Jules Rimet

Early life

Jules Rimet was born on 14 October 1873 in Theuley, Haute-Saône, eastern France, where his father worked as a grocer. When Jules was eleven, in 1884, the family relocated to Paris. He trained as a lawyer, and in 1897 he launched a sports club called Red Star, which refused to discriminate based on class. At age 17, the encyclical Rerum novarum from Pope Leo XIII, which addressed the dignity of work, deeply shaped Rimet's Catholic beliefs and motivated him to advance those principles.

Football and FIFA

Rimet helped found FIFA in 1904, but the young organization initially only managed an amateur tournament at the 1908 Summer Olympics. World War I halted further ambitions; Rimet served as a French Army officer and earned a Croix de Guerre. After the war, in 1919, he became president of the French Football Federation, then on 1 March 1921 took over as FIFA president, a role he held until 1954. During his tenure, FIFA's membership grew from twelve to 85 nations, even though the English, Welsh, and Scottish associations withdrew early on.

Rimet pushed again for a global professional tournament but faced resistance from amateur bodies and Pierre de Coubertin. In 1928, FIFA under Rimet approved a World Cup, and the first edition was held in Uruguay in 1930 because the Uruguayan Football Association offered to cover all travel costs. Rimet sailed to Uruguay on the SS Conte Verde alongside the European teams, carrying the trophy in his bag. His choice of host drew criticism: European nations complained that players would miss three months of domestic competition, so only four European teams—France, Belgium, Romania, and Yugoslavia—accepted invitations, and they did so only because of Rimet's influence.

After World War II, the British associations rejoined for the 1950 World Cup, where Rimet personally handed the trophy to Uruguay after their second win. His work earned him a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1956.

Later life and legacy

Jules Rimet died in Suresnes, Seine, in 1956, two days after his 83rd birthday. He is credited as the inventor of the World Cup, and the original trophy was named the Jules Rimet Trophy. That trophy was stolen just before the 1966 World Cup in England but was found by a dog named Pickles. Brazil won the trophy permanently after their third World Cup victory in 1970.

It was stolen again in Rio de Janeiro in 1983; while it is believed the thieves melted it down, there is no conclusive proof. A statue of Rimet stands in Theuley, placed inside a penalty box with a goal. In 2004, he was posthumously awarded the FIFA Order of Merit, with his grandson Yves Rimet collecting the honor.