Where Did Soccer Originate?

Sports and games have a long history. Some form of ball-type game has been played for at least 3000 years among people of different civilizations. This ball game, which may have evolved into soccer, has a long and confusing history. It is difficult to determine where it first started or how it evolved naturally in so many places, with its appearance in cultures so widely separated by distance. For example, Mesoamerican cultures played a game where a ball is kicked towards a wall-mounted basket to score a goal. The Chinese and Japanese cultures both report games similar to soccer and even engaged in games between the two peoples. European ancestors, such as the Vikings and Danes, were also familiar with other variants.

The modern game of soccer actually began in the late 1800s. It was originally only played by the royalty and aristocrats. Over time, the common people became interested and began to play among themselves.

Many towns and villages would compete against each other during this time. As the game continued to be played, finally an association in London, England, called the FA (Football Association) set down clear rules to govern how the game was played. Schools and universities at this time were regularly playing against each other all across England. Soccer was growing in popularity at such a rapid rate that people were organizing their own teams at factories and other organizations.

The first international game of soccer was played between England and Scotland in 1872. The Scottish team who played in this match was not necessarily the best team in Scotland, but it was the oldest.

How and where did soccer originate in other countries? Many countries were also taking an interest in the game and forming their own associations during this time. Most European countries had their own “football” associations by the turn of the century. Football is the term used by most Europeans to describe the game of soccer. The movement and interest had spread around the world by this time to New Zealand, Argentina and Chile.

As more and more countries joined the ranks of soccer enthusiasts, international tournaments were organized and games were forming between teams which were widely separated. More countries continued to become interested in soccer throughout the early part of the century. The United States formed its association in 1913. By 1900, the game of soccer had become so popular that it was included as one of the team sports in the Olympic Games.

With the widespread popularity of the sport, an international federation of countries with soccer organizations was formed in Paris. To date in the 21st century, there are 204 members in the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The federation helps control the play of soccer throughout the world. They are concerned about the adherence of member countries to the internationally accepted rules. The first International competition held was the World Cup in 1930.

Origins of International Rules

In 1963, eleven clubs and associations from England met to set down a set of international rules for the game of soccer. The rules determined at this meeting are still the definitive rules manual for the game. International travel had become a more reliable means of traveling great distances, so the frequency of international matches began to pick up in popularity. A sense of national pride had become attached to the nation’s soccer team, which persists to this date.

Today, fans are doing more traveling just to see their teams compete. Travelling with your home team is always the best kind of fan support. Now that the World Cup is so popular, many sports aficionados even plan their vacations around the cities in which the World Cup is scheduled to play. They take advantage of the beautiful locations and countries that the World Cup will be scheduled.  

While soccer remains most popular in the European countries and has yet to overtake American football in popularity throughout the U.S., many dedicated fans still support their teams and greatly enjoy watching this ancient game be played by modern athletes.