Football is a game that involves kicking a ball made of leather and plastic towards the goal to earn a point. There are two teams consisting of 11 players each, who attempt to move the ball into the other team's goal with their feet or torso. The winning team is decided by the number of goals scored. 

With over a billion fans globally, Football is the most watched and most popular sport in the world. It has a long and storied history. From its beginnings to its spread across the globe, it has evolved into one of the biggest sports around the world. 

Source: Worldpopulationreview.com | An overview of the most popular sports in the world.

Here, we will dive into the history of this popular sport. 

History Of Football

The game of Football has existed for centuries. The earliest versions of the games were played in villages before the Middle Ages, in accordance with regional customs. However, modern-day Football is said to have its origins in Great Britain almost two centuries ago. 

Early History

The earliest mention of Football (a game that involved kicking a ball) is recorded in the military manuals in China under the name Cuju in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. This is the oldest record of the game. Cuju was played on a square-shaped space with a circular ball made of stitched leather with either fur or feathers inside.

It is said to be the earliest version of Association Football. Some years later, a different version of Cuju spread to Japan during the Asuka era. This Japanese equivalent was called Kemari. 

The earliest version of Rugby Football is believed to have originated in ancient Greece and Rome. Ancient Greeks and Romans participated in a variety of activities involving balls. The Greek game Episkyros which involved playing with a ball created using hair-filled leather slivers is said to have inspired the Roman game harpastum. 

However, FIFA recognises Episkyros as an early form of football. 

The Origin Of Modern-Day Football

Modern-day Football originated in Great Britain. In the 1800s, England started playing two versions of the same sport with different rules. The two variants were given different names and followed different codes. One was called Rugby Football and the other was called Association Football. 

In 1863, the Football Association, the first regulating body of the sport was established in England. It was established to create a single, overarching set of rules and to control how the game was played among its members. 

The Football Association wrote the "Laws of Football," the first thorough set of regulations for Association Football, which later came to be known as “soccer” and then simply “Football”. 

Rugby Football became widely known as “Rugby” and Association Football remained “Football.” 

In 1904, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was established in Paris, France. France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland were the founding members of FIFA, which would later become the global governing body of the sport. 

As the two sports, Rugby and Football gained popularity, they traveled across the Atlantic and eventually reached  America in the 19th century. 

Also Read | Why Is Football Called Soccer?

The Origin Of American Football

Rugby and Football were combined into one in America, which borrowed elements from each. The new sport immediately surpassed both of them in popularity.

"Gridiron football" was the name given to the game. 

On November 6, 1869, two collegiate teams, Rutgers and Princeton, played the first game of Football in America utilizing regulations derived from Association Football at the time. Each team consisted of 25 men. They played with a spherical ball that was not meant to pick up or carry. However, it was possible to advance it towards the opposing goal by being kicked.

For years, football remained a game that was only played in the elite universities of America. 

Things changed in 1892, when Pudge Heffelfinger, former Yale guard, accepted a hefty sum of money from the Allegheny Athletic Association to participate in a match against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. 

Hefflefinger became the first-ever professional football player and laid the foundation for the National Football League.

8 years later, the American Professional Football Association (APFA) was established. Two years later, in 1922, the APFA changed its name to NFL (National Football League). 

Association football or Football is the most popular sport in the world. More than 250 million play this sport in over 200 countries. It also has the biggest broadcast audience of any sport. 

American football, with over a million players, is the most popular sport in America. The annual Super Bowl game is one of the most-watched television broadcasts in American history. The National Football League, founded in 1920, would, later on, emerge as the most successful and popular sports league in the world.