It began with one ball:

Timeline of football history:

Games in which a ball is kicked with the foot have existed in various parts of the world for 2000 to 3000 years. Balls and rules, purpose and target group developed completely independently of each other in Asia, America and Europe. From the middle of the 19th century, the game with the ball advanced within 150 years to become the world sport that we call modern football today. Find out how and where football began.

Two teams competed against each other on a playing field and tried to push a rubber ball, which weighed several kilos, through a stone ring. Players were not allowed to use their hands or feet. In some areas, players kicked with their torso, buttocks or elbows. In other regions, clubs and bats were used. Those who could afford it wore armor. Nevertheless, it is not surprising that players suffered life-threatening injuries.

The Aztecs also used ullamalisztli, as their ball game was called, to settle diplomatic disputes. The Mayan game, pok-ta-pok, even had a religious significance: as a tribute to the gods, the entire losing team was sacrificed after the game.

Today, pok-ta-pok is back in fashion, but without violence. The focus here is on cultural heritage. The players display a great deal of skill and physical exertion:

A ball sewn together from pieces of leather and stuffed with feathers and animal hair was thrown into a 30-40 cm wide net at a height of 5 meters. The sport for military physical training developed over time into a popular entertainment sport with numerous spectators. Over the centuries, the rules became more and more rigid: by 600 AD, an air-filled ball and football rules (goals, goalkeepers, captains) were introduced. From the 9th century onwards, however, the game fell into oblivion.

The Shrovetide Football in particular is linked to the town of Ashbourne in England. As in the Middle Ages, the Shrovetide Football Match is still held every year on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. The match is played between the "Up'ards" and "Down'ards" districts, which are located to the right and left of the River Henmore. Shrovetide Football is unorganized, competitive and spontaneous.

There is an unlimited number of players and the goals are five kilometers apart. The river is also part of the playing field. The ball is unsuitable for kicking with the foot, as it is a four-kilo ball filled with cork. Shrovetide football is therefore in the tradition of rugby, where the ball is mainly carried and thrown. The Shrovetide Football is therefore relevant for the development of both modern rugby and modern football.

Even today, there is one place in Great Britain where an annual Shrovetide Football Match takes place: Ashbourne in Derbyshire. It's hard to believe that the world's most popular sport emerged from these mass brawls.

In the middle of the 19th century, the positive qualities of team sports were recognized in England. As a result, compulsory school sports were introduced at English educational establishments to keep pupils physically fit. However, it took decades for the game with the leather ball to develop into a national sport with standardized rules.

In 1848, students at Cambridge University wrote the first football rules. It was an attempt to standardize the rules of football and to level out the serious differences between the individual teams. The biggest difference between the schools was that the emphasis was partly on playing with the hand and partly on playing with the foot. The Cambridge rules gave priority to playing with the foot. It was now possible to hold official tournaments between the schools.

It didn't take long for the football hype to reach the other side of the English Channel. Find out how football gradually made its way across Europe and gained a foothold in Germany.

After Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands were among the first European countries to have national football clubs. Both countries founded their own football associations in 1889.

Gymnastics was primarily intended for military physical training and to strengthen the national spirit. The establishment of football gave rise to a new physical culture in Germany, which opposed the military drill of gymnastics and its political connotations. Football became a form of leisure activity in a middle-class environment.

The first football clubs emerged from school clubs or were founded by Englishmen (for example, The English Football Club Berlin). In the beginning, football was mainly played by English people, students and the better-off members of society. Workers did not have the necessary money for equipment and were mainly involved in gymnastics clubs.

Soon, not only cities were competing against each other, but national teams began to form and compete against each other in international matches. We list the biggest milestones in global football history here.

However, Germany was not yet present at the 1950 World Cup. The historic final, in which Brazil unexpectedly lost to Uruguay on home soil, is known as the Maracanaço, the shock of Maracanã:

The first UEFA European Football Championship took place in 1960. The football teams of the European nations compete against each other every four years. From 1960-1964, the event was called the European Cup of Nations.

Football is one of the most popular and widespread sports in the world. According to data from FIFA, 265 million people in 200 different countries played football in 2006. The simple and uniform rules and the minimal equipment promote the popularity of the game. Internationally identical rules make the game inclusive and cross-cultural.

Whether young or old, male or female, on football pitches or in arenas - football is a global sport and is cheered, applauded and loved by people all over the world.

At the same time, every football club has its own history and its own tradition. Do you play football yourself? Given the long and passionate history of football, you can be proud to build on this tradition. The pride in your club's history should be reflected in the players' shirts. At owayo, you can design your own jerseys in the traditional colors of your club - and take advantage of our discount for clubs.

Briefly summarized: Here you will find answers to the most important questions about football history.

Image Credits: Title Image: 9elisa9 / stock.adobe.com.; Image 1: Archivist / stock.adobe.com.; Image 2: Lario Tus / stock.adobe.com.; Image 3: kuco / stock.adobe.com.; Image 4: Andriy Blokhin / stock.adobe.com.; Image 5: Archivist / stock.adobe.com.; Image 6: owayo