A prolific goal scorer, Guillermo Stábile was top scorer in the 1930 World Cup with eight goals. And in Argentina’s 6-3 win over Mexico, he created World Cup history by becoming the first man to score a hat-trick – and he came into the side only because skipper Ferreira was not available.
Born in 1905, Stábile was playing for Huracán at the time of the inaugural World Cup, but like so many other top South Americans in the 1930s, he found the lure of the lire too great and joined the Italian club Genoa.
He was soon proclaimed a local hero after scoring a hat-trick on his debut against the league leaders Bologna. Like his present-day counterpart and fellow Argentinian, Diego Maradona, Stábile later moved to Napoli before finishing his career in the French league with Red Star Paris.
He was also capped by France and once scored four goals against Austria.
About the author: Ben Jardine
Ben Jardine is the managing editor of My Football Facts and has covered football since 2014. He writes across football statistics, history and current affairs, from all-time records and World Cup deep dives to live transfer-window coverage, with a focus on rigorously fact-checked, data-led analysis. Connect with Ben on LinkedIn.