Association football

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"Soccer" redirects here. For other uses, see Soccer (disambiguation).

Association football

An attacking player (No. 10) attempts to kick the ball past the
opposing team's goalkeeper and between the goalposts to
score a goal.

Highest governing body FIFA

Football, soccer, footy/footie,

Nickname(s) "the beautiful game", "the world
game"

Mid-19th century Britain (with

First played
roots to 15th century England)

Characteristics

Contact Yes

Team members 11 per side

 Mixed gender Yes, separate competitions

Categorization Team sport, ball sport

Equipment Football or "soccer ball"

Venue Football pitch

Olympic 1900

Association football, commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two
teams of eleven players with a spherical ball. At the turn of the 21st century the game was played
by over 250 million players in over 200 countries making it the world’s most popular sport.[1][2][3]
[4]

The game is played on a rectangular field of grass or green artificial turf, with a goal in the
middle of each of the short ends. The object of the game is to score by driving the ball into the
opposing goal. In general play, the goalkeepers are the only players allowed to touch the ball
with their hands or arms, while the field players typically use their feet to kick the ball into
position, occasionally using their torso or head to intercept a ball in midair. The team that scores
the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is tied at the end of the game, either a
draw is declared or the game goes into extra time and/or a penalty shootout, depending on the
format of the competition.

The Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by the Football Association in 1863,
and have changed significantly since that time. Association football is governed internationally
by FIFA, which organises the FIFA World Cup every four years.[5]

Contents
[hide]

 1 Etymology
 2 Gameplay
 3 History
 4 Laws
o 4.1 Players, equipment, and officials
o 4.2 Pitch
o 4.3 Duration and tie-breaking methods
o 4.4 Ball in and out of play
o 4.5 Misconduct
  5 Governing bodies
 6 International competitions
 7 Domestic competitions
 8 Women's association football
 9 See also
 10 References
 11 External links

Etymology
See also: Names for association football

The rules of football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863 and the name
association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played
at the time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer originated in England, first appearing in
the 1880s as an Oxford "-er" abbreviation of the word "association".[6]

Gameplay

A goalkeeper saving a close-range shot from inside the penalty area

Association Football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game.
The game is played using a spherical ball (of 71 cm (28 in) circumference in FIFA play), known
as the football (or soccer ball). Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the
other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has
scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal
number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official
responsibility as mandated the Laws of the Game: to be involved in the coin toss prior to kick-off
or penalty kicks.[7]

The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with
their hands or arms during play, though they do use their hands during a throw-in restart.
Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their
body (notably, "heading" with the forehead[8]) other than their hands or arms.[9] Within normal
play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though
the ball cannot be received in an offside position.[10]

In typical game play, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual
control of the ball, such as by dribbling, passing the ball to a team-mate, and by taking shots at
the goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain
control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the
ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-
flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is
stopped by the referee for an infringement of the rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with
a specified restart.[11]

A goalkeeper dives to stop the ball from entering his goal

At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2005–06
season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.48 goals per match.[12] The Laws
of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper,[13] but a number of
specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers, or
forwards, whose main task is to score goals; defenders, who specialise in preventing their
opponents from scoring; and midfielders, who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of
the ball in order to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to
as outfield players, in order to distinguish them from the single goalkeeper. These positions are
further subdivided according to the area of the field in which the player spends most time. For
example, there are central defenders, and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may
be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of
the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-
minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players
typically spend most of the game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player
movement, and players can switch positions at any time.[14] The layout of a team's players is
known as a formation. Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the
team's manager.[15]

History
Main article: History of association football
England playing Scotland in the first-ever international football game (The Oval, 1872)

The Royal Engineers team who reached the first FA Cup final in 1872

Games revolving around the kicking of a ball have been played in many countries throughout
history. According to FIFA, the "The very earliest form of the game for which there is scientific
evidence was an exercise from a military manual dating back to the second and third centuries
BC in China."[16] The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century
efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played at the public schools of
England. The history of football in England dates back to at least the eighth century.[17]

The Cambridge Rules, first drawn up at Cambridge University in 1848, were particularly
influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The
Cambridge Rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge, at a meeting attended by
representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were not
universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were
formed throughout the English-speaking world, to play various forms of football. Some came up
with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club, formed by
former public school pupils in 1857,[18] which led to formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In
1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules.[19]

