It began with one ball:
The history of soccer
Whether as a player or spectator, soccer gets us off our feet. The beginning of the fascination starts thousands of years ago. Learn about the history of soccer with our interactive timeline and learn more about your favourite sport!
Timeline of soccer history:
- 1000 BC: Mesoamerican ball games
- 3rd century BC: First forms of soccer in China "Tsu' Chu"
- 7th century AD: The Japanese ball game "Kemari"
- 12th century: Mob-, Folk- and Shrovetide Soccer - the origin of modern soccer
- 1848: Cambridge Rules
- 1858: The first English soccer club
- 1863: Foundation of the first national soccer association
- 1871: Introduction of the FA Cup
- 1860: Foundation of the Lausanne Soccer and Cricket Club
- 1874: High school teacher Robert Koch introduces soccer as a school sport
- 1888: Foundation of the oldest still existing soccer club in Germany
- 1890s: Founding of numerous soccer clubs in Germany
- 1900: Foundation of the German Soccer Association (DFB)
- 1904: Foundation of the Fédération Internationale de Soccer Association (FIFA)
- 1930: FIFA organizes the first Soccer World Cup in Uruguay
- 1954: European Soccer Association UEFA is founded in Basel
- 1991: First World Cup in women's soccer takes place in China
The fascination of the ball: soccer history in different cultures
Games in which a ball is kicked with the foot have existed in various parts of the world for 2000 to 3000 years. Balls and rules, purpose and target group developed completely independently of each other in Asia, America and Europe. From the middle of the 19th century, the game with the ball advanced within 150 years to become the world sport that we call modern soccer today. Find out how and where soccer began.
1000 V. BC: Mesoamerican ball games
Central America is considered the cradle of all ball sports. Ancient playing fields made of stone indicate competitions similar to Roman gladiator fights. Ball games were both an everyday sport and entertainment for the ruler and his court.
Two teams competed against each other on a playing field and tried to push a rubber ball, which weighed several kilos, through a stone ring. Players were not allowed to use their hands or feet. In some areas, players kicked with their torso, buttocks or elbows. In other regions, clubs and bats were used. Those who could afford it wore armor. Nevertheless, it is not surprising that players suffered life-threatening injuries.
The Aztecs also used ullamalisztli, as their ball game was called, to settle diplomatic disputes. The Mayan game, pok-ta-pok, even had a religious significance: as a tribute to the gods, the entire losing team was sacrificed after the game.
Today, pok-ta-pok is back in fashion, but without violence. The focus here is on cultural heritage. The players display a great deal of skill and physical exertion:
3rd century BC: First forms of soccer in China "Tsu' Chu"
The first forms of soccer can be found in Far Eastern China. Tsu' Chu is the first ever documented soccer-like game with fixed rules. The ball game Tsu'Chu originated in the 3rd century BC and goes back to the discovery of a military manual from that time. The ball game was practised in China as part of military training and was played in a correspondingly military, combat-oriented style.
A ball sewn together from pieces of leather and stuffed with feathers and animal hair was thrown into a 30-40 cm wide net at a height of 5 meters. The sport for military physical training developed over time into a popular entertainment sport with numerous spectators. Over the centuries, the rules became more and more rigid: by 600 AD, an air-filled ball and soccer rules (goals, goalkeepers, captains) were introduced. From the 9th century onwards, however, the game fell into oblivion.
7th century AD: The Japanese ball game "Kemari"
A ball sport similar to soccer was also known in Japan: Kemari. The aim was to keep the ball above the ground for as long as possible using skill and body control. The players are arranged in a circle and wear expansive and elegant silk robes. Kemari has a
12th century: Mob-, Folk- and Shrovetide Soccer - the origin of modern soccer
The mob-, folk- or shrovetide soccer was played in many places in England as a battle-like mass soccer match between rival villages or districts. It was not uncommon for these games to give rise to mass brawls. As a result, the English authorities made numerous attempts to ban soccer.
The Shrovetide Soccer in particular is linked to the town of Ashbourne in England. As in the Middle Ages, the Shrovetide Soccer Match is still held every year on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. The match is played between the "Up'ards" and "Down'ards" districts, which are located to the right and left of the River Henmore. Shrovetide Soccer is unorganized, competitive and spontaneous.
