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This page indexes the individual year in
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
pages. Each year is annotated with one or more significant events as a reference point.


Pre-1860s

* 1820s in football Order imposed on folk football. Public schools start devising versions of football. The Foot Ball Club of Edinburgh was founded as the first club to play any type of organized football. * 1830s in football * 1840s in football The Cambridge Rules are created in 1848. Official
referees A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...
appear for the first time in a football match at a match held in
Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
in 1849. * 1850s in football
Sheffield F.C. Sheffield Football Club is an English football club from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, although now based in nearby Dronfield, across the county boundary in Derbyshire. They currently compete in the . Founded in October 1857,
, the oldest surviving independent football club in the world, is founded in 1857. In 1858 it created its first set of rules, which would become known as the
Sheffield Rules The Sheffield Rules was a code of football devised and played in the English city of Sheffield between 1858 and 1877. The rules were initially created and revised by Sheffield Football Club, with responsibility for the laws passing to the Sh ...
. * 1860s in football British railway builders introduce football to Argentina.
The Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world a ...
is founded in 1863 (the first football association in the world), and it ratifies the original 14 rules of the game. In 1860, the first non-British team in Europe,
Lausanne Football and Cricket Club The Lausanne Football and Cricket Club was a Swiss association football and cricket club. The club was founded in 1860 by English students, who had studied at private schools in the area of Lausanne. During the year of the foundation this club ...
of Switzerland, is formed. In 1862,
Notts County F.C. Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...
is founded. In 1865 Buenos Aires FC was formed by British residents. In 1866, the Football Association introduces a 'cross tape' between goalposts as a precedent to the 'crossbar'. The first ever football tournament, the
Youdan Cup The Youdan Football Cup, also known as the Youdan Cup, was an 1867 Sheffield rules football competition. Preceding the FA Cup by more than four years, it was among the first tournaments in any code of football. Background Thomas Youdan, seen ...
, is played by twelve Sheffield clubs in 1867; the
Cromwell Cup The Cromwell Cup was the second ever Sheffield rules football competition (after the Youdan Cup) and was held in Sheffield, England. It was held in February 1868 and named after Oliver Cromwell, manager of the local Alexandra Theatre (not the ...
, the second oldest football tournament in the world, takes place in 1868 with Sheffield Rules. Goal kicks are introduced in 1869 and Scottish club Kilmarnock F.C founded.


1870s

* 1870 in football First "goalkeepers", and passage from "dribbling game" to "passing game" is seen in club matches in Sheffield and London. The first international match arranged by the Football Association between
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
and
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
on 5 March 1870 finishes in a 0–0 draw at the
Kennington Oval The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since it ...
in London.
Combination Game The Combination Game was a style of association football based around teamwork and cooperation. It would gradually favour the passing of the ball between players over individual dribbling skills which had been a notable feature of early Associati ...
developed by Royal Engineers AFC. * 1871 in football
Charles William Alcock Charles William Alcock (2 December 1842 – 26 February 1907) was an English sportsman, administrator, author and editor. He was a major instigator in the development of both international football and cricket, as well as being the creator of t ...
creates the Football Association Challenge Cup, the oldest cup tournament alive. * 1872 in football
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
and
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
draw 0–0 in the first FIFA-recognized international football match, played at the West of Scotland Cricket Club. Wanderers beat
Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is head ...
in the first FA Cup final. Kick corner and ball fixture is introduced by The Football Association. The first Welsh football club, Wrexham A.F.C., is founded. Football introduced in France by English sailors, and
Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...
is founded.
Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the Govan district of Glasgow which plays in the Scottish Premiership. Although not its official name, it is often referred to as Glasgow Rangers outside Scotland. The fou ...
is founded in Scotland. * 1873 in football The
Scottish Football Association The Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and the Scottish FA; sco, Scots Fitba Association; Scottish Gaelic: ''Comann Ball-coise na h-Alba'') is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility f ...
is founded. The offside law is changed so that an offside position is determined when the ball is played by a teammate, rather than when it is received. The corner kick is defined. * 1874 in football The FA authorizes referees to send players off for certain offences and makes a rule requiring teams to change ends at halftime. The first shin pads are introduced.
Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa P ...
and
Bolton Wanderers F.C Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
are founded. * 1875 in football The crossbar is introduced, replacing tape as the means of marking the top of the
goal A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, plan and commit to achieve. People endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines. A goal is roughly similar to a purpose or ...
.
Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
tour Germany and a number of German universities take up the game (one of first countries to play under FA rules outside of Britain). Blackburn Rovers F.C. is founded. * 1876 in football Carlton Cricket Club (Canada) form football section and subsequently tours Britain.
Middlesbrough F.C Middlesbrough Football Club ( ) is a professional football club in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, which competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium ...
were founded. * 1877 in football The length of a match is set at 90 minutes.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club' ...
were founded. * 1878 in football Referees begin to use whistles.
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
,
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
(as Newton Heath L&YR F.C.) and Everton (as St. Domingo's FC.) are founded. The first football match to be staged under electric floodlighting takes place at
Bramall Lane Bramall Lane is a football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which is the home of Sheffield United. The stadium was originally a cricket ground, built on a road named after the Bramall family of file and graver manufacturers. ...
, Sheffield, between two local representative teams. * 1879 in football Kjøbenhavns Boldklub introduces itself as the first sports club in
continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...
. Sunderland A.F.C. and
Doncaster Rovers F.C. Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at ...
are founded.


1880s

* 1880 in football
Irish Football Association The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the governing body for association football in Northern Ireland. It organised the Ireland national football team from 1880 to 1950, which after 1954, became the Northern Ireland national football team. ...
founded. Clubs charge for admission. Players paid lost wages and expenses (players still part-time).
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
are founded as St. Marks. * 1882 in football
Queens Park Rangers FC Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Roa ...
,
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has play ...
, and
Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club () is an English association football club based in Burnley, Lancashire, that competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football, following relegation from the 2021–22 Premier League. Founded on 18 ...
are founded. The first club in
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
formed by an English professor at Montevideo University; another club later formed by British railway engineers. Two-handed
throw-in A throw-in is a method of restarting play in a game of association football when the ball has exited the side of the field of play. It is governed by Law 15 of The Laws of the Game. Award When the ball goes out of play past the touch-line ...
introduced. * 1883 in football
Coventry City FC Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club is nicknamed th ...
is founded. * 1884 in football Played for the first time the
British Home Championship The British Home Championship * sco, Hame Internaitional Kemp * gd, Farpais lìg eadar-nàiseanta * cy, Pencampwriaeth y Pedair Gwlad, name=lang (historically known as the British International Championship or simply the International Champio ...
, the oldest tournament for national teams: the Scotland national team emerges as winner.
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 188 ...
are founded along with
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
, who are founded as Leicester Fosse. * 1885 in football The Football Association legalises professionalism. The first non-European international was contested on 28 November 1885, at
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...
, between the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
, the Canadians winning 1–0. Arbroath beat Bon Accord 36–0 in the
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,1886 in football The FAs of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland form the
International Football Association Board The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football. IFAB was founded in 1886 to agree standardised Laws for international competition, and has since acted as the "guardia ...
. The referee and the captain player for each team are introduced.
Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club, commonly referred to as Arsenal, is a professional football club based in Islington, London, England. Arsenal plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 13 league titles (i ...
is founded. * 1887 in football The first football team in South America is founded,
Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (; ''La Plata Gymnastics and Fencing Club''), also known simply as Gimnasia, is an Argentine professional sports club based in the city of La Plata, Buenos Aires Province. Founded in 1887 as "Club de Gimnasia ...
, Argentina. British introduce football to Russia.
Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V. (), commonly known as Hamburger SV () or Hamburg (), is a German sports club based in Hamburg, with its largest branch being its football section. Though the current HSV was founded in June 1919 from a merger of three ...
is founded. Hibernian F.C. wins the
Football World Championship The Football World Championship, also known as the United Kingdom Championship or the International Club Championship, was a exhibition association football match played between the English and Scottish club champions on a regular, but not annual ...
against
Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
, 2–1 in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. * 1888 in football
The Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
, the world's first national football league competition, is founded in England by
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park, ...
director William McGregor.
Celtic F.C. The Celtic Football Club, commonly known as Celtic (), is a Scottish professional football club based in Glasgow, which plays in the Scottish Premiership. The club was founded in 1887 with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the immigran ...
is founded.
Renton F.C. Renton Football Club was a football club based in Renton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Formed in 1872, they were a prominent team in the early history of Scottish football, and were one of the teams that featured in the first ever Scottish Cu ...
wins the
Football World Championship The Football World Championship, also known as the United Kingdom Championship or the International Club Championship, was a exhibition association football match played between the English and Scottish club champions on a regular, but not annual ...
against
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
, 4–1 in Glasgow. * 1889 in football The
Royal Dutch Football Association The Royal Dutch Football Association (, ; KNVB ) is the governing body of football in the Netherlands. It organises the main Dutch football leagues (Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie), the amateur leagues, the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch men's and wom ...
and the
Danish Football Association The Danish Football Union ( da, Dansk Boldspil-Union; DBU) is the governing body of football in Denmark. It is the organization of the Danish football clubs and runs the professional Danish football leagues and the men's and women's national te ...
are founded. The Danish association is the first non-British European football association. The
Football Alliance The Football Alliance was an association football league in England which ran for three seasons, from 1889–90 to 1891–92. History In 1888, the same year the Football League was founded, The Combination was established by clubs who had been ...
is formed as a rival to
The Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
. The first football association not admitted to FIFA is formed: the
Cornwall County Football Association The Cornwall County Football Association, also known as the Cornwall FA, is the governing body of football in Cornwall. Formed in 1889, it is responsible for the administration, control, promotion and development of football at all levels through ...
.
Rosario Central Club Atlético Rosario Central () is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina, that plays in the Argentine Primera División. The club was officially founded on December 24, 1889, by a group of railway workers, taking its name from the English- ...
, and
Mohun Bagan A.C. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, its football section is one of the oldest in India and Asia. The club is most notable for its victory over East Yorkshire Regiment ...
, the oldest football club in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
, is founded. RC Recreativo de Huelva, the first club in Spain, is founded.


