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First international football match
in South America
	Albion F.C. Stadium, venue
Event	Friendly
Date	20 July 1902
Venue	Albion F.C. Stadium, Paso del Molino, Uruguay
Referee	Roberto W. Ruud (Argentina)
Attendance	8,000

The 1902 association football match between Uruguay and Argentina was not only the first international match for both sides,^[1]^[2] but the first international held in South America.^[3]^[4] Argentina won 6–0,^[5]^[6] initiating a longtime rivalry between both teams, that have met more than 190 times since that first encounter,^[5] becoming the international derby with the most matches played worldwide, surpassing even the England–Scotland rivalry,^[7] which, first held in 1872, is the oldest fixture in the world.^[8]

Overview

One year before, There had been a precedent when representatives from both sides met in a match also in Montevideo, although it was not organised by any association and therefore is not considered official. Moreover, the match was organised by local club Albion in its home field located in Paso del Molino, Montevideo. The Uruguayan side had nine players from that club and the remainder from Nacional.^[9] Argentina won the match by 3–2.^[10]

In 1902, both associations, AUF and AFA, agreed to play a match in the same venue. President of AFA, Francis Hepburn Chevallier-Boutell and Lomas A.C. player Juan O. Anderson selected the players for the match.^[11] Chevallier-Boutell also chose the uniforms, so Uruguay played in a blue shirt with a white diagonal sash while Argentine wore light blue shirts.^[4] Argentina easily beat Uruguay 6–0, with Carlos Dickinson making history after scoring the first goal of the match.^[4] Uruguay starting line-up included eight players from Nacional and three from Albion, while Argentina team was formed by players from Alumni (5), Quilmes (2), Belgrano A.C. (2), Lomas (1), and Barracas A.C. (1).^[4]

During a long lapse of time, Argentina and Uruguay played each other exclusively so no other national teams had been formed in South America.^[12] 8,000 spectators attended the match.^[4] Both sides played thirteen consecutive times between 1902 and 1909,^[1] giving birth to a strong rivalry that remained through the years. Some competitions contested by Argentina and Uruguay were soon created, such as Copa Lipton (first held in 1905),^[13] and Copa Newton (started in 1906).^[14]

Match details

Uruguay (left) and Argentine teams before playing their first international

20 July 1902

14:35

Uruguay	0–6	Argentina
	Report	Dickinson 3' Arímalo 31' (o.g.) Morgan 64' Urioste 66' (o.g.) Anderson 71' J. Brown 86'

Albion FC Field, Paso del Molino

Attendance: 8,000

Referee: Roberto W. Ruud (Argentina)

Uruguay

Argentina


GK		Enrique Sardeson
DF		Carlos Carve Urioste
DF		Germán Arímalo
MF		Miguel Nebel (c)
MF		Alberto Peixoto
MF		Luis Carbone
FW		Bolívar Céspedes
FW		Gonzalo Rincón
FW		Juan Sardeson
FW		Ernesto Boutón Reyes
FW		Carlos Céspedes


GK		José Buruca Laforia
DF		William Leslie
DF		Walter Buchanan
MF		Eduardo Patricio Duggan
MF		Carlos J. Buchanan
MF		Ernesto Brown
FW		Edward O. Morgan
FW		Juan José Moore (c)
FW		Juan O. Anderson
FW		Carlos Edgar Dickinson
FW		Jorge Brown