How Football Became the World’s Game
- U8 Sports Customer Service
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
From English Roots to the Rise of Global Competition
Modern football originated in England in the 19th century and has since become the most popular sport in the world, often referred to as “the world’s number one sport.” Among all football competitions, the most closely watched and widely discussed event is without doubt the World Cup.
The FIFA World Cup brings together top national teams from every continent and is held once every four years. Teams with vastly different styles compete for the highest honour, capturing the attention of billions of people worldwide. Whenever the World Cup takes place, it becomes a global talking point. Many people who normally do not follow football often begin to appreciate the sport through a particular World Cup and go on to become lifelong fans.
In fact, for a period after the emergence of modern football, the sport was mainly popular within England itself. There were no international competitions like the World Cup, and football was far from having the influence of a “world sport.” Even within England, different regions interpreted the rules of football differently. In some areas, players were even allowed to carry the ball in their hands, and the required number of players varied from place to place.
The English Football Association played a crucial role in unifying the rules and promoting international competition.
The English Football Association was the world’s first football governing body. In English, it is simply called “The Football Association,” abbreviated as “The FA,” meaning “football association.” At the time, since it was the only football association in existence, there was no need to specify “England” in its name.
The term “FA” is commonly translated as “association,” and the use of “association” or “federation” in translation makes little difference. Therefore, referring to it as the “England Football Association” would also be correct.
The rules followed by The FA formed the foundation of modern football. These included regulations such as eleven players per team, prohibiting players from carrying the ball by hand, and forbidding actions like kicking, tripping, or tackling opponents violently.
At the time, however, Scotland did not fully accept these rules, and many players continued to use both hands and feet during matches. Both forms of the sport were referred to as “football” in English. To distinguish between them, The FA called its version “association football.” Because the term was lengthy, it was later shortened to “soccer,” which is the word commonly used today. The other form of football that allowed hand use retained the name “football” and eventually evolved into what we now call rugby.
Therefore, the word “soccer” was not invented by Americans, as many people believe. In fact, it originated in England. Today, however, most countries still refer to the sport as “football,” while countries where rugby is more popular, such as the United States and Australia, tend to strictly distinguish between the two terms.
In order to promote association football, FA Secretary Charles Alcock began pushing for the formation of an England representative team in 1870 to play against Scotland. However, Scottish players at the time did not follow FA rules, making meaningful competition difficult. As a result, the so-called “Scotland team” was largely composed of Scots living in England, particularly in London, who had already adopted association football rules.
Between 1870 and 1872, England played five matches against this “Scotland team.” These matches were unofficial, and Scotland did not recognize the team as a true national side. Alcock hoped that football enthusiasts living in Scotland itself would eventually adopt association football.
Alcock publicly challenged Scottish players and emphasized that he refused to play against teams with more than eleven players, stating that larger numbers reduced skill and turned matches into contests of brute force. Eventually, in 1872, Queen’s Park Football Club of Scotland accepted the challenge and represented Scotland against England.
The match took place on November 30, 1872, at Hamilton Crescent in Glasgow, with an attendance of around 4,000 spectators. Both teams fielded eleven players and followed association football rules. Although the Scottish players all came from the same club and had better chemistry, while England’s lineup consisted of players from nine different clubs or schools, the match ended in a 0–0 draw.
Years later, FIFA officially recognized this match as the first international football match in modern football history. In FIFA’s definition, an “international match” does not necessarily mean a match between two sovereign countries. Although England and Scotland are both part of the United Kingdom, they have separate football associations. Matches between different football associations are considered international matches.
At the time, no one had proposed organizing a global international competition. Beginning in October 1876, the champions of English clubs and Scottish clubs regularly played each other, and these matches were often referred to as a “World Championship.” However, these matches involved club teams rather than national teams, were essentially exhibition matches, and were held irregularly. Calling them “world” championships was somewhat misleading. Moreover, outside of Britain, football was still developing slowly, and the timing was not yet right for a true global competition.