1890s

* 1890 in football The IFA Premiership (Irish League) is formed (
NIFL Premiership The NIFL Premiership, known as the Danske Bank Premiership for sponsorship purposes, and colloquially as the Irish League or Irish Premiership, is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the North ...
). The
Scottish Football League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4 km sout ...
is formed. Goal nets used for the first time. * 1891 in football The
penalty kick A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
is introduced. Liverpool engineer
John Alexander Brodie John Alexander Brodie (1858 – 1934) was an English civil engineer. He was especially known for his contribution to town planning in Liverpool, notably as one of the engineers who led the design of the Mersey Tunnel under the River Merse ...
invents the football netBritish Council history of football
 Assistant referees are first introduced as linesmen. The first Oceanian football association is formed: the New Zealand Soccer Association. The first ever championship outside of Britain takes place in Argentina: AAF Championship. C.A. Peñarol is founded. * 1892 in football The Football League introduces a second division.
Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has ...
and Newcastle United F.C. are founded. The first Asian football association is formed: the
Football Association of Singapore The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is the governing body responsible for the administration of football in Singapore. Established in 1892 as the Singapore Football Association (SFA), it is the oldest football association in all of A ...
. Argentina is the first country outside of Britain to have a national championship. * 1893 in football
Argentine Football Association The Argentine Football Association ( es, Asociación del Fútbol Argentino, ; AFA) is the governing body of football in Argentina based in Buenos Aires. It organises the main divisions of Argentine league system (from Primera División to Tor ...
is founded, the first South American football association.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to as Genoa (), is a professional football club based in Genoa, Liguria, Italy, that competes in , the second division of the Italian football league system. Established in 1893, Genoa is ...
, the first Italian club football team, and
F.C. Porto Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Port ...
are founded. * 1894 in football Referee in complete control of game. * 1894 in football
Floriana FC Floriana Football Club is a Maltese professional football club in the town of Floriana that currently plays in the Maltese Premier League. In all, Floriana F.C. has won 26 national leagues and 21 FA Trophies (present and longest surviving main kn ...
of Malta is founded. * 1895 in football The
Federación de Fútbol de Chile The Football Federation of Chile ( es, Federación de Fútbol de Chile or ) is the governing body of football in Chile. It was founded 19 June 1895, making it the second oldest South American association football federation, and is a founding mem ...
, the
Belgian Football Association The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA; ; ; ) is the governing body of football in Belgium. It was a founding member of FIFA in 1904 and UEFA in 1954 and was based in Brussels, not far from the King Baudouin Stadium. Since October 2021, ...
and the Gibraltar Football Association are founded.
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional associatio ...
is founded. Sunderland A.F.C. wins the
Football World Championship The Football World Championship, also known as the United Kingdom Championship or the International Club Championship, was a exhibition association football match played between the English and Scottish club champions on a regular, but not annual ...
against
Hearts of Midlothian F.C. Heart of Midlothian Football Club, commonly known as Hearts, is a professional football club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The team competes in the Scottish Professional Football League. Hearts, the oldest and most successful football club in the Sco ...
, 5–3 in Edinburgh. * 1896 in football Italy's first national championship is organised by the Italian Federation of Gymnastics. Football played at the first
Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The ina ...
in Athens as
demonstration sport A demonstration sport, or exhibition sport, is a sport which is played to promote it, rather than as part of standard medal competition. This occurs commonly during the Olympic Games, but may also occur at other sporting events. Demonstration spor ...
. The match length is set to 90 minutes. * 1897 in football The Football League introduces automatic promotion and relegation between its two divisions.
Juventus F.C. )''I Bianconeri'' (The White and Blacks)''Le Zebre'' (The Zebras)''La Signora Omicidi'' (The Killer Lady)''La Gheuba'' (: The Hunchback) , founded = as Sport-Club Juventus , ground = Juventus Stadium , capacity = 41,507 , owner = Agnell ...
is founded as ''Sport Club Juventus''. * 1898 in football The
Italian Football Federation The Italian Football Federation ( it, Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio; FIGC), known colloquially as ''Federcalcio'', is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence. It ...
is formed.
CR Vasco da Gama Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama (), commonly referred as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a professional sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Originally a rowing club, Vasco is mostly known for its football team, who it currently compe ...
,
Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (; nl, Standard Luik ; german: Standard Lüttich ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège. They are one of the most ...
and
Portsmouth FC Portsmouth Football Club is a professional football club based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, which compete in . They are also known as ''Pompey'', a local nickname used by both HMNB Portsmouth and the city of Portsmouth; the ''Pompey'' nick ...
are founded.
CS Constantine Club Sportif Constantinois ( ar, النادي الرياضي القسنطيني), also known as CS Constantine or simply CSC for short, is an Algerian football club based in Constantine, Algeria. The club was founded in 1898, and its colours are ...
of Algeria is founded. * 1899 in football
FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Found ...
,
Club Nacional de Football Club Nacional de Football (, ''National Football Club'' or simply as Nacional) is a Uruguayan professional sports club based in Montevideo. The club was founded on 14 May 1899 as a result of the merger between ''Uruguay Athletic Club'' and ''Mon ...
and
A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional Association football, football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 ...
are founded. The number of a football team is defined to be 11 players.