These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in
1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great
Queen Street, London.[20] The only school to be represented on this occasion was Charterhouse.
The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more meetings between October and December,
which eventually produced the first comprehensive set of rules. At the final meeting, the first FA
treasurer, the representative from Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of
two draft rules at the previous meeting: the first allowed for running with the ball in hand; the
second for obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and
holding. Other English rugby football clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA, or
subsequently left the FA and instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football Union. The eleven
remaining clubs, under the charge of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, went on to ratify the original
thirteen laws of the game.[20] These rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and the lack of
a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules football being developed at
that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s with the FA
absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games.[21]

The laws of the game are currently determined by the International Football Association Board
(IFAB).[22] The Board was formed in 1886[23] after a meeting in Manchester of The Football
Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the Irish
Football Association. The world's oldest football competition is the FA Cup, which was founded
by C. W. Alcock and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The first official
international football match took place in 1872 between Scotland and England in Glasgow, again
at the instigation of C. W. Alcock. England is home to the world's first football league, which
was founded in Birmingham in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor.[24] The original
format contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and the North of England. FIFA, the international
football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to Laws of the
Game of the Football Association.[25] The growing popularity of the international game led to the
admittance of FIFA representatives to the International Football Association Board in 1913. The
board currently consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of
the four British associations.[26]

Today, football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly
go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams,[27] while billions more watch the game on
television or on the internet.[28] A very large number of people also play football at an amateur
level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people
from more than 200 countries regularly play football.[29] Football has the highest global television
audience in sport.[30]

In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life
of individual fans, local communities, and even nations. The Côte d'Ivoire national football team
helped secure a truce to the nation's civil war in 2006[31] and it helped further reduce tensions
between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké,
an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time.[32] By contrast,
football is widely considered to be the final proximate cause in the Football War in June 1969
between El Salvador and Honduras.[33] The sport also exacerbated tensions at the beginning of
the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade
devolved into rioting in March 1990.[34]

Laws
There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game. The same laws are designed to apply to all
levels of football, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors, women and
people with physical disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which
allow flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. The Laws of the Game
are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the International Football Association Board
(IFAB), not FIFA itself.[35] In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other
directives contribute to the regulation of football. The most complex of the laws is offside. The
offside law limits the ability of attacking players to receive the ball when closer to the opponent's
goal line than: the ball itself; the second-to-last defending player (which can include the
goalkeeper); and the half-way line.[10]

Players, equipment, and officials

See also: Association football positions, Formation (association football), and Kit (Association
football)

Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes), one of whom must
be the goalkeeper. Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to
constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the
ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own
goal. Though there are a variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are
strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws.[13]

The basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear
and adequate shin guards. Headgear is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today
may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury. Players are forbidden to wear or
use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The
goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players
and the match officials.[36]

A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The
maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic
league games is three, though the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly
matches. Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical
switch, or timewasting at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player
who has been substituted may not take further part in a match.[37] IFAB recommends that "that a
match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team." Any decision
regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football associations.[38]

A game is officiated by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in
connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are
final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees. In many high-level games there is also a
fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise.[39]

Pitch
Main article: Association football pitch

Standard pitch measurements (See Imperial version)

As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four
British football associations within IFAB, the standard dimensions of a football pitch were
originally expressed in imperial units. The Laws now express dimensions with approximate
metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though popular use tends to
continue to use traditional units in English-speaking countries with a relatively recent history of
metrication, such as Britain.[40]

The length of the pitch for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–
120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international
matches may be 91–120 m (100–130 yd) length and 45–91 m (50–101 yd) in width, provided
that the pitch does not become square. Although in 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size
of 105 m long and 68 m wide as a standard pitch dimension for A international matches,[41] this
decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented.[42]

The longer boundary lines are touchlines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are
placed) are goal lines. A rectangular goal is positioned at the middle of each goal line.[43] The
inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (8 yd) apart, and the lower edge of the
horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are
usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws.[44]

In front of each goal is an area known as the penalty area. This area is marked by the goal line,
two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m
(18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a
number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the
ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by a
penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs, goal kicks,
penalty kicks and corner kicks.[45]

