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The first Football games played in Britain were between the locals of east of England, starting after a 'legendary' game that involved kicking around the severed head of a Danish prince that they had defeated in a war.
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King Edward III of England banned the game. It became illegal for anyone to play, as it often resulted in death and injury.
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Soccer, or football as it was called in England, was once again legal to play.
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Eton College in England established a set of rules for the game. This was the first step in making a standard set of rules.
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Football was played in the Northeastern colleges of Harvard, Princeton, Amherst, and Brown. This made the sport more popular in areas outside of Europe.
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The rules were standardized and a new version was adopted by all the schools, college and universities. These are known as the Cambridge Rules. These made the game more structured and ensured that all games would be fair.
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Introduction of the penalty kick. This ensured the game would be less violent since there were now in-game repercussions.
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Soccer is played at the Olympics for the first time. This allowed soccer to be enjoyed by a much larger audience and allowed for competition between countries.
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The first World Cup tournament, held by FIFA, was hosted in Montevideo, Uraguay with 13 teams participating. This allowed for competition between countries outside of the Olympics.
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U.S. Women's soccer team won the first ever Women's soccer event. Women's soccer gained popularity and credibility as a competitive sport.