1900s

* 1900 in football
Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol The Uruguayan Football Association ( es, Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol — ) is the governing body of football in Uruguay. It was founded in 1900, as The Uruguayan Association Football League, and affiliated to FIFA in 1923. It is a founding me ...
and
German Football Association The German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußball-Bund ; DFB ) is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB has jurisdiction for the German football league system and is in charge o ...
were founded.
FC Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
,
AFC Ajax Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or simply Ajax, is a Dutch professional football club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. Historically, Ajax (named after the ...
,
RCD Espanyol Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona (; "Royal Spanish Sports Club of Barcelona"), commonly known as Espanyol, is a professional sports club based in Barcelona, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top tier of the Spanish football league s ...
,
Borussia Mönchengladbach Borussia Verein für Leibesübungen 1900 e. V. Mönchengladbach, commonly known as Borussia Mönchengladbach (), Mönchengladbach () or Gladbach (; abbreviated as Borussia MG, BMG), is a professional football club based in Mönchengladbach, Nort ...
and S.S. Lazio (as ''Società Podistica Lazio'') are founded. The first club dedicated to football still active in Brazil,
Sport Club Rio Grande Sport Club Rio Grande is a professional association football club based in Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Founded in July 1900, they are Brazil's oldest active football club. They play in the second division of the Campeonato Gaúcho, ...
is founded. The
Malta Football Association The Malta Football Association (MFA; mt, Assoċjazzjoni tal-Futbol ta' Malta) is the governing body of football in Malta. The Association organises the Maltese Football League and several other competitions, including a knockout competition ...
is founded. * 1901 in football
Czechoslovak Football Association The Football Association of the Czech Republic ( cs, Fotbalová asociace České republiky; FAČR) or colloquially the ''Czech Football Association'' is the governing body of association football in the Czech Republic based in Prague. It organ ...
and
Hungarian Football Federation The Hungarian Football Federation ( hu, Magyar Labdarúgó Szövetség, MLSZ) is the governing body of football in Hungary. It organizes the Hungarian league and the Hungarian national team. It is based in Budapest. Honours ;National Team * Worl ...
are founded. The match between
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has play ...
and
Hearts of Midlothian F.C. Heart of Midlothian Football Club, commonly known as Hearts, is a professional football club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The team competes in the Scottish Professional Football League. Hearts, the oldest and most successful football club in the Sco ...
for the
Football World Championship The Football World Championship, also known as the United Kingdom Championship or the International Club Championship, was a exhibition association football match played between the English and Scottish club champions on a regular, but not annual ...
finishes 0–0, in London. Hibernian win Scottish Cup on 23 April.
Club Atlético River Plate Club Atlético River Plate, commonly known as River Plate, is an Argentine professional sports club based in the Núñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Founded in 1901, the club is named after the English name for the city's estuary, Río de la ...
is founded in Argentina,
C.F. Pachuca Club de Fútbol Pachuca is a Mexican professional football team based in Pachuca, Hidalgo, that competes in Liga MX. Founded by Cornish miners from Camborne and Redruth in 1901, it is one of the oldest football clubs in the Americas, and was ...
is founded,
Alianza Lima Club Alianza Lima, popularly known as Alianza Lima or simply Alianza, is a Peruvian professional sports club based in La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. It is widely known for having one of the most historical and successful football teams in ...
is founded in Peru. * 1902 in football The first international match between South American national teams is played between
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
0–6
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
, and the first international match between non-British European national teams:
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
5–0
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
. 26 people die and over 500 are injured when a section of the terracing collapses after a Scotland-England British Home Championship match at Ibrox Park. Five Spanish clubs compete for the ''
1902 Copa de la Coronación The 1902 Copa de la Coronación was a football competition in honour of the coronation of Alfonso XIII of Spain. The Royal Spanish Football Federation does not recognize it as the first season of the Copa del Rey, which began the following year. ...
'', which was unofficially the first
Copa del Rey The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footb ...
. The first Brazilian football league,
Campeonato Paulista The Campeonato Paulista Série A1, commonly known as Campeonato Paulista, nicknamed Paulistão, is the top-flight professional football league in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Run by the FPF, the league is contested between 16 clubs and t ...
'','' is won by
São Paulo Athletic Club São Paulo Athletic Club - officially these days Clube Atlético São Paulo, but generally referred to as SPAC, is a Brazilian sports club founded on 13 May 1888 by Charles William Miller and several English immigrants, being one of the first a ...
. The first North American football association (geographically South American but affiliated to
CONCACAF The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football,, ; french: Confédération de football d'Amérique du Nord, d'Amérique centrale et des Caraïbes, . Dutch uses the English name. abbreviated as CONCACAF ( ; types ...
) is formed: the
Guyana Football Federation The Guyana Football Federation is the governing body of football in Guyana. It controls the Guyana national football team. The GFF has sanctioned the GFF Elite League, Elite League as the highest tier of football in the country. Staff ' Refe ...
. The penalty area is defined.
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
,
Olimpia Asunción Club Olimpia is a Paraguayan sports club based in the city of Asunción. The club promotes the practice of various sports with most importance given to the football, rugby and basketball sides, the former being the highest priority and most su ...
and Fluminense Football Club are founded.
Hearts of Midlothian F.C. Heart of Midlothian Football Club, commonly known as Hearts, is a professional football club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The team competes in the Scottish Professional Football League. Hearts, the oldest and most successful football club in the Sco ...
won the
Football World Championship The Football World Championship, also known as the United Kingdom Championship or the International Club Championship, was a exhibition association football match played between the English and Scottish club champions on a regular, but not annual ...
against
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has play ...
, 3–1 in Edinburgh. * 1903 in football
Beşiktaş J.K. Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü (), also known simply as Beşiktaş (), is a Turkish sports club founded in 1903 that is based in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul. The club's football team is one of the Big Three in Turkey and one of the most ...
,
Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense (), commonly known as Grêmio, is a Brazilian professional football club based in Porto Alegre, capital city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The club plays in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, ...
,
Racing Club de Avellaneda Racing Club de Avellaneda, officially known as Racing Club or shortened to just Racing, is an Argentine professional sports club based in Avellaneda, a city of the Buenos Aires Province. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered o ...
and
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based i ...
are founded. * 1904 in football
FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
is founded in Paris on 21 May. The first football association geographically in North America is formed: the
Fédération Haïtienne de Football The Haitian Football Federation (FHF) (french: Fédération Haïtienne de Football, ht, Federasyon Foutbòl Ayisyen) is the governing body for football in Haiti. The FHF is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football in Haiti, ...
.
Swedish Football Association The Swedish Football Association ( sv, Svenska Fotbollförbundet, SvFF) is the governing and body of football in Sweden. It organises the football leagues – Allsvenskan for men and Damallsvenskan for women – and the men's and women's nat ...
is founded.
S.L. Benfica Sport Lisboa e Benfica (), commonly known as Benfica, is a professional football club based in Lisbon, Portugal, that competes in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portuguese football. Founded on 28 February 1904 as ''Sport Lisboa'', Be ...
,
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas Botafogo (local/standard alternative Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: ) is a beachfront neighborhood (''bairro'') in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a mostly upper middle class and small commerce community, and is located between the hills of M ...
and
Argentinos Juniors Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. The club is mostly known for its football team, which currently plays in the Argentine Primera División, and was recognized as one of the ...
are founded.
Professional Footballers' Association The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) is the trade union for professional association footballers in England and Wales. Founded in 1907, it is the world's oldest professional sport trade union, and has over 5,000 members. The aims of ...
(PFA) formed. * 1905 in football The Muratti Vase, the oldest tournament for FAs not admitted to FIFA, played for the first time, won by Guernsey.
Galatasaray Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club'') is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul in Turkey. Most notable for its association football department, the club also consists of various other de ...
, Chelsea F.C.,
Club Atlético Boca Juniors Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine sports club headquartered in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is mostly known for its professional football team which, since its promotion in 1913, has always played in the Arg ...
,
Estudiantes de La Plata Club Estudiantes de La Plata ( lit. "Students from La Plata"), simply referred to as Estudiantes de La Plata , is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, whe ...
,
Club Atlético Independiente Club Atlético Independiente () is an Argentine professional sports club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda in Greater Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its football team, which plays in the Primera Divisi ...
and
Sport Club do Recife Sport Club do Recife, (; known as Sport Recife or Sport, is a Brazilian sports club, located in the city of Recife, in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. Founded in 1905, the club currently plays in Série B. In football, the club has w ...
are founded. * 1906 in football England joins FIFA.
Club Deportivo Guadalajara Club Deportivo Guadalajara (); often simply known as Guadalajara () and their nickname ''Chivas'' (), is a Mexican professional football club based in Zapopan, Jalisco. Guadalajara is one of the ten founding members of the Mexican First Divisi ...
and
Sporting Clube de Portugal Sporting Clube de Portugal, founded Sporting Club de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP, often known abroad as Sporting Lisbon , is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Lisbon. It is best known for the professional f ...
is founded. * 1907 in football Fenerbahçe S.K., Al-Ahly and Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C. are founded. * 1908 in football For the first time, officially, a football tournament is played at the
Summer Olympics in London Summer is the Heat, hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after Spring (season), spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark h ...
, which was won by
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...
.
FC Internazionale Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Football in Italy, Italian professional Association football, football ...
,
San Lorenzo de Almagro Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro, commonly known as San Lorenzo de Almagro or simply San Lorenzo (in English: ''Saint Lawrence''), is a sports club of Argentina in the Boedo district of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its football team ...
,
Clube Atlético Mineiro Clube Atlético Mineiro (), commonly known as Atlético Mineiro or Atlético, and colloquially as Galo (, "Rooster"), is the largest professional football club based in the city of Belo Horizonte, the capital city of the Brazilian state of Mi ...
,
Feyenoord Feyenoord Rotterdam () is a Dutch professional football club in Rotterdam, which plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football. Founded as Wilhelmina in 1908, the club changed to various names before settling on being called after i ...
and Panathinaikos F.C. are founded. Organized in Italy the
Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva The Torneo Internazionale ''Stampa Sportiva'' (English: ''The'' Sport Press ''International Tournament'') was an early international football competition. Held in 1908, it predated the more famous Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy by a year. Organised by ...
, the first international football tournament for clubs, but not officially. * 1909 in football
R.S.C. Anderlecht ; french: Les Mauves et Blancs) , short name = R.S.C.A. , founded = , ground = Constant Vanden Stock Stadium , capacity = 22,500 , owntitle = Chairman , owner = Wouter Vandenhaute , manager = Brian Riemer ...
, Sport Club Internacional and
Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional fo ...
are founded. The first official national football tournament was organized in 1909 by the recently founded Romanian Football Federation, then called the Association of Athletic Societies in Romania. Played for the first time in Italy the
Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy The Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy was an association football competition that took place twice, in Turin, Italy, in 1909 and 1911. It is regarded as an early European trophy.1910 in football
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...
,
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista Sport Club Corinthians Paulista () is a Brazilian sports club based in the Tatuapé district of São Paulo. Although competing in a number of different sports, Corinthians is mostly known for its professional association football team that play ...
,
MKE Ankaragücü MKE Ankaragücü or fully Makina ve Kimya Endüstrisi Ankaragücü (), is a Turkish sports club located in the city of Ankara. The football team wears a yellow and navy kit and plays its home matches at Eryaman Stadium following the closure of t ...
and FC St. Pauli are founded. The Copa Centenario Revolución de Mayo 1910, played in and won by Argentina, is the first South American competition with more than two national teams, and is considered unofficially the first Copa América. * 1911 in football
FK Austria Vienna Fußballklub Austria Wien AG (; known in English as Austria Vienna, and usually shortened to Austria (German: Österreich) in German-speaking countries, is an Austrian association football club from the capital city of Vienna. It has won the m ...
,
El Zamalek Zamalek Sporting Club ( ar, نادي الزمالك للألعاب الرياضية), commonly referred to as Zamalek, is an Egyptian sports club based in Giza. It is one of the most successful football clubs in Africa and the Middle East, and ...
and
Anorthosis Famagusta Anorthosis Famagusta ( el, Ανόρθωση Αμμοχώστου, translit=Anorthosi Ammochostou), commonly known as Anorthosis in English or Anorthosi in Greek, is a Cypriot football club, part of the Anorthosis Famagusta multi-sport club fo ...
are founded. * 1912 in football Goalkeepers banned from handling the ball outside their own penalty area.
Santos FC Santos Futebol Clube (), commonly known simply as Santos or Santos FC and nicknamed the ''Peixe'' (; "fish"), is a Brazilian sports club based in Vila Belmiro, a ''bairro'' in the city of Santos. It is also the team with the most goals in ...
and Karşıyaka S.K. are founded. * 1913 in football Opposing players forced to stand at least ten yards away from a free kick.
Royal Spanish Football Federation The Royal Spanish Football Federation ( es, Real Federación Española de Fútbol; RFEF) is the governing body of football in Spain. It is based in La Ciudad del Fútbol of Las Rozas, a municipality near Madrid. It was founded on 14 October 19 ...
and
United States Soccer Federation The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the federation is ...
are founded. * 1914 in football The oldest surviving club trophy soccer competition in the Americas,
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a knockout cup competition in men's soccer in the United States of America. It is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in that country. The 2023 U.S. Op ...
, is founded in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
as National Challenge Cup and the Brooklyn Field Club (1898–1924) are crowned champions.
Glentoran Glentoran Football Club is a professional football club that plays in the NIFL Premiership. The club was founded in 1882. History Early history In 1914, Glentoran won the Vienna Cup, becoming the first United Kingdom team to win a European t ...
from Belfast wins first ever European competition, the Vienna Cup.
Brazilian Football Confederation The Brazilian Football Confederation ( pt, Confederação Brasileira de Futebol; CBF) is the governing body of football in Brazil. It was founded on Monday, 8 June 1914, as , and renamed Confederação Brasileira de Desportos in 1916. The foo ...
is founded.
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (), commonly known as Palmeiras, is a Brazilian professional football club based in the city of São Paulo, in the district of Perdizes. Palmeiras is one of the most popular clubs in South America, with around ...
,
Levski Sofia Levski Sofia ( bg, Левски София) is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia, which competes in the First League, the top division of the Bulgarian football league system. The club was founded on 24 May 1914 ...
and
Altay S.K. Altay Spor Kulübü is a Turkish professional football club based in the city of İzmir. Formed in 1914, Altay are nicknamed ''Büyük Altay'' (Great Altay). The club colors are black and white, and they currently play their home matches at the ...
are founded. * 1916 in football
CONMEBOL The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL, , or CSF; es, Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol; pt, Confederação Sul-Americana de Futebol) is the continental governing body of football in South America (apart from Guyana, Surina ...
is founded, and
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
wins the first
Copa América The Copa América ( en, America Cup) or CONMEBOL Copa América, known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship (''Campeonato Sudamericano de Fútbol'' in Spanish and ''Campeonato Sul-Americano de Futebol'' in Portuguese), is the t ...
, held in
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
.
Club América Club de Fútbol América S.A. de C.V., commonly known as Club América or simply América, is a professional association football, football club based in Mexico City. Nicknamed ''Las Águilas'' (The Eagles), it competes in Liga MX, the top tier ...
is founded. * 1918 in football
LDU Quito Liga Deportiva Universitaria (), often referred to as Liga de Quito, LDU, is an Ecuadorian professional football club based in Quito. They play in the Serie A, the highest level of the Ecuadorian professional football league. They play their ho ...
are founded under the name Club Universitario. * 1919 in football
Congolese Association Football Federation The Congolese Association Football Federation (french: Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association, FECOFA) is the governing body of football in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was founded in 1919 and affiliated to the FIFA in 1964 ...
, the first African football association,
French Football Federation The French Football Federation ( FFF; french: Fédération Française de Football) is the governing body of football in France. It also includes the overseas departments ( Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte and Réunion), the o ...
and
Polish Football Association The Polish Football Association ( pl, Polski Związek Piłki Nożnej; PZPN) is the governing body of association football in Poland. It organizes the Polish football leagues (without the Ekstraklasa), the Polish Cup and the Polish national footb ...
are founded.
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
,
Liga Deportiva Alajuelense Liga Deportiva Alajuelense (LDA, ), commonly known as Alajuelense and nicknamed La Liga (), is a Costa Rican multisport club based in the borough of El Llano, Alajuela, Alajuela province. Although they compete in a number of different sports, Ala ...
,
Valencia CF Valencia Club de Fútbol (, ca-valencia, València Club de Futbol ), commonly referred to as Valencia CF (or simply Valencia) is a professional football club based in Valencia, Spain, that currently plays in La Liga, the top flight of the Spa ...
, Dacia Unirea Braila, U.S. Salernitana,
Espérance Sportive de Tunis (; ar, الترجي الرياضي التونسي, Attarajī ar-Riyāḍi Attūnisī, link=yes), also known as ''ES Tunis'' and , is a Tunisian sports club based in Bab Souika neighbourhood of Tunis, Tunisia. The club was founded in 1919, thu ...
are founded.


