José Nasazzi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
José Nasazzi

Nasazzi with the Uruguay national team.
Personal information
Full name	José Nasazzi Yarza
Date of birth	(1901-03-24)24 March 1901
Place of birth	Montevideo, Uruguay
Date of death	17 June 1968(1968-06-17) (aged 67)
Place of death	Montevideo, Uruguay
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Right full-back, centre-back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1918–1920	Lito
1922–1933	Bella Vista	322	(17)
1933–1937	Nacional	58	(0)
National team
1923–1936	Uruguay	41	(0)
Teams managed
1942–1945	Uruguay
Honours Men's football Representing  Uruguay Olympic Games Gold 1924 Paris Team Gold 1928 Amsterdam Team FIFA World Cup Winner 1930 Uruguay South American Championship Winner 1923 Uruguay Winner 1924 Uruguay Winner 1926 Chile Winner 1935 Peru
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

José Nasazzi Yarza (born March 24, 1901 – died June 17, 1968) was a famous Uruguayan football player. He was a strong defender. José Nasazzi was the captain of his country's team when they won the very first FIFA World Cup in 1930.

Playing Career of José Nasazzi

Nasazzi (first from left, at bottom) with the Uruguay team in 1926.

José Nasazzi was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. His father was an Italian immigrant. His mother was from the Basque Country in Spain.

Many people think Nasazzi was Uruguay's best football player ever. People called him El Gran Mariscal, which means "The Great Marshal". This nickname showed how important and respected he was on the field.

Before the first World Cup, he had already won two gold medals at the Olympic Games in 1924 and 1928. He also won the South American Championship in 1923, 1924, and 1926. He was also chosen as the best player at the 1930 FIFA World Cup. He was also named best player twice at the South American Championship (in 1923 and 1935).

The 1930 FIFA World Cup Victory

During the 1930 FIFA World Cup tournament, Uruguay's main rivals were their neighbors, Argentina. Uruguay first beat Peru and Romania. Then, they defeated Yugoslavia 6–1 in the semi-finals. This set up a final match against Argentina.

In the final, Uruguay was losing 2–1 at half-time. But Nasazzi, as captain, encouraged his teammates. They played much better in the second half. Uruguay won the game 4–2. This made José Nasazzi the first captain to ever lift the Jules Rimet Trophy.

Even though Uruguay chose not to defend their title in 1934, Nasazzi won the South American Championship one more time in 1935. He retired from international football in 1937. He played 41 international matches for Uruguay. For his club, Nacional, he played 110 matches and scored 10 goals.

Nasazzi's Baton

"Nasazzi's Baton" is a special unofficial title. It is named after José Nasazzi. It is like a fun way to track which team is the "world champion" outside of the official World Cup.

It started with Uruguay after they won the first World Cup. Then, any team that beat the current holder in a full international match would "take over" the baton. It's a bit like a game of tag in football!

Achievements and Awards

Club Honours

Lito

• Uruguayan Intermedia: 1917, 1920

Roland Moor

• Uruguayan 3era Extra: 1921

Bella Vista

• Primera División: 1922 – 1932

Nacional

• Primera División: 1933 – 1937

International Honours

Uruguay

• FIFA World Cup: 1930
• Olympic Games Gold Medal: 1924, 1928
• South American Championship: 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935

Individual Awards

• Best player at the South American Championship: 1923, 1935
• FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1930 (Award for best player)
• France Football's World Cup Top-100 1930–1990, 56th: 1994
• IFFHS South American Footballer of the Century, 26th: 1999
• World Soccer's 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time, 75th: 1999
• RSSSF Uruguay All-Time Team: 1999

See also

In Spanish: José Nasazzi para niños