There is an unlimited number of players and the goals are five kilometers apart. The river is also part of the playing field. The ball is unsuitable for kicking with the foot, as it is a four-kilo ball filled with cork. Shrovetide soccer is therefore in the tradition of rugby, where the ball is mainly carried and thrown. The Shrovetide Soccer is therefore relevant for the development of both modern rugby and modern soccer.
Even today, there is one place in Great Britain where an annual Shrovetide Soccer Match takes place: Ashbourne in Derbyshire. It's hard to believe that the world's most popular sport emerged from these mass brawls.
The emergence of modern soccer
In the middle of the 19th century, the positive qualities of team sports were recognized in England. As a result, compulsory school sports were introduced at English educational establishments to keep pupils physically fit. However, it took decades for the game with the leather ball to develop into a national sport with standardized rules.
1848: Cambridge Rules
The schools played a mixture of soccer and rugby with different rules from school to school. Tournaments between the individual schools were therefore difficult to organize.
In 1848, students at Cambridge University wrote the first soccer rules. It was an attempt to standardize the rules of soccer and to level out the serious differences between the individual teams. The biggest difference between the schools was that the emphasis was partly on playing with the hand and partly on playing with the foot. The Cambridge rules gave priority to playing with the foot. It was now possible to hold official tournaments between the schools.
1858: The first English soccer club
Sheffield Soccer Club was founded in 1858 by two students from Harrow University. Today, the club is recognized as the first official soccer club in the world.
1863: Foundation of the first national soccer association
Five years after the world's first soccer club was founded, representatives of eleven soccer clubs met in London's Freemasons Tavern to establish universal rules for soccer. A total of 14 rules were laid down, including a ban on carrying or holding the ball. Soccer thus finally emancipated itself from the competing game of rugby. To give the sport a fixed organizational framework, the world's first national soccer association - the Soccer Association (FA) - was founded.
1871: Introduction of the FA Cup
The world's first soccer competition was created with the introduction of the FA Cup in 1871. One year later, England and Scotland played their first international match in Glasgow. In the same year, the corner kick was introduced and a uniform ball size was established.
Soccer history in Germany
It didn't take long for the soccer hype to reach the other side of the English Channel. Find out how soccer gradually made its way across Europe and gained a foothold in Germany.
1860: Foundation of the Lausanne Soccer and Cricket Club
Switzerland is considered the pioneer of soccer in continental Europe. The ball sport was brought to the country by English pupils at Swiss private schools. The first European soccer club was the Lausanne Soccer and Cricket Club (1860). It was also a Swiss, the soccer pioneer Hans Gamper, who later founded FC Barcelona.
After Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands were among the first European countries to have national soccer clubs. Both countries founded their own soccer associations in 1889.
1874: Grammar school teacher Konrad Koch introduces soccer as a school sport
In Germany, secondary school teacher Konrad Koch made the first attempts to establish soccer in schools. He wanted to encourage his pupils to exercise outdoors and at the same time teach them the ethical virtues of team sports. Koch published his own soccer rules in 1875.
1888: Foundation of the oldest still existing soccer club in Germany
The oldest soccer club in Germany was founded in 1888 by a group of schoolchildren in Berlin and was called BFC Germania. At that time, soccer was not a very popular or widespread sport. This was largely due to the dominance of gymnastics as a recognized national sport.
1890s: Founding of numerous soccer clubs in Germany
The delayed establishment of soccer in Germany can be traced back to the resistance of the gymnastics clubs. Gymnastics occupied the place of the German national sport. In order to defend this place, soccer was defamed as "un-German" or an "English disease".
Gymnastics was primarily intended for military physical training and to strengthen the national spirit. The establishment of soccer gave rise to a new physical culture in Germany, which opposed the military drill of gymnastics and its political connotations. Soccer became a form of leisure activity in a middle-class environment.
The first soccer clubs emerged from school clubs or were founded by Englishmen (for example, The English Soccer Club Berlin). In the beginning, soccer was mainly played by English people, students and the better-off members of society. Workers did not have the necessary money for equipment and were mainly involved in gymnastics clubs.