1920s

* 1920 in football For the first time an African national team plays an international match, which is also the first intercontinental national team match between
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
and
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
, which ends 2–1, at the Summer Olympics in Belgium. * 1921 in football
Egyptian Football Association The Egyptian Football Association ( ar, الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم) is the governing body of football in Egypt. A member of FIFA since 1923 and a founding member of CAF, the EFA has jurisdiction for the Egyptian football lea ...
is founded.
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube Cruzeiro Esporte Clube (), known simply as Cruzeiro, is a Brazilian sports club based in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Although they compete in a number of different sports, Cruzeiro is mostly known for its association football team. It pla ...
is founded. The IFA Premiership (Irish League) is now the national league of Northern Ireland, following partition. * 1923 in football
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pik ...
defeat
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
in the first English
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
final played at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
, remembered as the
White Horse Final The 1923 FA Cup Final was an association football match between Bolton Wanderers F.C., Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United F.C., West Ham United on 28 April 1923 at the original Wembley Stadium (1923), Wembley Stadium in London. The showpiece ...
. Rapid București ,
Gençlerbirliği S.K. Gençlerbirliği Spor Kulübü (pronounced ), commonly known as Gençlerbirliği, is a Turkish sports club based in Ankara. Formed in 1923, Gençlerbirliği are nicknamed ''Ankara Rüzgârı'' (The Wind of Ankara) or simply ''Gençler'' (The You ...
and Turkish Football Federation are founded. * 1924 in football Players allowed to score directly from a corner kick. For the first time a South American national team and a European national team play each other:
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
-
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...
7–0, at the Summer Olympics in France. Uruguay wins the gold medal. For the first time an Oceanian national team plays an international match:
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
-
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
3–2.
Chinese Football Association The Chinese Football Association (CFA) is the governing body for association football, beach soccer and futsal in People's Republic of China (Mainland China). The CFA organizes the men's and women's national teams and administers the country' ...
is founded. Following their Italian league victory in 1923–24, Genoa C.F.C. becomes the first team ever to add a ''scudetto'' patch to their shirt. * 1925 in football The offside rule is changed: a player is now onside if a minimum of two (instead of three) opposing players are between him and the goal line.
Étoile Sportive du Sahel Étoile may refer to: Places ;France * Charles de Gaulle – Étoile, station of the Paris Métro * Étoile-Saint-Cyrice, commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in France * Étoile-sur-Rhône, commune in the Drôme department in France * L'Ét ...
,
Colo-Colo Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo () is a Chilean professional football club based in Macul, Santiago. Founded in 1925 by David Arellano they play in the Chilean Primera División, from which they have never been relegated. The team has pla ...
and Olympiacos F.C. are founded. * 1926 in football
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. Th ...
become the first team to win the Football League in three consecutive seasons.
ACF Fiorentina ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fol ...
PAOK and
APOEL FC APOEL FC ( el, ΑΠΟΕΛ; short for Αθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Ελλήνων Λευκωσίας, ''Athletikos Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias'', literally "Athletic Football Club of Greeks of Nicosia") ...
are founded. * 1927 in football
AC Sparta Prague ) but refer to Spartans as "''Rudí''" ( en, The Dark Reds/The Maroons).'' Letenští'' , ground = Generali Česká pojišťovna Arena , capacity = 19,416 , clubname = Sparta Prague , image = Sparta Praha logo.png , image_size = 160px , fu ...
wins the inaugural
Mitropa Cup The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale or Central European Cup, was one of the first international major European football cups for club sides. It was conducted among the successor states of the former Austria-Hunga ...
, the first international major European cup for clubs, the predecessor to the Champions League.
Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación * Federación, Entre Ríos, Argentina * Federación Department, Argentina * Federación Municipality, Falcón State ) , anthem = , image_map = Falcon in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption ...
is founded.
FC Dynamo Kyiv Football Club Dynamo Kyiv (, ) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kyiv. Founded in 1927 as a Kyivan football team of republican branch of the bigger Soviet Dynamo Sports Society, the club as a separate business entity was offici ...
and
Cruz Azul Club de Futbol Cruz Azul or simply Cruz Azul () is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in the Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Because "azul" means "blue" in Spanish, the club has traditionally ...
are founded. First League match broadcast on radio. * 1928 in football
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Banco Santander, Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaL ...
is formed. Uruguay wins the gold medal for the second time in a row. * 1929 in football Lega Calcio Serie A is formed. Goalkeepers have to stand still on their lines for penalty kicks.


