1980 World Champions' Gold Cup
The 1980 World Champions' Gold Cup (Spanish for "Copa de Oro de Campeones Mundiales"), also known as Mundialito ("Little World Cup"), was a friendly international football tournament organized by the Uruguayan Football Association and supported by FIFA–although not officially recognized–in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup, which had been celebrated in 1930 at the same venue. It was held at the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay, from 30 December 1980 to 10 January 1981.
| Copa de Oro de Campeones Mundiales Uruguay '80 | |
|---|---|
Charrúa, the official mascot | |
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Uruguay |
| Dates | 30 December 1980 – 10 January 1981 |
| Teams | 6 (from 2 confederations) |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Uruguay |
| Runners-up | Brazil |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 7 |
| Goals scored | 19 (2.71 per match) |
| Attendance | 255,000 (36,429 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Waldemar Victorino (3 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Ruben Paz |
The tournament gathered the national teams of Uruguay, Italy, West Germany, Brazil, and Argentina, five of the six World Cup-winning nations at the time, with the addition of the Netherlands –1974 and 1978 World Cup runners-up– who had been invited to replace England, who declined the invitation due to an already crowded fixture list. The World Champions' Gold Cup was held in the middle of the European football season (December/January) and the English league (as well as its clubs) were reluctant to release their players for a long journey to another continent.