In 1924, Uruguay became the first South American nation to compete in the soccer tournament of the Summer Olympics. Held in Paris, France, the eighth Olympiad saw Uruguay run away with the title after a 3-0 disassembling of Switzerland in the gold medal match. La Celeste brought an innovative style of passing-based, possession soccer to Paris, perplexing the physical, free-wheeling European teams with their surprisingly modern brand of soccer. Uruguay would go on to claim the gold medal in the 1928 Olympic Games before winning the inaugural FIFA World Cup, held in Montevideo, in 1930.

Offered in this lot is a cigarette case issued to La Celeste goalkeeper Pedro Casella in honor of the Uruguayan Olympic triumph by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol (AUF). This cigarette case measures 3 x 3.5 inches and flips open with the push of a button. Etched on the inside cover of this case is “VIII^A Olympiada / Los Uruguayos en Paris a los Campeones mundiales de foot-ball / Pedro Casella / Paris 1924”. Casella was the backup to La Celeste goalkeeper Andres Mazali in 1924. As a club player, Casella turned out for Rampla Juniors and Belgrano Montevideo, among other teams. This cigarette case is in good condition. This item comes with a LOA confirming it is part of the Rony Almeida Soccer Collection.

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