1930s

* 1930 in football Thirteen teams enter the first World Cup, held in
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
. The hosts beat
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
4–2 in the final. Contested between the top national teams of continental Europe, Dr. Gerö Cup' first edition is won by
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
.
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaW ...
. * 1932 in football Football is excluded from the
1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...
in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
due to the low popularity of the sport in the United States at the time.
Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different na ...
becomes the first Italian club to win a major international competition following their
Mitropa Cup The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale or Central European Cup, was one of the first international major European football cups for club sides. It was conducted among the successor states of the former Austria-Hunga ...
conquest. * 1934 in football Hosts
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
become the second World Cup winners and the first European team to do so, beating
Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...
2–1 in the final. For the first time a qualification stage occurs and an Asian national team plays an international match:
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
- Palestine 7–1. Egypt becomes the first African team to compete. * 1935 in football
Deportivo Saprissa Deportivo Saprissa is a Costa Rican sports club, mostly known for its football team. The club is based in San Juan de Tibás, San José, and play their home games at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá. The team's signature colours are purple ...
is founded.
Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football league system. Founded in ...
becomes the first team in Italian football history to win 5 national titles in a row. * 1936 in football Italy wins gold at the Olympics in Berlin and joins Uruguay to become Olympic and World champion. * 1937 in football The largest football crowd was recorded, 149,415 people turned up at
Hampden Park Hampden Park (Scottish Gaelic: ''Pàirc Hampden''), often referred to as Hampden, is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The -capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland. It is the no ...
,
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
, to see
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
play
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
* 1938 in football In the 1938 World Cup held in France, Italy beats
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
4–2 in the final and becomes the first team to successfully defend the title and the first to win on foreign soil.
Vittorio Pozzo Vittorio Pozzo (; 2 March 1886 – 21 December 1968) was an Italian football player, manager and journalist. The creator of the '' Metodo'' tactical formation, Pozzo is regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time, and is the only man ...
becomes the first coach and only at present to guide his team to two World Cup victories. Polish
Ernest Willimowski Ernest Otton Wilimowski (, born Ernst Otto Prandella; 23 June 1916 – 30 August 1997), nicknamed "Ezi", was a footballer who played as a forward. He ranks among the best goalscorers in the history of both the Poland national team and Polish c ...
becomes the first player to score four goals in a World Cup game during
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
's 6–5 loss against Brazil. Following the
Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germa ...
with Germany, Austria withdraws and some Austrian players joins the German squad. Argentina and Uruguay boycott the tournament as it is held in Europe for the second successive time. First live TV transmission of
FA Cup Final The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. It has regularly been one of the most attended domestic football events in the world, with an official atten ...
. * 1939 in football Shirt numbering is made compulsory.


1940s

* 1941 in football
CCCF Championship The CCCF Championship was an association football (soccer) tournament made for teams in the area of Central America and the Caribbean between the years of 1941 and 1961. It was founded in 1938 and the precursor of the CONCACAF, that was formed whe ...
Is organized for the first time by CCCF, won and hosted by Costa Rica. * 1945 in football
Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional football club based in Be ...
is founded. * 1946 in football The
Burnden Park Disaster The Burnden Park disaster was a human crush that occurred on 9 March 1946 at Burnden Park football stadium, then the home of Bolton Wanderers. The crush resulted in the deaths of 33 people and injuries to hundreds of Bolton fans. It was the de ...
kills 33
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pik ...
fans. The PFC is formed. JS Kabylie is founded. * 1947 in football
NAFC Championship The North American Nations Cup and NAFC Championship were association football tournaments for teams in the area of North America. In 1947 and 1949, the NAFC Championship was organized by the North American Football Confederation. Cuba, Mexico, a ...
is organized for the first time by
North American Football Confederation The North American Football Confederation (NAFC) was founded in 1946 as the governing body of association football in Northern America, Mexico, and Cuba. The first president of the NAFC was Carlos Alonso who was elected on 19 December 1946 in Hav ...
in
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...
, and won by
Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
.
Atlético Nacional Atlético Nacional S. A., best known as Atlético Nacional, is a Colombian professional football club based in Medellín. The club is one of only three clubs to have played in every first division tournament in the country's history, the oth ...
and FC Steaua București are founded. * 1948 in football
CSKA Sofia CSKA Sofia ( bg, ЦСКА София) is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia and currently competing in the country's premier football competition, the First League. ''CSKA'' is an abbreviation for ''Central Sport ...
and
Dinamo București A dynamo is a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator. Dynamo or Dinamo may also refer to: Places * Dinamo (Moscow Metro), a station of the Moscow Metro, Moscow, Russia * Dinamo (Yekaterinburg Metro), a station of the Yekaterinb ...
are founded. * 1949 in football
FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Found ...
win the inaugural
Latin Cup The Latin Cup was an international football tournament for club sides from the Southwest European nations of France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. In 1949 the football federations came together and requested FIFA to launch the competition. Europ ...
, one of the forerunners of the
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
. The
Superga air disaster The Superga air disaster occurred on 4 May 1949, when a Fiat G.212 of Avio Linee Italiane (Italian Airlines), carrying the entire Torino football team (popularly known as the ''Grande Torino''), crashed into the retaining wall at the back of th ...
kills 31 people, including 18
Grande Torino The Grande Torino was the historic Italian football team of Torino Football Club in the 1940s, five-time champions of Italy, whose players were the backbone of the Italy national team and died on 4 May 1949 in the plane crash known as the Super ...
players, the backbone of the Italian national team.
Raja Casablanca Raja Club Athletic ( ar, نادي الرجاء الرياضي, Nādī ar-Rajāʾ ar-Riyāḍī, zgh, ⴰⵙⵔⵉⵔ ⵏ ⵕⴰⵊⴰ ⴰⵎⴰⵏⵓⵏ), commonly referred to as Raja CA, Raja Casablanca or simply RCA is a professional footb ...
is founded.


1950s

* 1950 in football
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
win the
1950 FIFA World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup was the fourth edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship for senior men's national teams and held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July 1950. The planned 1942 and 1946 World Cups were ...
held in Brazil, when they beat the hosts 2–1 in the final group match of the tournament, also known as the ''
Maracanazo The match between Uruguay and hosts Brazil was the decisive match of the final stage at the 1950 FIFA World Cup. The match was played at the Maracanã Stadium in the then-capital of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, on 16 July 1950. Unlike in other e ...
'', the highest attendance at any sporting match at 200,000. Earlier in the same tournament, one of the biggest upsets in football history occurs, when the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
shock
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
1–0. * 1951 in football Use of white ball permitted. Copa Rio, the first world tournament for clubs, is played for the first time in Brazil, and won by
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (), commonly known as Palmeiras, is a Brazilian professional football club based in the city of São Paulo, in the district of Perdizes. Palmeiras is one of the most popular clubs in South America, with around ...
. * 1952 in football Hungary's revolutionary tactics help the
Golden Team The Golden Team ( hu, Aranycsapat; also known as the Mighty Magyars, the Magical Magyars, the Magnificent Magyars, the Marvellous Magyars, or the Light Cavalry) refers to the Hungary national football team of the 1950s. It is associated with seve ...
to win the football at the
1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...
. The
Panamerican Championship The Panamerican Championship was an international football tournament held by the Panamerican Football Confederation every four years with three editions held from 1952 through 1960.
is played for the first time in Chile, won by
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. * 1953 in football
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
lose a home match for the first time, 6–3 to
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
. * 1954 in football
UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs fo ...
is founded in
Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (B ...
, Switzerland,
Asian Football Confederation The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal in some countries/territories in Asia and Oceania. It has 47 member countries most of which are located in Asia. Australia, formerly ...
is formed.
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
win the
1954 FIFA World Cup The 1954 FIFA World Cup was the fifth edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football tournament for senior men's national teams of the nations affiliated to FIFA. It was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzer ...
held in Switzerland (it was the first World Cup with a sponsor), coming back from 0–2 to win the final game 3–2 against Hungary, a match known as '' The Miracle of Bern.''
Club Universidad Nacional Club Universidad Nacional, A.C., commonly referred to as UNAM, is a professional football club based in Ciudad Universitaria of Mexico City, Mexico. The club competes in the Liga MX, the top division in the Mexican football league system. Found ...
is founded. * 1955 in football First
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
starts. The
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, sometimes referred to as the European Fairs Cup, Fairs Cities' Cup, or simply as the Fairs Cup, was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. It is often considered the predecessor to the UEFA Cup ( ...
, considered the precursor of the
UEFA Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay ...
, is played for the first time and won by Barcelona. * 1956 in football
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
beat Stade de Reims-Champagne 4–3 in the first
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
final. First
RAI RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...
TV's transmission of football match
Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
happens in Italy in a match between
Fiorentina ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fol ...
and
Napoli Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. The first
Asian Cup The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second oldest cont ...
is played in Hong Kong, won by Korea Republic. Saudi Arabia Football Federation is founded. Floodlighting used for first time at League match (Portsmouth). The Ballon d'Or is assigned for the first time to Stanley Matthews. *1957 in association football, 1957 in football Confederation of African Football, CAF is founded; only three teams enter the first African Cup of Nations in Sudan, won by
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
. Al-Hilal FC, Al-Hilal is founded. *1958 in association football, 1958 in football Pelé and Garrincha star as
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
win their first 1958 FIFA World Cup, World Cup in Sweden, beating Sweden national football team, the hosts 5–2 in the final. 23 people, including eight Manchester United F.C., Manchester United players, are killed in the Munich air disaster. Just Fontaine becomes the first and to this day only player to score 13 goals in a single World Cup.
Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football league system. Founded in ...
becomes the first team in history to adopt a star (football badge), golden star above their crest to represent their tenth
Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
title, a national record then. *1959 in association football, 1959 in football The first season of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Brazilian National Championship takes place and is won by Esporte Clube Bahia. Once Caldas is founded.