Duration and tie-breaking methods

A standard adult football match consists of two periods of 45 minutes each, known as halves.
Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play.
There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as
full-time.[46] The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for
time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This
added time is commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time, and is at the sole discretion
of the referee. The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official
is appointed, toward the end of the half the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time
he intends to add. The fourth official then informs the players and spectators by holding up a
board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee.
[46]
Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match
between Stoke and Aston Villa. Trailing 1–0 and with just two minutes remaining, Stoke were
awarded a penalty. Villa's goalkeeper kicked the ball out of the ground, and by the time the ball
had been recovered, the 90 minutes had elapsed and the game was over.[47] The same law also
stands that the duration of either half is extended until the penalty kick to be taken or retaken is
completed, thus no game shall end with a penalty to be taken.[48]

In league competitions, games may end in a draw, but in some knockout competitions if a game
is tied at the end of regulation time it may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-
minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of
penalty shootouts (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark")
to determine which team will progress to the next stage of the tournament. Goals scored during
extra time periods count toward the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are
only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament (with goals scored
in a penalty shootout not making up part of the final score).[7]

In competitions using two-legged matches, each team competes at home once, with an aggregate
score from the two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the
away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that
scored the most goals in the leg played away from home. If the result is still equal, kicks from
the penalty mark are required.[7]

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the IFAB experimented with ways of creating a winner
without requiring a penalty shootout, which was often seen as an undesirable way to end a
match. These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra
time was scored (golden goal), or if one team held a lead at the end of the first period of extra
time (silver goal). Golden goal was used at the World Cup in 1998 and 2002. The first World
Cup game decided by a golden goal was France's victory over Paraguay in 1998. Germany was
the first nation to score a golden goal in a major competition, beating Czech Republic in the final
of Euro 1996. Silver goal was used in Euro 2004. Both these experiments have been
discontinued by IFAB.[49]
Ball in and out of play

Main article: Ball in and out of play

Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play.
From the beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the
ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped
by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart
methods depending on how it went out of play:

A player takes a free kick, while the opposition form a "wall" in order to try to deflect the ball

 Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play.[11]
 Throw-in: when the ball has crossed the touchline; awarded to opposing team to that
which last touched the ball.[50]
 Goal kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been
scored and having last been touched by a player of the attacking team; awarded to
defending team.[51]
 Corner kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been
scored and having last been touched by a player of the defending team; awarded to
attacking team.[52]
 Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain
technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution or send-off an opponent
without a specific foul having occurred. A goal may not be scored directly from an
indirect free kick.[53]
 Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls.[53] A goal
may be scored directly from a direct free kick.
 Penalty kick: awarded to the fouled team following a foul usually punishable by a direct
free kick but that has occurred within their opponent's penalty area.[54]
 Dropped-ball: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason, such as a
serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective.
This restart is uncommon in adult games.[11]

Misconduct
Players are
cautioned with a
yellow card, and
sent off with a red
card. These
colours were first
introduced at the
1970 FIFA World
Cup and used
consistently since.

A player scores a penalty kick given after an offence is committed inside the penalty area

A foul occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of the Game while the ball is
in play. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately,
tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a
direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are
punishable by an indirect free kick.[9] The referee may punish a player or substitute's misconduct
by a caution (yellow card) or sending-off (red card). A second yellow card at the same game
leads to a red card, and therefore to a sending-off. A player given a yellow card is said to have
been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in his official notebook. If a player has been
sent off, no substitute can be brought on in their place. Misconduct may occur at any time, and
while the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular,
the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit
of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red
card to a player, substitute or substituted player. Non-players such as managers and support staff
cannot be shown the yellow or red card, but may be expelled from the technical area if they fail
to conduct themselves in a responsible manner.[9]

Rather than stopping play, the referee may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the
team against which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage".[55]
The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage
does not ensue within "a few seconds". Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage
being played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at the next stoppage of play.[56]
Governing bodies
See also: Association football around the world

The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such as futsal
and beach soccer) is the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The FIFA
headquarters are located in Zurich. Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these
are:[57]

 Asia: Asian Football Confederation (AFC)

