Sportsfolio

History & origins

The story of Soccer

Games involving a ball and a foot are ancient, but the sport recognisable today was codified in Victorian England when a handful of clubs agreed to stop arguing about whether players could pick the ball up. Once the rules were written, the game travelled with British sailors, engineers and teachers, and never stopped spreading.

Milestones

11 moments that shaped the modern game.

  1. c. 200 BCE

    Cuju in Han China

    Soldiers played cuju — 'kick ball' — driving a stuffed leather ball through a silk-draped opening without using their hands. FIFA recognises it as the earliest known ancestor of the game.

  2. 1863

    The Football Association is formed

    Representatives of London clubs met at the Freemasons' Tavern and drafted a single set of laws. The clubs that insisted on carrying the ball walked away — and went on to formalise rugby instead.

  3. 1872

    The first international match

    Scotland and England drew 0–0 in Partick before around 4,000 spectators, the first meeting between two national teams.

  4. 1888

    League football begins

    The Football League gave clubs a guaranteed fixture list instead of ad-hoc friendlies, inventing the league table and, with it, the modern season.

  5. 1904

    FIFA is founded

    Seven European associations formed a governing body in Paris to organise matches between nations — notably without England, who joined the following year.

  6. 1930

    The first World Cup

    Thirteen teams travelled to Uruguay, who beat Argentina 4–2 in the final in Montevideo. Only four European sides made the three-week boat journey.

  7. 1954

    UEFA and the European club era

    The formation of UEFA led to the European Cup a year later, giving champions of different countries a stage against one another for the first time.

  8. 1970

    Brazil, Mexico and colour television

    The first World Cup broadcast in colour showed Brazil's side of Pelé, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto winning a third title, and exported a style of play worldwide.

  9. 1991

    The first Women's World Cup

    Twelve teams competed in China, with the United States beating Norway in the final. The tournament has since grown into one of the largest events in sport.

  10. 1992

    The Premier League and the Champions League

    Rebranded competitions and satellite broadcasting turned domestic football into a global television product, transforming club finances permanently.

  11. 2018

    Video review arrives

    VAR was used at a World Cup for the first time in Russia, the biggest change to officiating since the introduction of the red card.