Governing Bodies
VIDEO: ON THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD CUP 1ST GOAL, FIFA PAYS TRIBUTE TO LUCIEN LAURENT, THE SCORER
To mark the 90th anniversary of the first goal ever scored at the FIFA World Cup, FIFA.com recalls the career of the man who scored it: Lucien Laurent of France.
Firsts are never forgotten. In scoring the first ever goal in FIFA World Cup™ history, in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo on 13 July 1930, France’s Lucien Laurent set his side on the road to a 4-1 victory over Mexico and wrote his name in the football record books.
Modest to a fault, however, Laurent barely spoke about his legendary contribution to the game in the years that followed.
Capped ten times by his country, he ended his career as player-coach at Besancon before buying a bar, where he very rarely discussed his 19th-minute volley against the Mexicans.
“[Ernest] Liberati put the cross in,” was all he would say if the topic came up, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Memories of his goal first came flooding back at a gala dinner held by the organisers of the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™. “I knew he’d played for France and taken part in the World Cup but that was it,” said his son Marc, with whom Laurent spent his final years.
By the time France 1998 came around, the former Sochaux player was virtually a national treasure, speaking at length as he dug deep into his memories and recalled tales that are part of World Cup folklore, such as the team’s voyage to Uruguay on the Italian liner Conte Verde, which set sail from Villefranche-sur-Mer on 19 June 1930. “Fifteen days to get there and 15 days to come back,” recalled Laurent.
A Uruguayan odyssey
The France squad was joined on the ship by the Belgium and Romania players and a number of dignitaries, among them Laurent’s fellow Frenchman Jules Rimet, the then FIFA president and the founder of the World Cup.
“The French federation had a job getting a team together because several of the players they selected had to pull out,” explained Laurent.
“Their bosses wouldn’t let them take two months off. I worked for Peugeot at the time, as did three of my team-mates: my brother Jean, Andre Maschinot and Etienne Mattler.”
The voyage was free of incident, the peace and tranquillity of the crossing only being broken by the sound of the three teams jogging on the deck.
France played their opening match of the tournament at Pocitos, Penarol’s home ground. Built especially for the competition, the now-legendary Estadio Centenario was not quite ready in time to host the match.
“When I scored my goal, which was the first of the tournament and my first for France, we congratulated each other but without jumping all over one another like they do now,” added Laurent, who was a somewhat critical observer of modern-day football: “There’s too much bad behaviour, too much cheating and not enough respect for the opposition and the referee. And international players are looked after like babies these days. Everything gets done for them, whereas we had to sort things out for ourselves.”
In France’s second match, a 1-0 defeat to Argentina, Laurent suffered an ankle injury and had to stand out on the left wing, those being the days when no substitutes were allowed. That injury kept him out of France’s third and final match against Chile, which ended in another 1-0 loss.
There was also emotion in his voice when he recalled his second and last international goal, which came against England in a friendly played on 14 May 1931. “We were still amateurs, while the English were already professionals,” he said.
Laurent died on 11 April 2005 in Besancon, but he will always be remembered for the part he played in the history of the World Cup.
Lucien Laurent in brief
- Born: 10 December 1907, Saint-Maur-des-Fosses (France)
- Height: 1.62m
- Weight: 65kg
- Position: Midfielder
- Caps: 10
- Goals: 2
Laurent’s France career
- 1 August 1930: BRAZIL 3-2 FRANCE (unofficial)
- 23 February 1930: PORTUGAL 2-0 FRANCE
- 13 April 1930: FRANCE 1-6 BELGIUM
- 13 July 1930: MEXICO 1-4 FRANCE
- 15 July 1930: ARGENTINA 1-0 FRANCE
- 15 March 1931: FRANCE 1-0 GERMANY
- 14 May 1931: FRANCE 5-2 ENGLAND
- 29 November 1931: FRANCE 3-4 NETHERLANDS
- 20 March 1932: SWITZERLAND 3-3 FRANCE
- 10 April 1932: FRANCE 1-2 ITALY
- 19 May 1935: FRANCE 2-0 HUNGARY
The FIFA Museum in Zurich has launched a new special exhibition titled Innovation in Action: Football Technologies on and off the Pitch, offering visitors an unprecedented glimpse into how innovation is transforming the world’s most popular sport.
Opened on Monday, October 1, 2025, the immersive showcase was developed in collaboration with the FIFA Innovation Team and other departments within world football’s governing body. It explores how cutting-edge technology supports players, referees, and fans—enhancing performance, ensuring fairness, and enriching the overall football experience—while preserving the game’s passion and human spirit.
