Why Uruguay are allowed four stars on shirt by FIFA despite winning World Cup twice

The reason why Uruguay are allowed four stars on their World Cup kit despite only winning the tournament twice has been revealed.

We are less than a week into the 2026 World Cup and it's already proving to be a tournament to remember.

Hosts Mexico picked up a 2-0 win over South Africa in an opening match that saw three players sent off with the likes of the USA, Scotland, Australia and Germany also picking up big wins.

Meanwhile favourites Spain were held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in perhaps the biggest shock of the tournament so far.

Several nations are yet to play their opening fixture at the World Cup this year, including Uruguay who will begin their campaign with a match against Saudi Arabia set to take place in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The South American nation will then face the high-flying Cape Verde on June 21 before playing Spain in their final group stage fixture on June 27.

And in all matches, fans watching will no doubt be wondering why Uruguay’s crest has four stars even though the nation has only won two FIFA World Cups in their history.

Several decades ago Uruguay won the 1930 and 1950 World Cups, beating fellow South American sides Argentina and Brazil in each match.

However, they were also crowned champions at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics in Paris and Amsterdam.

READ MORE: FIFA force second nation to alter their kit just days before their opening World Cup match

Because there was no such thing as a FIFA World Cup in these years, Uruguay argue that their victory at the Olympic Games crowned them as the champions of the world and therefore they are entitled to an extra two stars.

Controversially, those four stars then Uruguay ahead of neighbouring country and fierce rival Argentina, as well as the likes of France and Spain.

Why have FIFA allowed Uruguay to have four stars on their kit?

The idea to place stars on the national kit to symbolise victory in the World Cup was first done by Brazil back in 1974, when they placed a star above the badge to commemorate their three wins of the Jules Rimet Trophy, which preceded the World Cup.

Since then Brazil have added a further two stars to their kit, for the 1994 and 2002 World Cups, making them the most decorated international team with five stars.

However, Uruguay closely follow after included their four world championships on their crest from 1991.

Although FIFA initially appeared to be ok with the decision, 30 years later the governing body asked Puma, Uruguay’s kit manufacturer at the time, to remove the four stars.

But, after Uruguay presented evidence to support their decision, FIFA ultimately accepted their choice to have the four stars and it has remained in place ever since.