Pitch Invasion

Who was the first man to score a goal in the history of international football? The answer to every quizmaster’s favourite fantasy - a question shrouded in the mists of obscurity - is far more than a gold plated nugget of football trivia. Identifying who this long-forgotten individual is reveals much about the social context of organised football in its earliest years. He was a sportsman, soldier and politician.

Seventy years ago next month, the first ever World Cup goal was scored on a wintry day in Uruguay. The goalscorer’s journey to the tournament was a world away from today’s jamborees, as Michael Oliver explains.