Soccer, which is internationally known as football, is the most popular sport worldwide, being played on all the continents. Today, many refer to the game as the most important irrelevant thing in the world.
The roots of the game date back to ancient times, and its modern version developed in England in the middle of the 19th century. In 1848, the first attempt to create the official rules of the game was made in Cambridge, and 15 years later, the first football association was formed in England. At the same meeting, the actual game was divided into soccer and rugby, with the main difference being that in soccer the ball could not be carried in hands.
The first soccer clubs were formed by students in England and Scotland, and the first professional club is Notts County, founded in 1862. The first games of soccer were between students and workers, and soon after the players were paid to play, and in the 1880s the first tickets to see a soccer game were sold.
In 1871, the FA Cup was founded, which was the first organized competition, while the next year England and Scotland played the first international match.
The British workers presented the game when they were traveling abroad, and in 1904 the International Football Federation (FIFA) was founded by representatives from France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Four years later, soccer was introduced as an Olympic sport at the games in London.
The first FIFA World Cup, the biggest competition in the sport, took place in 1930 in Uruguay. Every four years since then, with two exceptions due to the Second World War, the World Cup has been organized. In 1991, the first such competition for women was held.
Brazil is the most successful nation in World Cup history with five titles, while Germany and Italy have four. Argentina is next on the list, winning three titles, including the last one in 2022, led by Lionel Messi. The Argentinian superstar is on top of the list with 26 appearances at the World Cup, while Miroslav Klose holds the record with 16 goals scored.
Brazilian Pele is the player with the most World Cup titles and the one with the most goals scored in the history of football. Diego Maradona is another soccer legend who has scored one of the most iconic goals in the history of the game called “The Hand of God.”
In recent history, the rivalry between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has been the most popular in the game. Messi holds the record with 7 Ballon d’Or awards, which are given to the best player in the world for a specific year, while Ronaldo has five of those.
In their prime, Messi played for Barcelona and Ronaldo for Real Madrid, which is porbably the greatest rivalry in the world, known as “El Calsico”.
When it comes to the club competitions, the Premier League in England, La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy, the Bundesliga in Germany, and Ligue 1 in France are known as the Big 5 Leagues and are the best in the world. The Champions League is an annual competition featuring the best teams from the domestic leagues in Europe, which is considered the highest level of soccer in the world.
