Castro’s clincher secures Celeste's crown - FIFA WORLD CUP ARCHIVE
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| Getty Images |
As romantic football tales go, scoring in the 89th minute to secure the first-ever FIFA World Cup™ would represent a more than satisfactory start.
But for Hector Castro, whose header in this image has just beaten flailing Argentina keeper Juan Botasso, his moment of triumph in Montevideo – scoring the sixth and final goal of Uruguay’s 4-2 win in the 1930 decider – actually represented the culmination of an inspiring struggle.
Castro had, after all, lost half an arm in an accident with an electric saw 13 years earlier and, despite this amputated limb, went on to win Olympic gold in 1928 and score the first and, more importantly, last of Uruguay’s goals at these maiden global finals.
And while this would be the then 25-year-old’s final appearance on this stage, with La Celeste declining to appear at the 1934 and '38 editions, this immortal moment ensured a fairy tale ending to his World Cup story.