The goalkeeper for the Uruguayan National Soccer Team, Andres Mazali, was presented with this commemorative bronze medal at the 1924 Paris Summer Olympics. Mazali, nicknamed “El Buzo” for his proficiency at stopping low shots, led La Celeste to a shocking gold medal victory over a strong Switzerland outfit in the Olympic final. Uruguay, the first South American nation to compete in Olympic soccer, defeated Switzerland 3-0 in the final match behind goals from Pedro Petrone, Jose Pedro Cea, and Alfredo Angel Romano. Mazali started this game in net and played all 90 minutes to clinch Uruguay’s third clean sheet of the tournament.

This commemorative bronze medal was designed by the noted medalist Raoul Benard, a student of Jules Chaplain later issued the presitigous Légion d'honneur. This offered medal has a diameter of just greater than two inches. The front of the medal shows the goddess Nike placing a wreath on the head of an athlete, the first in a long line of competitors. This scene is etched in high relief above Benard’s name. The reverse side of the medal is etched in high relief with the Paris skyline and “VII Olympiade Paris 1924”. This historic medal originates from the personal memorabilia collection of Andres Mazali and is a tremendous artifact from the beginning of Uruguay’s period of global soccer dominance. This item comes with a LOA confirming it is part of the Rony Almeida Soccer Collection. 

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