Uruguayan goalkeeper’s 18 carat gold winner’s medal from the first World Cup in 1930 is sold for £20,000
- Enrique Ballesteros was presented with the medal after Uruguay won World Cup
- The 18-carat medal was sold at auction for £20,000 along with two other medals
- Match was the first World Cup final played in 1930 in Uruguay against Argentina
An incredibly rare gold winner’s medal from the very first World Cup has sold at auction for £20,000 ($25,000).
The 18 carat gold medal was presented to goalkeeper Enrique Ballesteros following Uruguay’s victory in the 1930 FIFA World Cup final.
The host nation defeated Argentina 4-2 in the final and Ballesteros was named the All-Star Goalkeeper, or Golden Glove, of the inaugural tournament.
The front of the medal features an engraving of a winged figure representing Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory and the words ‘Coupe Du Monde’ or World Cup.
The incredibly rare winner’s medal from the very first World Cup (right) was presented to Uruguayan goalkeeper Enrique Ballesteros (left) and sold for £20,000
The reverse has Ballesteros’ name engraved on it along with the city of Montevideo and the date of the tournament as ‘Juliet 1930’.
The medal had been kept in the late goalie’s family who sold it with US-based Julien’s Auctions.
Also in the sale was a 2002 FIFA World Cup gold winner’s medal awarded to an undisclosed Brazilian player which fetched £42,000.
And a 1994 FIFA World Cup gold winner’s medal awarded to a member of Brazil team, whose identity was also kept secret, sold for £35,000.
Brett Hughes, of the auction house, said: ‘The market is always good for World Cup winner’s medals as they are still very rare.’
Ballesteros, who was 25 years old at the time, played in all four Uruguay games in the World Cup.
The tournament featured just 13 teams, seven of whom were South American, with none of the Home Nations involved.
Ballesteros died aged 64 in 1969.