The Forgotten Hero of the First World Cup

In the annals of football history, few stories are as remarkable as that of Bert Patenaude. On July 17, 1930, at Montevideo's Estadio Parque Central, a 20-year-old American forward scored the first ever hat-trick in FIFA World Cup history. Yet it would take 76 years for his achievement to be officially recognized, making him the first and only recipient of a posthumous hat-trick in World Cup history.

A Remarkable Journey

Born in November 1909 in Fall River, Massachusetts, Patenaude discovered his love for soccer while delivering groceries on a bicycle at the age of 14. According to James Brown, vice-president of the Society for American Soccer History (SASH), Patenaude was "just a monster goalscorer," scoring 112 times in 114 appearances for the Fall River Marksmen.

"Bert was always in the mix," Brown explained. "He did not shy away from anybody. He was a smaller guy, but he was really tough. And he had the footwork." Standing at just 5ft 8in (172cm), Patenaude was good in the air and formed a prolific partnership with Billy Gonsalves, nicknamed the "Babe Ruth of U.S. Soccer."

The Historic Match

On that fateful day in Montevideo, the United States faced Paraguay in their second group stage match of the inaugural World Cup. In front of an 18,306 crowd at Parque Central, Patenaude opened the scoring in the 10th minute, set up by midfielder Andy Auld's cross from the left. Five minutes later, he added his second, with Tom Florie providing the assist. The third came five minutes after half-time, with Auld again assisting after a run down the left.

The U.S. Football Association was in no doubt as to the goalscorer's identity. Brazil's O Estadio do Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires newspaper La Prensa both published diagrams of each goal alongside their match reports. Team manager Wilfred Cummings wrote eloquently about the victory: "Our team was indeed flashy and after gathering three markers which Patenaude crashed against the rigging from wing centers we rested on our oars to sort of save ourselves for the semi-finals."

A 76-Year Injustice

Despite this overwhelming evidence, FIFA's official report incorrectly credited the second goal to captain Florie. The Associated Press did likewise, and some believed it was an own goal by Aurelio Gonzalez, who would later coach Paraguay at the 1958 World Cup. Two days later, Argentina's Guillermo Stabile scored a hat-trick against Mexico, and the history books erroneously credited him with the first World Cup hat-trick.

The late American soccer historian Colin Jose eventually uncovered the truth. A chance meeting with Arnie Oliver — a member of the U.S. 1930 World Cup squad — at the American Soccer Hall of Fame alerted Jose to the anomaly. He compiled a dossier and sent it to FIFA in April 1995.

"When they said, 'We will have our experts look into it', I was thinking to myself, 'Yeah, sure you will'," Jose told the Guardian in 2015. "But they did."

In November 2006, some 32 years after Patenaude's death, FIFA finally put the record straight. His grandson, Bert Patenaude III, discovered the correction by reading The New York Times.

Legacy and Recognition

Patenaude earned four U.S. caps during the 1930 World Cup tour of South America, netting six times. He would not appear for the national team again. Following his retirement in 1936, he worked as a painter and wallpaper hanger in Fall River. A proud man, Patenaude was not the sort to brag about his career.

Yet during the 1970 World Cup, he took umbrage at a report in the Fall River Herald News which claimed West Germany's Gerd Muller scored the first World Cup hat-trick. He visited the newspaper's office, leading sports editor Frank McGrath to write: "Bert was going to let the Muller claim go without protest, but friends insisted that he make public the fact that the first World Cup 'hat trick' was by Patenaude, not Muller."

Patenaude passed away on November 4, 1974, his 65th birthday, never seeing his record properly acknowledged during his lifetime. Today, Fall River residents believe he and Billy Gonsalves deserve recognition with a monument or statue to commemorate their achievements in the 1930 World Cup.

"Both of them deserve recognition," says Derek Goncalves, Fall River resident and SASH historian. "Bert Patenaude and Billy Gonsalves were born and raised in the city of Fall River. What they've done historically, dating back to what they did in the 1930 World Cup, and what they did at club level should be recognised with a monument or statue."