 Africa: Confederation of African Football (CAF)
 Europe: Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
 North/Central America & Caribbean: Confederation of North, Central American and
Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)
 Oceania: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
 South America: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol/Confederação Sul-americana de
Futebol (South American Football Confederation; CONMEBOL)

National associations oversee football within individual countries. These are generally
synonymous with sovereign states, (for example: the Fédération Camerounaise de Football in
Cameroon) but also include a smaller number of associations responsible for sub-national entities
or autonomous regions (for example the Scottish Football Association in Scotland). 208 national
associations are affiliated both with FIFA and with their respective continental confederations.[57]

While FIFA is responsible for arranging competitions and most rules related to international
competition, the actual Laws of the Game are set by the International Football Association
Board, where each of the UK Associations has one vote, while FIFA collectively has four votes.
[26]

International competitions
Main article: List of association football competitions

A minute's silence before an international match

The major international competition in football is the World Cup, organised by FIFA. This
competition takes place over a four-year period. More than 190 national teams compete in
qualifying tournaments within the scope of continental confederations for a place in the finals.
The finals tournament, which is held every four years, involves 32 national teams competing
over a four-week period.[58] The most recent tournament, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, was held in
South Africa from 11 June to 11 July.[59]

There has been a football tournament at every Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except at the
1932 games in Los Angeles.[60] Before the inception of the World Cup, the Olympics (especially
during the 1920s) had the same status as the World Cup. Originally, the event was for amateurs
only,[25] however, since the 1984 Summer Olympics professional players have been permitted,
albeit with certain restrictions which prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides.
Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level. In the past the Olympics
have allowed a restricted number of over-age players per team;[61] but that practice ceased in the
2008 Olympics. A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, full
international sides without age restrictions play the women’s Olympic tournament.[62]

After the World Cup, the most important international football competitions are the continental
championships, which are organised by each continental confederation and contested between
national teams. These are the European Championship (UEFA), the Copa América
(CONMEBOL), African Cup of Nations (CAF), the Asian Cup (AFC), the CONCACAF Gold
Cup (CONCACAF) and the OFC Nations Cup (OFC). The FIFA Confederations Cup is
contested by the winners of all 6 continental championships, the current FIFA World Cup
champions and the country which is hosting the Confederations Cup. This is generally regarded
as a warm up tournament for the upcoming FIFA World Cup and does not carry the same
prestige as the World Cup itself. The most prestigious competitions in club football are the
respective continental championships, which are generally contested between national
champions, for example the UEFA Champions League in Europe and the Copa Libertadores de
América in South America. The winners of each continental competition contest the FIFA Club
World Cup.[63]
Have you ever wonder how soccer / football games get into our life? When and
where is the origin of this game from? Why is it so many peoples in the world crazy
about this game? Almost every culture has reference to the history of soccer.

     The origin of football / soccer can be found in every corner of geography and
history. The Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Ancient Greek, Persian,
Viking, and many more played a ball game long before our era.
The Chinese played "football"  games date as far back as 3000
years ago. The Ancient Greeks and the Roman used football 
games to sharpen warriors for battle. In south and Central America
a game called "Tlatchi" once flourished.

     But it was in England that soccer / football really begin to take shape. It all
started in 1863 in England, when two football association (association football and
rugby football) split off on their different course. Therefore, the first Football
Association was founded in England.

On October 1963, eleven London clubs and schools sent their representatives to
the Freemason's Tavern. These representatives were intent on clarifying the
muddle by establishing a set of fundamental rules,
acceptable to all parties, to govern the matches played
amongst them. This meeting marked the birth of The
Football Association. The eternal dispute concerning shin-
kicking, tripping and carrying the ball was discussed
thoroughly at this and consecutive meetings until eventually
on 8 December the die-hard exponents of the Rugby style
took their final leave. They were in the minority anyway.
They wanted no part in a game that forbade tripping, shin-kicking and carrying the
ball. A stage had been reached where the ideals were no longer compatible. On 8
December 1863, football and rugby finally split. Their separation
became totally irreconcilable six years hence when a provision was
included in the football rules forbidding any handling of the ball (not
only carrying it).

     Only eight years after its foundation, The Football Association
already had 50 member clubs. The first football competition in the
world was started in the same year - the FA Cup, which preceded the
League Championship by 17 years.

