Héctor Castro

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Records

Héctor Castro's achievements are remarkable not just for their historic weight but for the adversity he overcame. He is the only one-armed player to score in a World Cup final, a feat that has never been repeated. His goal in the 1930 final remains one of the most celebrated moments in Uruguayan football. Castro's Olympic gold in 1928 made him part of a golden generation that dominated world football before the World Cup existed. His legacy as a pioneer for disabled athletes continues to inspire, and his name is etched in the history of both Nacional and the Uruguayan national team.

AwardsCastro won the FIFA World Cup in 1930, Olympic gold in 1928, and the South American Championship twice (1926, 1935). At club level, he won multiple Uruguayan Primera División titles with Nacional. His individual honors include scoring Uruguay's first World Cup goal and the decisive goal in the 1930 final. He has been posthumously recognized in the South American Football Hall of Fame.

Honours & Distinctions

South American Football Hall of Fame

South American Football Confederation·2000

Posthumous induction for contributions to South American football

Rankings & Lists

#Top 10

Greatest Uruguayan Footballers of the Early 20th Century

Various football historians·2000

Records & Feats

First player to score a goal in FIFA World Cup history

Historic First·1930

Castro scored Uruguay's first goal in the 1930 World Cup group stage against Peru, the first goal ever scored by Uruguay in World Cup competition.

Only one-armed player to score in a World Cup final

Historic First·1930

Castro scored the fourth goal in Uruguay's 4-2 victory over Argentina in the 1930 World Cup final, making him the only player with a missing limb to score in a World Cup final.