1930 FIFA World Cup French entered at the personal intervention of Rimet, but neither France's star defender Manuel Anatol nor the team's regular coach Gaston Barreau could be persuaded to make the trip. The Belgians participated at the instigation of German-Belgian FIFA vice-president Rodolphe Seeldrayers. The Romanians boarded the SS "Conte Verde" at Genoa, the French were picked up at Villefranche-sur-Mer on 21 June 1930; and the Belgians embarked at Barcelona. The "Conte Verde" carried Rimet, the trophy and the three designated European referees: the Belgians Jean Langenus and Henri Christophe, along with Thomas Balway, a Parisian who may have been English. The Brazilian
National team appearances in the FIFA World Cup World Cup. After the first twenty-one World Cups, all top 2 finishes, and all but two top 4 finishes, have been achieved by European (UEFA) and South American (CONMEBOL) countries. The other four football regions together have got just one third place, won by the United States in the inaugural 1930 tournament, and one fourth place, won by South Korea on home soil in 2002. National team appearances in the FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the International Federation of Association Football