     International matches were being staged in Great Britain before football had
hardly been heard of in Europe. The first was played in 1872 and was contested by
England and Scotland. This sudden boom of organized football accompanied by
staggering crowds of spectators brought with it certain problems with which other
countries were not confronted until much later on. Professionalism was one of
them. The first moves in this direction came in 1879, when Darwin, a small
Lancashire club, twice managed to draw against the supposedly invincible Old
Etonians in the FA Cup, before the famous team of London amateurs finally
scraped through to win at the third attempt. Two Darwin players, the Scots John
Love and Fergus Suter, are reported as being the first players ever to receive
remuneration for their football talent. This practice grew rapidly and the Football
Association found itself obliged to legalise professionalism as early as 1885. This
development predated the formation of any national association outside of Great
Britain (namely, in the Netherlands and Denmark) by exactly four years.

After the English Football Association, the next oldest are the Scottish FA (1873),
the FA of Wales (1875) and the Irish FA (1880). Strictly speaking, at the time of the
first international match, England had no other partner association against which to
play. When Scotland played England in Glasgow on 30 November 1872, the
Scottish FA did not even exist - it was not founded for another three months. The
team England played that day was actually the oldest Scottish club team, Queen's
Park.

The spread of football outside of England, mainly due to the British influence
abroad, started slow, but it soon gathered momentum and spread rapidly to all
parts of the world. The next countries to form football associations after the
Netherlands and Denmark in 1889 were New Zealand (1891), Argentina (1893),
Chile (1895), Switzerland, Belgium (1895), Italy (1898), Germany, Uruguay (both in
1900), Hungary (1901) and Finland (1907). When FIFA was founded in Paris in
May 1904 it had seven founder members: France, Belgium, Denmark, the
Netherlands, Spain (represented by the Madrid FC), Sweden and Switzerland. The
German Football Federation cabled its intention to join on the same day.

This international football community grew steadily, although it

sometimes met with obstacles and setbacks. In 1912, 21 national
associations were already affiliated to the Fédération Internationale de
Football Association (FIFA). By 1925, the number had increased to 36,
in 1930 - the year of the first World Cup - it was 41, in 1938, 51 and in
1950, after the interval caused by the Second World War, the number
had reached 73. At present, after the 2000 Ordinary FIFA Congress,
FIFA has 204 members in every part of the world .

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 Jules Rimet Cup | FIFA World Cup

The World Cup (The Golden Nike) was founded in 1930 by Frenchman Jules Rimet, the
creator of the world championship games. The cup was designed and made by a
French sculptor, Abel Lafleur. 30 cm in height, weighing 1,82 kg and made of pure
gold, the sculpture depicted Nike of Samothrace (Winged Victory). In 1950 the
statuette was named the Jules Rimet Cup after its founder. It was a trophy passed on
to each winner and the team to win the tournament three times got to keep it (Brazil
achieved this in 1970). In 1983 the Cup was stolen and it has never been found. The
tournament using  Jules Rimet Cup was organized for a total of 9 times from 1930 to
1970. The tournament is being organized once in every four years.

The FIFA World Cup was founded in 1971. It was designed by Silvio Gazzanigi of Italy.
Made of 18-carat gold and malachite, the cup is 36 cm tall and weighs 5 kg.
The sculpture depicts two triumphant football players holding a globe in their
raised hands. The trophy is passed on to each winning team that gets to keep
an identical (but gold-plated) replica. The making of the statue cost about
$50,000, today its value is estimated to over $10,000,000. The World Cup
trophy that being used today has been staged for 8 times from 1974 until now.

1st. World Cup (Uruguay, 1930) : At the 1929 FIFA congress, Uruguay was chosen to
arrange the first ever World Cup to honor its achievements in sports. Uruguay, the
reigning Olympic Champions, was chosen ahead of a quartet of European countries
including Italy and Spain. Even though Uruguay offers to pay all team expenses, only
four European countries makes the three week trip to South America. The hosts builds
a fantastic stadium in Montevideo that can hold 95,000. The Stadium is finished five
days after the World Cup has started! The World Cup Champions were to receive
what today is known as "The Jules Rimet trophy".

