On July 18, 1930, Uruguay was making the arrangements at Centenario Stadium for the world to witness the commence of the first staging of the FIFA World Cup, thus becoming the “Monument of International Football” as the “Charruas” named it. Thirteen teams, nine from the Americas and four from Europe, entered the tournament. Few European teams chose to participate due to the duration and cost of travel. The teams were divided into four groups, with the winner of each group progressing to the semi-finals. In the final, hosts and pre-tournament favourites Uruguay defeated Argentina 4–2 in front of a crowd of 93,000 people, and became the first nation to win a World Cup. Due to a dispute, a different ball was used in each half, one chosen by each team. Argentina's ball was used for the first half and Uruguay's ball was used for the second half. On the following day, Uruguay declared a national holiday and festivities lasted a few days.