Ernesto Vidal Uruguayan footballer, forward Date of Birth: 15.11.1921 Country: Uruguay

Biography of Ernesto Vidal

Ernesto Vidal, a Uruguayan footballer of Italian descent, was a forward and a World Cup champion in 1950. He was born in Buje, Italy, which is now located in Croatia. His birth name was Ernesto Servolo Vidal, but he later changed his middle name to Jose. He began his professional career with the Argentine club "Rosario Central" in 1941.

From 1943 onwards, Vidal played for "Peñarol" for the next 10 years, winning the Uruguayan championship four times. Until 1947, he also played for "Rosario Central" in regional tournaments. Vidal was in excellent form leading up to the 1950 World Cup, and he went to the tournament as a key player for the Uruguayan national team.

In the first match of the tournament, Vidal scored one of the goals against Bolivia (Uruguay defeated their opponents 8-0). He also started in the starting lineup in the group matches against Spain and Sweden. However, the coach Juan Lopez had to substitute Vidal in the final group match against Sweden as he was injured. It was a risky move since Vidal's substitute, Ruben Moran, was only 20 years old at the time.

Nevertheless, Moran played well in the decisive match, and he contributed to Uruguay's victory (2-1) over Brazil. Thus, Vidal became a World Cup champion. In 1953, Vidal transferred to the Italian club "Fiorentina," where he spent two seasons. He ended his football career at another Serie A club in Italy, "Pro Patria," during the 1955/56 season.