1960s

*1960 in association football, 1960 in football The first UEFA European Championship, European Championship is played in France, won by Soviet Union national football team, USSR. The Copa Libertadores is played for the first time and won by C.A. Peñarol, and the Intercontinental Cup (football), Intercontinental Cup is played for the first time, won by Real Madrid. First European Cup Winners' Cup. *1961 in association football, 1961 in football
CONCACAF The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football,, ; french: Confédération de football d'Amérique du Nord, d'Amérique centrale et des Caraïbes, . Dutch uses the English name. abbreviated as CONCACAF ( ; types ...
is founded with the fusion of CCCF and NAFC. S.L. Benfica, Benfica become the second team to win the European Cup, beating
FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Found ...
3–2 in the final.
ACF Fiorentina ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fol ...
wins the first edition of UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1960–61, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and becomes the first Italian team to win an UEFA competition. Football Federation Australia is founded. *1962 in association football, 1962 in football
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
retain the 1962 FIFA World Cup, 1962 World Cup, beating
Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...
3–1 in the final. The CONCACAF Champions League is organized for the first time, and won by C.D. Guadalajara, Club Deportivo Guadalajara. FIFA reaches 100 members. *1963 in association football, 1963 in football The West German national league Bundesliga is formed. Lev Yashin becomes the first goalkeeper to win European Footballer of the Year. The first CONCACAF Championship is played in El Salvador, won by Costa Rica. Tottenham Hotspur become the first British club to win a European football competition, European Cup Winner's Cup beating
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based i ...
5–1 in the final. *1964 in association football, 1964 in football Inter Milan, Internazionale wins the European Cup for the first time joining city rivals AC Milan as European champions. Milano becomes the first city and only at present to have won the Champions League with two different clubs. CAF Champions League organized for the first time and won by Oryx Douala. *1965 in association football, 1965 in football FC Twente is founded. *1966 in association football, 1966 in football
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
win the 1966 FIFA World Cup, 1966 World Cup as hosts, beating
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
4–2 in the final as Geoff Hurst becomes the first player to score a hat-trick in the final. The Oceania Football Confederation, OFC is founded. *1967 in association football, 1967 in football Celtic F.C., Celtic become the first British club to win the
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
, beating Internazionale 2–1 in the final. Flórián Albert became the first Hungarian player who win the European Golden Boot. The AFC Champions League is played for the first time, won by Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C. *1968 in association football, 1968 in football Manchester United F.C., Manchester United win the
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
ten years after the Munich air disaster killed eight of their players. Eusébio wins the inaugural European Golden Boot, Golden Boot award as the continent's top club scorer. *1969 in association football, 1969 in football 2000 people die when El Salvador and Honduras declare Football war, war on each other following a FIFA World Cup, World Cup qualifying match.


1970s

*1970 in association football, 1970 in football
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
becomes the first national side to win a third 1970 FIFA World Cup, World Cup in Mexico, the first ever held outside Europe and South America, beating
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
4–1 in the final as their captain Pelé becomes the first player to win three World Cup medals. Earlier in the tournament, Italy v West Germany (1970 FIFA World Cup), The Game of the Century occurs, Italy beats Germany 4–3 in the semifinal after five goals scored in extra time. Yellow and red cards for sendings off and admonitions appear. Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Paris was founded. *1971 in association football, 1971 in football 66 die in the second 1971 Ibrox disaster, Ibrox disaster. First 1970–71 UEFA Cup, UEFA Cup. The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup is abolished. The first women international match is played: France women's national football team, France 4 Netherlands women's national football team, Netherlands 0. *1972 in association football, 1972 in football
Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the Govan district of Glasgow which plays in the Scottish Premiership. Although not its official name, it is often referred to as Glasgow Rangers outside Scotland. The fou ...
wins the 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, European Cup Winners' Cup. Tottenham Hotspur wins the first 1972 UEFA Cup Final, UEFA Cup.
AFC Ajax Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or simply Ajax, is a Dutch professional football club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. Historically, Ajax (named after the ...
wins the first edition of the UEFA Super Cup. *1973 in association football, 1973 in football AFC Ajax, Ajax win the European Cup for the third consecutive season. The first 1973 Oceania Cup, OFC Nations Cup is organized and won by New Zealand. *1974 in association football, 1974 in football Hosts
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
win the 1974 FIFA World Cup, 1974 World Cup, beating the Netherlands national football team, Netherlands 2–1 in the final. *1975 in association football, 1975 in football The 1975 AFC Women's Championship, AFC Women's Asian Cup is organized for the first time in Hong Kong, won by New Zealand women's national football team, New Zealand. *1976 in association football, 1976 in football Bayern Munich win the 1976 UEFA Cup Final, European Cup for the third consecutive season. Iran national football team, Iran national team win its third consecutive
Asian Cup The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second oldest cont ...
, a record. *1977 in association football, 1977 in football Juventus become the first Italian and South European club to win the 1977 UEFA Cup Final, UEFA Cup. The first FIFA U-20 World Cup is organized in Tunisia, and won by USSR. *1978 in association football, 1978 in football Hosts
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
win the 1978 FIFA World Cup, 1978 World Cup, beating the Netherlands national football team, Netherlands 3–1 in the final; Johann Cruyff refuses to play in the tournament. *1979 in association football, 1979 in football Nottingham Forest F.C., Nottingham Forest lift their first 1979 UEFA Cup Final, European Cup in Munich, defeating Malmö FF, Malmö 1–0 in the final.


1980s

*1980 in association football, 1980 in football German national football team, West Germany defeats Belgium national football team, Belgium 2–1 in the final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome to take the UEFA Euro 1980, European Football Championship. *1981 in association football, 1981 in football
The Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
begins awarding three points for a win instead of two. In Uruguay, to celebrate the 50 years of the World Cup, the 1980 World Champions' Gold Cup, 1980 Mundialito is organize; won by the hosts. *1982 in association football, 1982 in football The 1982 FIFA World Cup is played in Spain, the first with 24 teams, the tournament was won by
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, after defeating
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
3–1 in the final in the Spanish capital of Madrid. It was Italy's third World Cup win and first since 1938 FIFA World Cup, 1938. The holders
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
were eliminated in the second group round. Algeria, Cameroon, Honduras, Kuwait and New Zealand made their first appearances in the finals. for the first time all continents were represented in the competition. Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa win the 1982 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, European Cup, beating FC Bayern Munich, Bayern Munich 1–0 in the final. *1983 in association football, 1983 in football Aberdeen FC, Aberdeen beat
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
to win their first European Trophy, the 1982–83 European Cup Winners' Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup soon followed by defeating Hamburger SV, Hamburg to win the European Super Cup. The 1983 OFC Women's Championship, OFC Women's Championship is played for the first time in New Caledonia, won by New Zealand. *1984 in association football, 1984 in football Michel Platini leads Juventus to the 1984 European Cup Final, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, beating
F.C. Porto Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Port ...
in the final and the hosts France national football team, France to the UEFA European Football Championship, European Football Championship, beating Spain national football team, Spain in the final. France also wins the Football at the 1984 Summer Olympics, gold medal in the 1984 Olympic Games, beating
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
in the final at the Rose Bowl (stadium), Rose Bowl. The 1983–84 European Cup, UEFA Women's Championship is organized for the first time, won by Sweden women's national football team, Sweden. *1985 in association football, 1985 in football On 29 May, the Heysel Stadium disaster takes place in Brussels prior the 1985 European Cup Final, European Cup final between Liverpool F.C., Liverpool and
Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football league system. Founded in ...
, leading to English clubs being banned from European club competition for five years. Juventus becomes the UEFA club competition records and statistics#List of teams to have won the three main European club competitions, first club in the history of European football to have won all three major UEFA competitions, confederation competitions after defeating Liverpool 1–0 in European Cup 1984–85#Final, that match, as well as the first in association football history to have won all possible international competitionsIn addition, Juventus F.C. was the first club in association football history to have won all possible confederation competitions (e.g. the international tournaments List of UEFA club competition winners, organised by UEFA) and remained the only in the world to achieve this until the first 2022 UEFA Europa League Final, Europa Conference League final in 2022, cf.
after defeating
Argentinos Juniors Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. The club is mostly known for its football team, which currently plays in the Argentine Primera División, and was recognized as one of the ...
6–4 (2–2 Extra time, a.e.t.) in the Intercontinental Cup (football), Intercontinental Cup final at Tokyo's National Stadium Tokyo, National Stadium on 8 December. The Bradford City stadium fire occurs at Valley Parade, taking the lives of 56 people and injuring another 200 during Bradford City A.F.C., Bradford City's fixture with Lincoln City F.C., Lincoln City. For the first time, an African squad wins a FIFA tournament, the FIFA U-16 World Championship 1985, World Championship Under 16, as Nigeria surprisingly defeat favourites West Germany 2–0 in China. The Artemio Franchi Trophy is organized for the first time, won and hosted by France. Michel Platini wins for the third consecutive time the Ballon d'Or, a record then. *1986 in association football, 1986 in football The 1986 FIFA World Cup, 1986 World Cup finals are played for the second time in Mexico, with
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
defeating
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
3–2 for their second title at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City; the tournament sees the dominance of Argentinian player Diego Maradona, scoring the infamous Hand of God goal, before his "Goal of the Century" solo dribble second goal, both in the quarterfinal against
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
. Alex Ferguson, the most decorated manager in English Football history, is appointed to be manager of Manchester United. *1987 in association football, 1987 in football Futebol Clube do Porto, F.C. Porto wins the 1987 European Cup Final, European Cup for the first time after defeating Bayern Munich 2–1 in the final. In the second FIFA U-16 World Championship 1987, World Championship FIFA Under 16, the USSR national football team, Soviet Union defeats Nigeria national football team, Nigeria on penalties. The OFC Champions League is played for the first time and won by Adelaide City. *1988 in association football, 1988 in football The Netherlands national football team, Netherlands, led by captain Ruud Gullit and top goal scorer Marco van Basten, defeat the USSR national football team, Soviet Union 2–0 to win the 1988 European Football Championship, Euro 1988 championship. Competing in Serie B, Atalanta B.C, Atalanta reaches the 1987-88 European Cup Winners' Cup, Cup Winners' Cup semifinal, the best ever performance by a non-first division club in a major UEFA competition to this day. Start of the FIFA Fair Play campaign. *1989 in association football, 1989 in football The Hillsborough disaster occurs in Sheffield, England, before the 1989 FA Cup Final, FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool F.C., Liverpool and Nottingham Forest F.C., Nottingham Forest, resulting in the loss of 96 lives. A football tournament is played for the first time at the Island Games, by FAs not admitted to FIFA, hosted and won by Faroe Islands national football team, Faroe Islands. Saudi Arabia win the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the first time an Asian team wins a FIFA World Cup.


