Soccer Facts: History and Timeline of Soccer

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world today. Read on to find out about its interesting history, a full timeline, and some amusing and surprising facts.

Soccer is also known as football. Games involving the kicking of a ball have been played in several countries throughout history — soccer was played in China in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC, the Romans played it, and different forms were played in medieval Europe. Today it is the national sport of 53 countries. The word "soccer" itself was coined in the late nineteenth century from a shortening of "association football" plus "-er".

Timeline of Soccer

• 1848 — The Cambridge Rules were drawn up at Cambridge University; through the 1850s many clubs formed throughout the English-speaking world.
• 1857 — The Sheffield Football Club, the world's oldest club, was formed.
• 1862 — John Charles Thring of Uppingham School devised a set of rules.
• 1863 — The Football Association (The FA) was formed and made the first set of rules (the London Football Association).
• 1867 — Sheffield FA was formed.
• 1871 — The Rugby Football Union was formed.
• 1872 — The first official international match took place between Scotland and England in Glasgow.
• 1886 — The International Football Association Board (IFAB) was formed.
• 1888 — William McGregor founded the world's first football league in England.
• 1904 — FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) was formed in Paris.
• 1913 — FIFA representatives were admitted to the IFAB.
• 1930 — The first World Cup took place in Uruguay, and Uruguay won it.
• 1931 — The professional era started in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay.
• 1934 — The World Cup took place in Italy; the host team won.
• 1938 — The World Cup took place in France; Italy won its second.
• 1940s — The World War interrupted the World Cup; the American countries played local cups. Mexico's professional era began in 1943, and amateur soccer ended in 1948.
• 1950 — The World Cup took place in Brazil; Uruguay won.
• 1954 — The World Cup took place in Switzerland, the first with a sponsor; Germany won.
• 1958 — The World Cup took place in Sweden; Brazil won with players such as Pele and Garrincha.
• 1960 — The Libertadores Cup was inaugurated; Real Madrid beat Uruguay's Penarol in the Intercontinental Cup.
• 1962 — The World Cup took place in Chile; fans watched Brazil win on TV for the first time.
• 1966 — The World Cup took place in England; the host team won, and Mexican goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal set a record for most World Cup participations.
• 1970 — The World Cup took place in Mexico; Brazil won and became the country with the most championships.
• 1974 — The World Cup took place in Germany; fans watched the host team win on color TV.
• 1978 — The World Cup took place in Argentina; the host team won.
• 1982 — The World Cup took place in Spain; Italy won.
• 1984 — Diego Maradona was transferred to the Italian team Napoli.
• 1986 — The World Cup took place in Mexico; Argentina won its second, and Maradona scored one of the most amazing goals in the history of soccer.
• 1990 — The World Cup took place in Italy; Germany won.
• 1994 — The World Cup took place in the USA; Brazil won.
• 1998 — The World Cup took place in France; the host team won.
• 2002 — The World Cup took place in Japan and Korea; Brazil won.
• 2006 — The World Cup took place in Germany; Italy won.

Interesting Soccer Facts

Beyond the history, the game is dotted with amazing anecdotes on and off the field:

• Only 7 countries have ever won the World Cup: Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, France, England, Italy and Germany. European teams have reached the final of every World Cup except in 1930 and 1950.
• The most goals scored by one player in a single match was 15, by Ronaldo of Brazil.
• Until 1913, goalkeepers wore the same colored jersey as their teammates.
• The official ball of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was the Jabulani, meaning "rejoice" in Zulu — though many teams complained it moved too quickly.
• In 1997, Nigerian international Celestine Babayaro broke his leg while celebrating a goal on his Chelsea debut in a pre-season game.
• Sir Alex Ferguson was fired by St. Mirren in 1978 for swearing at a lady; today World Cup referees take a crash course in swear words — especially English — and give a red card if they hear offensive language.
• Diego Maradona made his appearance for Argentina at sixteen years of age.
• West Ham defender Alvin Martin scored a hat-trick against three different goalkeepers in an 8-1 win over Newcastle in 1986.
• A Manchester City fan was banned in 1995 from bringing dead chickens into Maine Road, which he used to swing around his head to celebrate goals.
• At a friendly match in Brazil, a referee once drew a revolver and shot a player dead over a disputed penalty, then escaped on horseback.
• A throw-in is legal as long as some portion of each of the thrower's feet is behind or on the touchline — so the heels may be on the line with the toes on the field.
• Ryan Giggs' father was a professional Rugby League player, and FIFA, the sport's leading international organization, is based in Switzerland.

This is just a fraction of what has happened on the football pitch — each major tournament and country has its own set of such snippets. Hopefully you found these facts about soccer as interesting and alluring as the beautiful game itself.