* In this section, featuring an old pocket watch owned by Uruguayan forward Pedro Petrone. It reads: "Petrone was world champion three times and scored for Uruguay in the 1924 and 1928 Olympic finals."