1990s

*1990 in association football, 1990 in football For the first time three clubs from the same country, Italy's Juventus, Sampdoria and A.C. Milan wins all four UEFA club competitions in the same season, a feat no more possible since the Cup Winner's Cup no longer exists.
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
wins the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Rome, Italy, defeating defending champion
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
1–0 in the final. In their first appearance in the tournament, Republic of Ireland national football team, Republic of Ireland reaches the quarter-finals without winning a single game, the furthest a team has ever advanced without winning. "Waterloo Day" for Austrian football in 1992 European Football Championship (qualifying), Euro 92 qualifying at Landskrona, Sweden, where the Faroe Islands national football team, Faroe Islands defeat
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
1–0 in the former's first ever international match. *1991 in association football, 1991 in football In the inaugural 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup, Women's World Cup held in China, the USA win 2–1 over Norway (for the first time a Northern American team win a World Cup). After being banned for six years, English clubs are again allowed to participate in competitions sponsored by
UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs fo ...
. Diego Maradona is banned for 15 months in Italy's
Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
after testing positive for cocaine in a drug test. The CAF Women's Championship is played for the first time won by Nigeria. The 1991 CONCACAF Women's Championship, CONCACAF Women's Championship is played for the first time in Haiti, won by USA. The Sudamericano Femenino, CONMEBOL's main women's tournament, is played for the first time, hosted and won by Brazil. The FIFA World Player of the Year is assigned for the first time. *1992 in association football, 1992 in football The back-pass rule is applied, whereby a goalkeeper is no longer permitted to pick up or catch a ball played directly by a fellow team member's foot. In the final of 1992 UEFA European Football Championship, Euro 92, Denmark national football team, Denmark surprisingly win 2–0 over Germany. Stade Armand Cesari, Stadium Furiani disaster takes place in Bastia, Corsica. FA Premier League created as the top flight in English Football. The first 1992 King Fahd Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup is organized in Saudi Arabia, and won by Argentina. Fabio Capello, Capello's Milan wins Serie A unbeaten. *1993 in association football, 1993 in football Olympique de Marseille becomes the first French club to win the 1993 European Cup Final, European Cup, newly renamed as the UEFA Champions League, defeating AC Milan 1–0 at the Olympiastadion (Munich), Olympiastadion in Munich. Marseille also win Ligue 1, but are stripped of the title due to a corruption scandal. 18 members of the Zambia national football team, Zambia national team Gabon air disaster, die in a plane crash. Manchester United win the first FA Premier League title. Brian Clough retires from his coaching role in Nottingham Forest after 18 years as coach. *1994 in association football, 1994 in football The 1994 World Cup held in the United States was the first to be decided on penalty shootout (football), penalties, with Brazil edging out
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
in the final at the Rose Bowl (stadium), Rose Bowl to claim their fourth title. Russia national football team, Russia's Oleg Salenko becomes the first player and only to this day to score five goals in a single World Cup game in his country's 6–1 win over Cameroon national football team, Cameroon. In the same match, 42-year-old Roger Milla of Cameroon, becomes the oldest player ever to score in a World Cup match. *1995 in association football, 1995 in football The second 1995 King Fahd Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup is organized in Saudi Arabia, and won by Denmark. The Bosman ruling allows all footballers playing in the European Union and not under contract to freely change clubs, and also abolishes foreign player quotas with respect to EU nationals. win the second FIFA Women's World Cup. Suwon Samsung Bluewings is founded. *1996 in association football, 1996 in football Bayern Munich becomes the third club in the history of European football to have won all three major UEFA competitions after winning the UEFA Cup. In the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship, Euro 96 final, Germany national football team, Germany defeat the Czech Republic national football team, Czech Republic 2–1 with a golden goal from Oliver Bierhoff; Nigeria national football team, Nigeria become the first Confederation of African Football, African team to win the Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Olympic Tournament. A football women's tournament is played for the first time at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, won by the United States women's national soccer team, United States. *1997 in association football, 1997 in football Helenio Herrera, legendary coach of F.C. Internazionale Milano, Inter in the 1960s, dies. *1998 in association football, 1998 in football In the 1998 FIFA World Cup final, France national football team, France win 3–0 over
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
at Stade de France to claim their first World Cup. Palestinian Football Federation is admitted to FIFA. The first openly gay footballer, Justin Fashanu commits suicide. *1999 in association football, 1999 in football The United States women's national soccer team, USA, the hosting nation, defeat China women's national football team, China in a penalty shootout (football), penalty shootout to win the FIFA Women's World Cup 1999, Women's World Cup in front of the largest crowd ever to witness a women's sporting event. Organized in Italy by
UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs fo ...
the first continental tournament for regions: the 1999 UEFA Regions' Cup, UEFA Regions' Cup, won by Veneto. Mexico win the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup, Confederations Cup: for the first time a male national team form Northern America win a FIFA tournament. The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup is abolished.


2000s

*2000 in association football, 2000 in football France national football team, France wins their second 2000 European Football Championship, European Championship title after beating
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
2–1, with a golden goal in extra time. First FIFA Club World Cup, won by
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista Sport Club Corinthians Paulista () is a Brazilian sports club based in the Tatuapé district of São Paulo. Although competing in a number of different sports, Corinthians is mostly known for its professional association football team that play ...
. FIFA Player of the Century, a one-off award created by FIFA to decide the greatest football player of the 20th century, is awarded to Pelé and Diego Maradona, shared: both men are officially considered winners of the award. *2001 in association football, 2001 in football
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
sign playmaker Zinedine Zidane of
Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football league system. Founded in ...
in a world record transfer fee of 72 million euros. Colombia wins the 40th edition of 2001 Copa América, Copa América, Colombia, as hosts.
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
beats American Samoa national football team, American Samoa Australia 31–0 American Samoa, 31–0 in 2002 World Cup qualification, the world record in an international match. *2002 in association football, 2002 in football
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
sets up a record fifth title in FIFA World Cup, World Cup competition, the first ever to be played in Asia (also the first outside Europe and the Americas), defeating Germany national football team, Germany 2–0 in the 2002 FIFA World Cup final. The first 2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship, FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship is held in Canada, with the United States women's national soccer team, USA defeating Canada women's national soccer team, the hosts in the final 1–0 on a golden goal in extra time. *2003 in association football, 2003 in football Founded the NF-Board, the first international organization for FAs not admitted to FIFA. Paolo Maldini makes history by captaining AC Milan to a 2002–03 UEFA Champions League, champions league victory, a feat his father Cesare Maldini, Cesare did with the same club exactly 40 years before. Latvia national football team, Latvia is the first football team from the Baltic states to make an appearance in a major football competition, UEFA Euro 2004. *2004 in association football, 2004 in football Greece national football team, Greece produce one of the shocks in football history and become surprise winners of the 2004 European Football Championship, Euro 2004 football tournament, defeating hosts Portugal national football team, Portugal 1–0 in the final. Waitakere United is founded. Arsenal F.C., Arsenal wins the 2003–04 FA Premier League The Invincibles (football), unbeaten, the second time an English club goes undefeated for an entire season. *2005 in association football, 2005 in football The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, Champions League final in Istanbul sees Liverpool F.C., Liverpool come back from a 0–3 half-time score to defeat
A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional Association football, football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 ...
3–2 in a penalty shootout (football), penalty shootout, following a 3–3 draw. Also, 2005 Bundesliga scandal, a match-fixing scandal rocks German football, though it does not directly affect the Bundesliga. The Australian A-League is launched in replacement of the NSL to improve the quality of the game in the country. *2006 in association football, 2006 in football The 2006 World Cup is held in Germany and won by Italy on a penalty kick shootout over France, and Zinedine Zidane plays his last professional game in the final captaining France only to be sent off in extra time. A 2006 Serie A scandal, major match-fixing scandal erupts in Italy, with five
Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
teams implicated.
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
record victory for the fifth time in the 2006 African Cup of Nations, African Cup of Nations. *2007 in association football, 2007 in football Brazil wins the 42nd edition of 2007 Copa América, Copa América, held in Venezuela. Iraq national football team, Iraq produce one of international football's greatest fairytale victories as the fractured, war-torn nation were crowned champions of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, FIFA Women's World Cup is held in China and won by Germany. On 9 November
Étoile Sportive du Sahel Étoile may refer to: Places ;France * Charles de Gaulle – Étoile, station of the Paris Métro * Étoile-Saint-Cyrice, commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in France * Étoile-sur-Rhône, commune in the Drôme department in France * L'Ét ...
became the first African squad to have won all official club competitions recognized by Confédération Africaine de Football, CAF, after defeating Al-Ahly 3–1 in the CAF Champions League 2007#Final, CAF Champions League final in Susa. *2008 in association football, 2008 in football Spain win their second UEFA Euro 2008, European Championship title after beating Germany 1–0. Italy and
A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional Association football, football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 ...
becomes the first national and club side to wear on their jerseys the FIFA badge of World champions. CONCACAF Champions Cup is replaced by the CONCACAF Champions League, modelled after the UEFA Champions League expand his participant teams from 8 to 24. The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup is played for the first time in New Zealand, won by Korea DPR. The Women's Viva World Cup, the first World Cup for women's national teams not affiliated to FIFA, is played for the first time, hosted and won by Sapmi. *2009 in association football, 2009 in football The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup is won by Brazil and is held in South Africa (for the first time a FIFA tournament for senior national teams is held in Africa). Spain national football team, Spain achieves two world records: most consecutive wins (15) and most matches without a loss (35, with Brazil). FC Barcelona, Barcelona achieves a sextuple:
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Banco Santander, Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaL ...
,
Copa del Rey The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footb ...
, Supercopa de España, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. RB Leipzig, RB was founded.


