When Was Soccer Invented? Roots Trace Back Over 2,000 Years

Believe it or not, soccer's roots go back more than 2,000 years. Ancient civilizations played games that involved kicking a ball around, even though they didn't call it soccer.

The earliest recorded form of a soccer-like game comes from China's Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E.). They called the game "cuju," and the ancient Chinese played it with a leather ball filled with feathers, hair or air, kicked into a small net — a far cry from today's stadiums and FIFA-certified ball games.

Ancient Greece and Rome also had their versions of soccer-like games. These early forms of soccer were more brutal, a mixture of mob football and wrestling, with few rules and little structure. By the Middle Ages, soccer had started to take on a shape closer to what we know today.

Entire villages would gather to kick a ball through the streets, and games could last for hours — or days! The only rules? Try not to kill anyone. (Yikes.)

As chaotic as it sounds, mob football laid the foundation for the structured versions of soccer we see today.

Fast forward to 1863, and we arrive at a pivotal moment in soccer history: the formation of the Football Association (FA) in England. Before this, different schools and clubs played by different rules, and some variations of the game looked more like rugby than what we know as soccer today.

The Football Association brought order to the chaos by creating the first set of standardized rules. This version of soccer, known as association football, is what we now refer to as modern soccer.

The first-ever official soccer game played under the new rules took place in 1863 between Barnes FC and Richmond FC. The match ended in a scoreless draw, but it marked the birth of today's more organized and rule-driven modern game.

Once the rules were set, soccer quickly spread beyond England. The first international soccer game took place in 1872 between Scotland and England at Hamilton Crescent in Glasgow. This event kicked off the sport's rise to global fame, as it spread across Europe, South America and beyond.

Countries from Argentina to Italy to Japan adopted the game with great enthusiasm, and soon, national soccer teams began to form.

By the early 20th century, soccer was a global sport, and the need for an official governing body became clear. Enter the Fédération Internationale de Football Association — or FIFA — founded in 1904.

FIFA's mission was to manage and organize international competitions between national teams, and it wasn't long before they introduced what is now the most prestigious soccer tournament in the world: the FIFA World Cup.

The inaugural FIFA World Cup took place in 1930 in Uruguay, marking a turning point in world football history. National teams from around the globe competed for the title, with Uruguay emerging as the first World Cup champions.

This tournament sparked worldwide interest in the sport and solidified soccer as a truly international soccer game.

Since then, the World Cup has grown into the biggest sporting event on the planet, watched by billions every four years. Stars like Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi have become legends on the international stage, captivating fans and inspiring future generations of players.

The modern game of soccer, with its emphasis on skill, teamwork and dribbling game strategies, has become deeply embedded in cultures around the world.

While soccer has long been the dominant sport in Europe, South America and other parts of the world, its rise in the United States is a more recent phenomenon.

Major League Soccer (MLS) was established in 1993, and since then, it has rapidly grown in popularity, attracting top international players and drawing millions of fans across North America. The MLS has helped foster a new soccer culture in the U.S., contributing to the global sport's ever-expanding reach.

It's important to remember that soccer isn't just for men, not by a long shot. Women's football leagues have been around for over a century, and today, they're more popular than ever.

The FIFA Women's World Cup was first held in 1991 — two years before the MLS was established, for those of you keeping track — and since then, women's soccer has exploded in popularity. Players like Mia Hamm and Megan Rapinoe have inspired countless young girls to take up the sport.

Today, soccer (or football, as it's called in most countries) continues to evolve. From early forms like mob football and cuju to the intricately strategized matches we see at the World Cup, the sport has grown into a global cultural force.

While its origins stretch back thousands of years, the version we recognize today as modern soccer began in the 19th century with the formation of the Football Association.

Since then, it has spread from local fields to the global stage, captivating fans from every corner of the earth. Whether you're watching a international tournament or a local neighborhood game, soccer's universal appeal is undeniable.

From the first official soccer game to becoming the world's most popular sport, soccer has proven to be more than just a game; it's a celebration of skill, passion and unity. And as long as there are two teams and a ball, you can bet that the beautiful game will continue to inspire for centuries to come.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was edited and fact-checked by a HowStuffWorks editor.