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The Ancient Greeks and Romans are known to have played many ball games, some of which involved the use of the feet.
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Documented evidence of an activity resembling football can be found in the Chinese military manual Zhan Guo Ce. It describes a practice known as cuju (literally "kick ball").
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The Japanese version of cuju is kemari, and was developed during the Asuka period.The game appears to have died out sometime before the mid-19th century. They sitll play today the sport.
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A game known as "football" was played in Scotland as early as the 15th century.
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King Henry IV of England also presented one of the earliest documented uses of the English word "football", in 1409, when he issued a proclamation forbidding the levying of money for "foteball".
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it was prohibited by the Football Act 1424 and although the law fell into disuse it was not repealed until 1906.
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The young aristocrats of the city would dress up in fine silk costumes and embroil themselves in a violent form of football. For example, calcio players could punch, shoulder charge, and kick opponents. Blows below the belt were allowed. The game is said to have originated as a military training exercise.
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In 1586, men from a ship commanded by an English explorer named John Davis, went ashore to play a form of football with Inuit (Eskimo) people in Greenland.
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There is evidence for schoolboys playing a "football" ball game in Aberdeen in 1633.
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During the early 1860s, there were increasing attempts in England to unify and reconcile the various public school games.
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At the Freemasons' Tavern, Great Queen Street, London on the evening of October 26, 1863, representatives of several football clubs in the London Metropolitan area met for the inaugural meeting of The Football Association (FA).
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The first official match between representatives of two nations was between England and Scotland in 1872 at Hamilton Park, Partick, Glasgow, finishing in a 0–0 draw.
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'FIFA' was born in Paris, uniting the Football Associations of France, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
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At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, football became an official competition. Planned by The Football Association (FA), England's football governing body, the event was for amateur players only and was regarded suspiciously as a show rather than a competition. Great Britain (represented by the England national amateur football team) won the gold medals.
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In 1909 South Africa (the first non-European member) joined, and Argentina and Chile followed in 1912. The USA and Canada entered just before World War I in 1913.
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Final positions
Champions Uruguay (1st title)
Runners-up Argentina
Third place United States
Fourth place Yugoslavia -
Final positions
Champions Italy (1st title)
Runners-up Czechoslovakia
Third place Germany
Fourth place Austria -
Final positions
Champions Italy (2nd title)
Runners-up Hungary
Third place Brazil
Fourth place SwedenFinal positions -
Final positions
Champions Uruguay (2nd title)
Runners-up Brazil
Third place Sweden
Fourth place Spain -
Final positions
Champions West Germany (1st title)
Runners-up Hungary
Third place Austria
Fourth place Uruguay -
Final positions
Champions Brazil (1st title)
Runners-up Sweden
Third place France
Fourth place West Germany -
nal positions
Champions Brazil (2nd title)
Runners-up Czechoslovakia
Third place Chile
Fourth place Yugoslavia -
The Middle Ages saw a huge rise in popularity of annual Shrovetide football matches throughout Europe, particularly in England. An early reference to a ball game played in Britain comes from the 9th century Historia Brittonum, which desribes "a party of boys ... playing at ball"
