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Jules Rimet was born in Theuley-les Lavoncourt, Franche-Comte, in 1873, and is remembered as the father of the World Cup. Throughout his life he took an active role in the development and progress of organised football. A trained lawyer, he created the Red Star club in 1887, and in 1910 founded the Ligue Nationale de Football. He played a key role in establishing the Federation Francaise de Football in 1919, where he served as President for 30 years. A year later, Rimet was provisonally placed in control of FIFA, and was subsequently elected President in 1921. His dream of a world competition for national teams first took shape at the Amsterdam Congress in 1928, and came to reality two years later in Uruguay. The World Cup trophy was named in his honour at the Luxemburg Congress in 1946. He left the FIFA Presidency in 1954. In 1955, the year of his death on October 15, Jules Rimet was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. |