2010s

*2010 in association football, 2010 in football ** The 2010 FIFA World Cup, FIFA World Cup is held in South Africa, the first African nation to host the tournament. Spain national football team, Spain win the World Cup for the first time, becoming the first nation outside of South America to win the tournament outside of Europe. ** The FIFA Ballon d'Or is awarded for the first time (to Lionel Messi) after France Football's Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award were merged. ** Egypt win the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, Africa Cup of Nations for the third time in a row. ** Inter Milan win the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup for the first time, beating TP Mazembe, the first African club to reach the final. *2011 in association football, 2011 in football ** Japan defeat the United States in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, FIFA Women's World Cup final to win the tournament for the first time. ** FC Barcelona, Barcelona wins the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup for a then-record second time, beating Santos FC, Santos in the final. *2012 in association football, 2012 in football ** Zambia national football team, Zambia defeats third-time finalists Ivory Coast national football team, Ivory Coast after a dramatic penalty shootout in the final, giving Zambia their first continental title, becoming the fourteenth nation to win the tournament. ** Tahiti national football team, Tahiti wins the 2012 OFC Nations Cup, OFC Nations Cup for the first time, becoming the first nation other than Australia or New Zealand to win the tournament. ** The 2012 VIVA World Cup, played in Iraqi Kurdistan, with 9 participants, holds the largest number of participating teams for a non-FIFA tournament. The hosts emerge as winners in the final match played against Northern Cyprus, who fail to win a Non-FIFA football, non-FIFA tournament in which they took part for the first time. ** Spain wins the 2012 UEFA European Championship, European Championship: for the first time the trophy was won by the same team twice in a row. **Lionel Messi scores 91 goals, establishing the new world record for most goals scored in a single calendar year, surpassing Gerd Müller's record of 85 set in 1972 in association football, 1972. ** Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, Corinthians wins the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup for the second time, beating Chelsea F.C., Chelsea in the final. *2013 in association football, 2013 in football ** Nigeria national football team, Nigeria wins the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Africa Cup of Nations for the third time, ending their 19-year wait after defeating surprise finalists Burkina Faso national football team, Burkina Faso. ** Nigeria wins the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup for a record fourth time. ** FC Bayern Munich, Bayern Munich wins the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup for the first time, beating
Raja Casablanca Raja Club Athletic ( ar, نادي الرجاء الرياضي, Nādī ar-Rajāʾ ar-Riyāḍī, zgh, ⴰⵙⵔⵉⵔ ⵏ ⵕⴰⵊⴰ ⴰⵎⴰⵏⵓⵏ), commonly referred to as Raja CA, Raja Casablanca or simply RCA is a professional footb ...
in the final. *2014 in association football, 2014 in football ** Japan wins the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup for the first time. ** The 2014 FIFA World Cup, FIFA World Cup is held in Brazil for the second time, the first South American nation to host the tournament in 36 years. ** Julio Grondona, continuous president of AFA since 1979 dies in office. ** The 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup is held in Canada, the first nation to host the tournament twice. ** Germany wins both competitions above. ** German Miroslav Klose becomes the all time FIFA World Cup top scorer with 16 goals. **
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
becomes the first team in European history to win 10 European titles and wins the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup for the first time, beating San Lorenzo de Almagro, San Lorenzo in the final. *2015 in association football, 2015 in football ** The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, FIFA Women's World Cup is held in Canada, United States defeat Japan in the final to win the tournament for the third time. ** Chile win the 2015 Copa America, Copa America for the first time, in home soil after defeat Argentina in the final. ** The FIFA Ballon d'Or is awarded (to Lionel Messi) and he won the fifth FIFA Ballon d'Or in his career. ** Australia win the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, AFC Asian Cup for the first time. ** Sepp Blatter (1998–2015) ends his tenure as president of FIFA and is replaced by the acting president Issa Hayatou. ** FC Barcelona, Barcelona win the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup for the third time, beating Club Atlético River Plate, River Plate, in the final. *2016 in association football, 2016 in football **Lionel Messi (, FC Barcelona, Barcelona wins the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or and Carli Lloyd (, Houston Dash) wins 2015 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year. **Gianni Infantino is elected president of FIFA. **Copa America Centenario is hosted in the United States, the first time the Copa is held outside of South America. 16 teams from CONMEBOL and CONCACAF participate, and the tournament is won by Chile national football team, Chile on penalties after defeating
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
in the final. **Euro 2016 is held in France, the third time the nation hosts it. Portugal national football team, Portugal defeats France 1–0 in the final to claim their first major championship in their history. *2017 in association football, 2017 in football **in January, The Best FIFA Football Awards 2016 Cristiano Ronaldo (,
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
) wins The Best FIFA Men's Player and Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash, ) The Best FIFA Women's Player. **in May,
Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football league system. Founded in ...
becomes the first team in Italian football history to win 6 national titles in a row and the first in win the Coppa Italia, Italian Cup thrice consecutively, beating S.S. Lazio, Lazio in the final. **In October, FIFA Council officially recognized all European and South American teams that won the Intercontinental Cup (football), Intercontinental Cup as club world champions with the same status to the FIFA Club World Cup winners. **Manchester United become the UEFA Europa League champions and Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League. *2018 in association football, 2018 in football **Liverpool's Mohamed Salah breaks record for the most goals scored in a 38-game season in the Premier League. Salah also won goal of the year and the PL golden boot. **Real Madrid win their third consecutive Champions League by beating Liverpool.
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based i ...
become Europa League Champions. Atlético Madrid beat derby rivals Real Madrid to become UEFA Super Cup champions. **The 2018 FIFA World Cup, 21st edition FIFA World Cup is held in Russia and is won by France national football team, France for the second time. The World Cup broke the record for most penalties. **UEFA launches the first edition of the UEFA Nations League **Switzerland and Lithuania hosted respectively the UEFA Women's Euro U-19 2018, U-19 and UEFA Women's Euro U-17, U-17 feminine competitions. The masculine versions of UEFA Euro U-19 2018, U-19 and UEFA Euro U-17 2018, U-17 are hosted by Finland and England. These 4 competitions are won by Spain (feminine: both U-19 and U-17), Portugal (masculine: U-19) and the Netherlands (masculine: U-17). *2019 in association football, 2019 in football ** The FIFA Women's World Cup is hosted by France and is won for the second time, and fourth overall, by the United States women's national soccer team, United States after defeating Netherlands women's national football team, the Netherlands in the final. ** Algeria national football team, Algeria win the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
the 2019 Copa América. **
Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has ...
win the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final, the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, beating fellow English side Chelsea F.C. who won the 2019 UEFA Europa League Final in the latter. ** Manchester City F.C. complete a clean sweep of the English trophies, winning the 2018–19 FA Premier League, 2019 FA Cup Final, 2019 EFL Cup Final and 2019 FA Community Shield.


2020s

*2020 in association football, 2020 in football ** As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, most leagues are either suspended or abandoned. Amongst the postponed tournaments are the 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Finals, 2020 CONCACAF Nations League Finals, 2021 Copa América, 2020 Copa América, UEFA Euro 2020 and the Football at the 2020 Summer Olympics, all of which are scheduled to be held in 2021. ** During a match between Canada women's national soccer team, Canada and Saint Kitts and Nevis women's national football team, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Christine Sinclair scores her 185th international goal, the most of any footballer in either gender. ** FC Bayern Munich, Bayern Munich win the 2020 UEFA Champions League Final and the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, beating 2020 UEFA Europa League Final, Europa League winners Sevilla FC, Sevilla in the latter. ** Liverpool F.C., Liverpool win their 19th English title, their first since 1989–90 and their first in the Premier League era.


See also

*List of association football competitions *History of association football *Timeline of English football


References



{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of Association Football Timelines of sports, Football (soccer) History of association football Association football by year, Lists of years by topic, Association football