By the early 20th century, football had spread rapidly around the world. Football associations were established in many countries, and international matches outside Britain began to take place. According to general consensus, the first international match held outside the UK occurred on July 20, 1902, when Uruguay played Argentina in Montevideo. Argentina won the friendly match 6–0. The rapid development of football worldwide made the creation of an international football organization increasingly necessary.
Since modern football was invented by the British, they believed they had the authority to interpret and manage the sport. The FA in particular regarded itself as the highest authority in world football. Other developing football nations generally accepted this view and hoped that the FA would lead the establishment of an international football organization.
However, the FA showed little enthusiasm, and the matter was delayed for a long time without progress. Robert Guérin, a journalist for the French newspaper Le Matin and secretary of the football section of the French sports association, grew impatient. He wrote to football associations across continental Europe, sharing his ideas. Through discussion and collaboration, the concept gradually took shape and approached implementation.
On May 1, 1904, Belgium played France in a friendly match in Brussels, marking Belgium’s first international match. Taking advantage of the occasion, Guérin discussed the idea with Louis Muhlinghaus, secretary of the Belgian FA. They concluded that if the FA would not take the lead, they would establish a world football organization without them.
On May 21, 1904, at 229 Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, known as FIFA, was officially founded. The founding members were football associations from France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. All were from continental Europe, with no British associations and none from outside Europe. On the same day, Germany joined FIFA by telegram. Guérin was elected FIFA’s first president.
After FIFA’s establishment, it declared that only FIFA had the authority to organize international matches. However, as a new organization, FIFA lacked experience and structure. Britain, the most experienced football nation, was not involved, and without British participation, FIFA struggled to function effectively.
The British viewed FIFA as an amateur organization and felt it would be ridiculous to allow such a body to issue instructions to football professionals. As a result, The FA refused to join FIFA and maintained its independence.
Eventually, one individual managed to bridge the gap between The FA and FIFA.
This person was Baron de Laveleye. He was a true polymath: a writer who published travel diaries, an investor in Latin America, an engineer, and even a footballer who played for Leopold Club of Belgium at the age of 41. In 1895, he became president of the Belgian FA.
At the time, national team coaches as we understand them today did not exist. National squads were typically selected by FA presidents, meaning de Laveleye also chose the Belgian national team lineup. As such, many consider him Belgium’s first national team coach.
De Laveleye was charismatic and persuasive. Through his efforts, he convinced the British to recognize FIFA. On April 14, 1905, The FA officially acknowledged FIFA’s authority and joined the organization. Due to his significant contribution, de Laveleye became FIFA’s first honorary member. Although The FA would later leave and rejoin FIFA multiple times, those developments came later.
As FIFA’s first president, Guérin devoted himself to organizing international competitions, but he soon encountered serious challenges. Many plans remained theoretical, and after two exhausting years marked by failed attempts and concerns from national associations, Guérin decided to withdraw from football administration.
After Guérin’s two-year term, the presidency passed to Englishman Daniel Woolfall, a former FA official. His appointment brought two key benefits. First, British confidence in FIFA increased, as one of their own now held leadership. Second, Woolfall unified the rules of football.
Coming from The FA, Woolfall believed English rules were the most suitable. He required all FIFA-affiliated associations to adopt FA rules. Unified regulations made football easier to promote and develop, pushing it further toward becoming a truly global sport.
Logically, with Britain’s participation and standardized rules, FIFA should have been ready to organize major international competitions. However, at this stage, FIFA still did not seem fully prepared.
Before the World Cup existed, football had to learn how to become a shared game. Through the standardisation of rules, the rise of international matches, and the creation of FIFA, football slowly moved beyond borders and national interests. What began as a local English pastime evolved into a global sport through cooperation, conflict, and vision. By the early 20th century, football was no longer owned by one country—it belonged to the world, ready for the tournament that would define it forever.
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