What Country Invented Soccer (Football)?

Modern-day football, otherwise known in other countries as “soccer” first came to fruition in England in 1863. However, Greece, China and other countries played similar games throughout the Roman Empire.

The Modern Football Game

Modern football became a more organized sport in the UK in 1863 with the founding of the Football Association (FA). It used to include many amateur players until the sport gained worldwide traction. By 2018, the association games had more than a billion viewers, including people watching it online or by TV for at least 90 minutes.

Football Association Formation

After the FA first formed, players didn’t receive any payment for play. In fact, the early days mandated that the teams do remain amateur. However, it became apparent that the sport would bring in revenue for countries, including China, Greece, Italy (Rome), France, Chili and Argentina.

Founding of The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)

This may seem confusing, but the acronym of FIFA for a game invented by England doesn’t represent the initials of the English spelling of this association. That’s because France founded what they call the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in Paris. This took place in 1904.

Origin of The Word “Soccer”

The United States usually calls European football “soccer” to differentiate between that sport and NFL football. However, the word “soccer” does have British origins, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

University of Oxford students used the term “ruggers” to mean “rugby football” and “soccer” when referring to association football. For most of Great Britain, the term “soccer” only took on a colloquial feel and never officially became the name of the game. On the other hand, other countries began adopting the word “soccer” when referring to this game.

Incidentally, people in France call the NFL football game “football américain.” Some English-speaking countries refer to the NFL game as “gridiron,” which also means “a frame of parallel bars” much like the goalposts you’d see in an NFL game instead of a goal net.

Earlier Football (Soccer) History

Evidence of football showed up as early as 206 BCE (B.C.). Apparently, Chinese soldiers played it – maybe to the pass the time when not on duty. In the 9th century, England begin making game balls out of pig bladder. Nowadays, soccer balls for European football are made from latex rubber or material that feels similar to it.

By 1848, Cambridge University began establishing formal rules for "football." Soccer began showing up in schools across the country and then the world.