2nd. World Cup (Italy, 1934) : Italy was the hosts for the 1934 World-Cup. Uruguay,
who won the previous tournament in 1930, surprisingly did not participate.
So immediately one of the main attractions was missing. This was the first
and last time the previous winners did not show up for the next
championships. There was 16 teams took part in the tournament. Argentina
and Brazil took part, but booth with average teams. Therefore the
Europeans and especially were favorites for the title. With the fascist
dictator Mussolini behind his team, everything was set up for Italy. Players
such as Orsi, Monti, and De Maria from Argentina were drafted into the
Italian squad after it was found they had double nationalities. The championships was no
victory for football, but Mussolini and the Italians were pleased with the outcome.

3rd. World Cup (France, 1938) : The World-Cup grew more and more, and in the
third championships, there  were 36 nations involved. Norway reached the finals
for the first time. The last championships were won by the hosts, but that was to
change. Again were Italy the winners. This tournament the football was played in a
more mature and collective way, with more speed and technical play. Three
players stood out above others, Meazza, Ferrari and Fiola. The draw for the first
round was done in Paris on March 5. 1938.
4th. World Cup (Brazil, 1950) : European teams from countries most affected by World
War II (among others the Polish team) didn't enter the qualifiers. The silver medalists of
the last championships, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Argentina didn't
participate either. Most countries in the world used the years 1945-50 to
rebuild their countries. As Usual, Brazil was the biggest favorite of the
tournament. Uruguay could not be written off, they had won three
championships in a row (OL-24, OL-28, VC-30), and had since not
participated in following tournaments. The final between Brazil and
Uruguay was played in front of amazing 203 000 people. Brazil had
impressed everyone in the early stages and took the lead 1-0. Uruguay
could hardly get out of their own half, but still managed to score 2 goals. One of the
biggest upsets in football history.

5th. World Cup (Switzerland, 1954) : Wankdorf stadium in Bern, 4. July 1954:
Hungarys magical “Magyars”, who were undefeated in 31 games over 4 years, met
West-Germany in the final of the 5th World-Cup. Just two weeks ago, Hungary had
defeated West-Germany by  8-3 in a group game. Unluckily, this time they lost 3-2
to the confusion of all football lovers. This legendary team who many regard as one
of the best ever never would become world champions. After the World-Cup they
continued to win and win until thousands of Russian tanks rolled into Budapest in
November 1956. The end of an era.

6th. World Cup (Sweden, 1958) : Garrincha, Didi, Gilmar, Zito and Pele were just some
of Brazils stars in 1958, who rewrote the history books. Hundreds of
Swedish flooded to the Brazilian training ground to catch a glimpse of their
ball control and tecnique. This championship would be the breakthrough
for a 17 year old boy from Sao-Paulo, Pele. This young man amazed the
world with his skills and goals. In the final against the hosts, Brazil won 5-2
with Pele scoring 2 of the goals. The semi final and final together he
scored 5 goals! Arguably footballs biggest star was born.

7th. World Cup (Chile, 1962) : It was expected that Peles Brazil would defend
their title. They did, but to the most without Pele. After scoring in the opening
match, he was injured and did not play the rest of the tournament. Brazil met
Czechoslovakia in the final and won easily. Even without Pele, Brazil was too
strong for the rest of the football world. Teams such as England and West-
Germany were in the process of building new teams. Whereas Argentina, Italy and
Uruguay were mostly keen on fighting than playing football.

8th. World Cup (England, 1966) : England will win the World-Cup on
home soil, said the English manager Alf Ramsey. The games founders
had been in 4 previous tournaments, but with disappointment. In 66 they
started slowly with a draw against Uruguay, but slowly found form as the
tournament went on. At last in this tournament, they stood as winners, and
Ramsey a national hero. The victory was not only popular and deserved,
but also controversial. The scoring that decided the final is still discussed
to this day!!!

9th. World Cup (Mexico, 1970) : Many believe that the 1970 World-Cup was the best
ever played, and inspired millions of kids to start playing. It was a championship
where different styles came against each other. As proved in the final where the
passing and skillful Brazilians met the tactical and physical Italians. Football won
that day as Brazil won 4-1 playing some of the best football ever seen. Again Pele
was inspirational along with Jairzinho, Gerson, Felix and Carlos Alberto. They
showed the world how football should be played. 1970 proved to be the farewell to who
many regard as the greatest, Pele.

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