The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) asserts that more than 240 million people worldwide play football, commonly known as soccer in North America.
Ancient China, Greece, and Rome--origins of the sport dating back more than 2,000 years as records reveal: in these civilizations they fashioned a 'ball' from rock or animal hide stuffed with hair. Some suggestions even propose its association with old Mesoamerican cultures; however—'football' or 'soccer', terms ubiquitous today—can trace their lineage to England during the nineteenth century.
The notion of football, originating in England—concurrently birthed by two schoolteachers: August Hermann and Konrad Koch—migrated to Europe; it traversed further across the Atlantic. Around 1874, these same protagonists introduced this game into Germany. As for soccer's introduction to the United States: immigrants are widely believed to be responsible.
In 1863, England formed the initial football association. They established rules that continued to evolve and standardised the size as well as weight of the match-ball. However, they crucially outlawed carrying the ball with hands - a decision that led to two distinct sports: association football (soccer) and rugby.
Industrialisation accelerated the rapid development of football into the 1900s. Following the emergence of factory and other work-based clubs, public school teams quickly became a minority. Monetary incentives rewarded the best players, while mainly working-class members purchased tickets for matches.
The first professional division, the English Football League, popularized domestic leagues worldwide. Until 1949 in Germany, football remained at an amateur level; however, semi-professional leagues emerged that year. The Bundesliga - Germany's inaugural professional division - commenced operations in the season of 1963/64. The new league received applications for admission from forty-six clubs in the former West Germany. Based on their sporting track record, economic criteria and representation of various sub-regional leagues, the German Football Association (DFB) directly oversaw selection; precisely sixteen made it through this rigorous process. This arrangement persisted until 2001 when control over Bundesliga operations transitioned to DFB's auspices. The formation of the Deutsche Fußball-Liga (DFL or German Football League) instigated this change.
The early soccer leagues in the US, primarily the United Soccer Association and the National Professional Soccer League, chose to identify their activities as 'football'. However - due to confusion between American football and association football: this resulted in a shift towards using term 'soccer' specifically for latter game during 1910s through early 1920s. As part of its bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup; interest in soccer growth within America prompted an ambitious pledge from US Soccer – create a professional outdoor league. In 1996, Major League Soccer was duly launched.
For numerous years, various incarnations of latter-day continental club tournaments have thrived. The UEFA Champions League in Europe and the CONCACAF Champions League in Americas arguably claim maximum recognition. We can trace back interleague club competition to as early as the late 19th century; however, international club tournaments represent a comparatively novel concept. The FIFA Club World Cup emerged in 2000 as a tournament involving the champions of six continental confederations and additionally, the league champions from the host nation. Since 2005, this event has taken on an annual rhythm.
Only a few national football teams--among them, England and Scotland--existed in the late 19th century. Since 1908, Germany has maintained representation within international competitions for this sport; likewise, the first US national soccer team emerged onto the scene as early as 1885. While it wasn't until 1930 that FIFA --the world governing body of football-- decided to stage their own international tournament (the World Cup), recognition from The International Olympics Committee had been bestowed upon Football since 1900. Except for the years 1942 and 1946, when World War II forced cancellations; the tournament has consistently occurred every four years.
The Euros, or the UEFA European Football Championship – serves as Europe's principal association football competition: senior men's national teams from Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) member nations vie for this title that crowns a continental champion. This event transpires every four years; specifically in an even-numbered year between World Cups. The inaugural edition unfolded in 1960. Every two years, The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), stages the CONCACAF Gold Cup: this is the principal association football competition for men's national teams. It determines the continental champion--representing North America, Central America and the Caribbean--in graduate-level soccer; indeed it epitomizes excellence in that field.
FIFA, the world governing body of football, counts 211 national associations as its members today. Six confederations divide the world regions: Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), Asian Football Confederation (AFC), UEFA, CONCACAF; Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL). In 1934 only 32 countries participated in World Cup qualifying; however, over 200 now engage – a testament to soccer’s recognition as an undeniably global phenomenon.
