Few nations can rival the proud footballing history of Uruguay. Although La Celeste are often fall in the shadow of Brazil and Argentina when it comes to South American football, over the course of the 20th century they enjoyed a great deal of success. Most notably, they have the honour of being the winners of the first-ever FIFA World Cup back in 1930 – which they also hosted – and in 1950 they won football's greatest prize a second time. They are also among the most successful teams in the Copa America, albeit the majority of their titles came before the turn of the century. After falling down in the FIFA rankings in the early 2000s, Uruguay have emerged as a contender on the international stage once again in recent years thanks to world-class talents such as Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, and Diego Forlan.
