A guide to understanding—and experiencing—football culture in Uruguay, the original World Cup underdog. Getty This story is the first in a series celebrating soccer cultures around the world—and the communities shaped by them. Read more 2026 World Cup coverage here . On July 18, 1930, a 38-year-old public-works director named Juan Antonio Scasso stood inside the still-wet Estadio Centenario while his crew dried the floors with braziers. FIFA had given him under a year to build the place, and he'd refused any pay beyond his municipal salary, promising to finish on time. He missed by five days. While the concrete cured, the starting eight matches of the first-ever World Cup were relocated to Pocitos and Gran Parque Central, the home grounds of capital rivals Peñarol and Nacional, who'd been bickering since their first meeting in July 1900.…