“What makes this exhibition truly special is that we can give visitors a never-before-seen behind-the-scenes look that allows them to step inside football innovation, experiencing it hands-on rather than just reading about it,” said Marco Fazzone, Managing Director of the FIFA Museum. “We offer a glimpse at technologies and tools that fans don’t normally get to experience up close, while also showing how innovation has evolved over almost 100 years of FIFA World Cup history.”
Organised around five themed sections — Broadcasting & Media, Intelligent Data, Refereeing & Fair Play, Staging the Game, and the Innovation Lab — the exhibition blends rare artefacts with interactive displays. Visitors can relive football’s broadcast evolution, from the black-and-white footage of the 1954 World Cup to today’s ultra-slow motion 4K replays, and even step into a virtual referee booth to experience the pressures of officiating in real time.
Among the standout features is the FIFA Player App, which allows fans to explore Chelsea star Cole Palmer’s performance statistics from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final, illustrating how data helps players refine their craft.
Another exhibit showcases Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s water bottle from the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 — marked with opponents’ penalty data — revealing how analytics influence critical moments.
Visitors can also view a referee body camera used at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, giving a fresh perspective on decision-making from the official’s point of view.
The exhibition invites visitors to engage directly with football technology. They can test their reflexes and judgment as referees, operate goal-line technology systems, or assume the role of a broadcast director managing live match feeds. Data enthusiasts can analyse player movements, while aspiring innovators can design their own football tech concepts inside the Innovation Lab.
Innovation in Action runs until 31 March 2026 at the FIFA Museum in Zurich. Entry is included with a standard museum ticket.
With its rich mix of storytelling, interactivity, and history, the exhibition promises to be a must-see experience for anyone passionate about the future of the beautiful game.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that football could not solve conflicts, but it must carry a message of peace and unity as Israel’s military operation in Gaza and other global tensions fuel calls for the sport to take a stand.
“At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,” Infantino told a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich where he met Palestinian federation president Jibril Rajoub.
“Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity.”
Infantino said world football’s governing body could not solve geopolitical crises, but “it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values.”
“I met Palestinian Football Association (PFA) President Jibril Rajoub today at the Home of FIFA in Zurich to discuss the ongoing situation in the Middle East region,” Infantino later wrote on Instagram.
“I commend President Rajoub and the PFA for their resilience at this time and I reiterated to him FIFA’s commitment to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world.”
FIFA has faced repeated calls to act over the war in Gaza, with Palestinian officials pressing for Israel to be suspended from international football.
The issue has been under review by FIFA for months, but no decision has been taken. Infantino has consistently said such matters require consensus with the confederations and must be handled with caution.
The comments came a day after FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani noted that any decision over Israel’s participation in European competitions, including World Cup qualifiers, was a matter for UEFA to decide, effectively putting the onus on the European body.
“First and foremost, it (Israel) is a member of UEFA, no different than I have to deal with a member of my region for whatever reason… They have to deal with that,” Montagliani told reporters at the Leaders sports business conference on Wednesday.
Israel are third in Europe’s Group I of the qualifying stage for next year’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Amnesty International on Wednesday sent a letter to FIFA and UEFA calling on them to suspend the Israel Football Association.
-Reuters
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed reports suggesting that its Statutes will be amended at this year’s Annual General Assembly (AGA), insisting that no such plans are on the table for the September 27 meeting.
In a statement, the Federation stressed that the ongoing conversation around its Statutes remains at a preliminary stage and that suggestions of imminent changes are unfounded.
Ahead of the AGA, the NFF will host a workshop on September 26, bringing together representatives of its members, as well as officials from FIFA and CAF. According to the Federation, the forum is strictly consultative, designed to deliberate on proposals for new Statutes in line with the principles of good governance and international best practices.
The NFF explained that only after consensus is reached with its members will a separate General Assembly be convened to formally consider and adopt any proposed Statute changes.
“The NFF remains committed to due process, transparency, and working hand-in-hand with its General Assembly Members, FIFA, and CAF,” the statement read.
“The ultimate goal is to establish enduring Statutes that will strengthen governance, broaden representation, and promote inclusivity within Nigerian football.”
The Federation added that the long-term reform framework is aimed at ensuring stability and progress across its structures and enhancing the participation of all stakeholders in the country’s football administration.
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