1900: Foundation of the German Soccer Association (DFB)
The German Soccer Association (DFB) was founded in Leipzig in 1900. It provides the German soccer clubs with a superordinate association.
The international spread of soccer
Soon, not only cities were competing against each other, but national teams began to form and compete against each other in international matches. We list the biggest milestones in global soccer history here.
1904: Foundation of the Fédération Internationale de Soccer Association (FIFA)
The association for international soccer was founded in 1904 with the Fédération Internationale de Soccer Association (FIFA). FIFA took over the organization of international matches and the drafting of international soccer rules. Germany joined FIFA in 1905.
1930: FIFA hosts the first FIFA World Cup in Uruguay
The first soccer World Cup was organized by FIFA in Uruguay in 1930. Thirteen teams took part. Germany had to forgo participation for cost reasons.
1945: FIFA excludes Germany
After the end of the Second World War, FIFA excluded Germany from all matches and banned any matches involving German teams. Five years after the war, Germany was allowed to rejoin.
However, Germany was not yet present at the 1950 World Cup. The historic final, in which Brazil unexpectedly lost to Uruguay on home soil, is known as the Maracanaço, the shock of Maracanã:
1954: European Soccer Association UEFA is founded in Basel
The European Soccer Association (UEFA) was founded in Basel in 1954. In 1955/56, UEFA organized the European Cup of Champions for the first time, in which European soccer clubs compete against each other every year. Since 1992, the soccer club championship has been known as the UEFA Champions League.
The first UEFA European Soccer Championship took place in 1960. The soccer teams of the European nations compete against each other every four years. From 1960-1964, the event was called the European Cup of Nations.
1991: First World Cup in women's soccer takes place in China
The first official world championship in women's soccer took place in China in 1991. It was organized by FIFA as the Woman's World Cup. Since then, it has been held every four years. Prior to this, some of the women's national soccer teams had already met for mostly unofficial tournaments.
Soccer today: How to write soccer history
Soccer is one of the most popular and widespread sports in the world. According to data from FIFA, 265 million people in 200 different countries played soccer in 2006. The simple and uniform rules and the minimal equipment promote the popularity of the game. Internationally identical rules make the game inclusive and cross-cultural.
Whether young or old, male or female, on soccer pitches or in arenas - soccer is a global sport and is cheered, applauded and loved by people all over the world.
At the same time, every soccer club has its own history and its own tradition. Do you play soccer yourself? Given the long and passionate history of soccer, you can be proud to build on this tradition. The pride in your club's history should be reflected in the players' shirts. At owayo, you can design your own jerseys in the traditional colors of your club - and take advantage of our discount for clubs.
Thanks to our breathable ultra.dry technology, the soccer shirts are pleasantly cool on the skin. See for yourself. Discover our soccer clothing
Questions and answers about the history of soccer
Briefly summarized: Here you will find answers to the most important questions about soccer history.
Where and when was soccer invented?
Soccer as we know it today was invented in England in the 19th century. The game shares the same origins as rugby: colleges and universities. Students at Cambridge wrote the first soccer rules to make inter-regional matches possible. However, it was not until the first soccer association was founded in the 1860s that rugby and soccer became two separate games.
Who is the inventor of soccer?
Modern soccer developed gradually over several decades. Therefore, there is no the inventor of soccer. However, a key figure in the founding phase was Ebenezer Cobb Morley. He not only built up the London club Barnes, but was also instrumental in the founding of the first soccer association. When drawing up the rules, he argued that hacking - kicking an opponent in the shins - should be banned, thereby laying the foundations for fairness in soccer.
Who is considered the father of German soccer history?
Konrad Koch is considered the soccer pioneer in Germany. The secondary school teacher of German, Latin and Greek organized a soccer from England and played the first soccer match in Germany with his pupils. His aim was to use the game to discourage pupils from going on pub crawls and to motivate them to get more exercise.
Image Credits: Title Image: 9elisa9 / stock.adobe.com.; Image 1: Archivist / stock.adobe.com.; Image 2: Lario Tus / stock.adobe.com.; Image 3: kuco / stock.adobe.com.; Image 4: Andriy Blokhin / stock.adobe.com.; Image 5: Archivist / stock.adobe.com.; Image 6: owayo