Jules Rimet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jules Rimet
Rimet in 1920
3rd President of FIFA
In office 1 March 1921 – 21 June 1954
Preceded by	Daniel Burley Woolfall
Succeeded by	Rodolphe William Seeldrayers
President of FFF
In office 1919–1942
Succeeded by	Henri Jevain
In office 1944–1949
Preceded by	Henri Jevain
Succeeded by	Emmanuel Gambardella
Personal details
Born	(1873-10-14)14 October 1873 Theuley, Franche-Comté, France
Died	16 October 1956(1956-10-16) (aged 83) Suresnes, Île-de-France, France
Profession	Football administrator
Signature

Jules Rimet (born 14 October 1873 – died 16 October 1956) was a French leader in football. He was the 3rd President of FIFA, the world's football governing body, from 1921 to 1954. This makes him FIFA's longest-serving president, holding the position for 33 years. He also led the French Football Federation from 1919 to 1942.

Jules Rimet had a big idea: to create a global football tournament. Because of his efforts, the very first FIFA World Cup was held in 1930. The famous Jules Rimet Trophy was named in his honor. He also started a French football club called Red Star Saint-Ouen.

Early Life of Jules Rimet

Jules Rimet was born in 1873 in a small town called Theuley in eastern France. His father was a grocer. When Jules was eleven, in 1884, his family moved to the big city of Paris. He studied hard and became a lawyer.

In 1897, Rimet started a sports club called Red Star. He believed that everyone should be treated equally. So, his club welcomed members from all social classes, without judging them. Football was becoming very popular at the time, and it was one of the main sports played at Red Star.

Leading Football: FIFA and Beyond

Jules Rimet helped create the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, known as FIFA, in 1904. This organization aimed to bring football teams from different countries together. At first, FIFA helped run an amateur football tournament as part of the 1908 Summer Olympics.

However, the First World War put many plans on hold. Rimet served as an officer in the French Army during the war. He was recognized for his bravery and received a medal called the Croix de Guerre.

After the war, in 1919, Rimet became the President of the French Football Federation. Then, on March 1, 1921, he became the President of FIFA. He stayed in this role until 1954, making him the longest-serving FIFA President ever. During his time, FIFA grew from just twelve member nations to 85! Even though some British football associations left FIFA for a while, Rimet kept working to unite the football world.

After becoming FIFA President, Rimet pushed again for a worldwide football tournament. Some people, especially those who preferred amateur sports, were against his idea.

The World Cup: A Global Dream

In 1928, under Rimet's strong leadership, FIFA decided to go ahead with plans for a "World Cup." The first tournament was held in Uruguay. This was partly because professional football was very popular in South America. Also, the Uruguayan Football Association offered to pay for all the travel costs for teams coming from far away.

Rimet himself traveled to Uruguay for the first World Cup. He sailed on a ship called the SS Conte Verde with the European teams. He even carried the precious World Cup trophy in his bag!

However, Rimet's choices for where to host the first few World Cups faced some criticism. European countries complained about the 1930 World Cup. Their players would be away from their home leagues for three months. Because of this, only four European nations—France, Belgium, Romania, and Yugoslavia—sent teams. They only did so because of Rimet's strong influence.

The next World Cup was held in Italy. This tournament was used by the government at the time to promote their political ideas. Some people felt Rimet should have done more to prevent this.

After the Second World War, British football associations agreed to join the World Cup again, starting from the 1950 FIFA World Cup. In that tournament, Rimet personally handed the trophy to the winning Uruguayan team. Rimet's hard work in creating the World Cup was so important that he was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1956.

Jules Rimet's Legacy

Jules Rimet passed away in Suresnes, France, in 1956, just two days after his 83rd birthday. In 2004, he was honored after his death with the FIFA Order of Merit. His grandson, Yves Rimet, accepted the award for him. Jules Rimet is widely remembered as the person who invented the World Cup.

The original World Cup trophy was officially named the Jules Rimet Trophy in his honor. This famous trophy was stolen just before the 1966 World Cup in England. Luckily, a brave dog named Pickles found it!

Brazil won the tournament for the third time at the 1970 World Cup. As a reward, they were allowed to keep the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently. Sadly, it was stolen again in Rio de Janeiro in 1983. Many believe it was melted down by the thieves, but there is no definite proof. The Brazilian Football Confederation later had a copy of the trophy made. Stories about the trophy's disappearances and where it might be now are still told.

In his hometown of Theuley, there is a statue of Jules Rimet. It stands in the middle of a penalty box, right in front of a goal, honoring his lasting impact on football.

Jules Rimet was played by the French actor Gérard Depardieu in a movie about football called United Passions in 2014.

Images for kids

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  Jules Rimet's signature.

See also

In Spanish: Jules Rimet para niños