The history of football is long and complicated, with many claiming to have invented the game. However, the definitive answer to this question remains unknown. There are many theories but no clear evidence that anyone else was responsible for its creation.
Some believe that ancient Egyptians were the first to invent football, while others think it was developed in Britain.
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WHO INVENTED FOOTBALL: NATIONS
When we go back thousands of years into history, we can see that Greeks, Roman, and Chinese used to play games where players were not allowed to touch the ball with their hands while the rest of their body was allowed to touch the ball, similar to what is today known as football.
FOOTBALL ROOTS IN CHINESE
If you research “who invented football”? You will find that the Chinese used to play a game similar to football. Around 2500BC, a game called “TSU-CHU” played by the Chinese, which means “kicking the ball,” shows resemblance to football. According to historians, this was the first game where players were not allowed to touch the ball with their hands. Their ball used to be made of leather, which the player would kick and make goals; their poles were composed of 30 feet long bamboo and a net. If we look at TSU-CHU, it can be seen as a game resembling modern-day football.
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FOOTBALL ROOTS IN ENGLAND
On the contrary, when asked who invented football, many historians said it was invented in England. There are marks of hitting pig’s bladder with feet in the 9th century. Furthermore, this game was played among rivals in the medieval era when there was a distance of a few miles between both poles; moreover, this game was played by thousands of people, and everyone had their own rules.
This game was later banned, in the 14th century, since players and crowd used to make considerable noise and would most often lead to fights between rivals; however, this game started again in high schools with properly devised rules and regulations. However, these rules and regulations vary from country to country.
In the mid of 19th century, the FA cup was played where multiple football teams started joining it, and this time players began getting paid for their participation in the game, unlike before. In contrast, the number of teams reached 128 by the end of the 19th century. The EFL was also formed in the same century in 1888 by William McGregor.
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FOOTBALL ROOTS IN SCOTLAND
As mentioned earlier, football has a very complex history as there are different answers to who invented football. Some modern historians believe that football was invented in Scotland. According to GED O’Brien, Scots have played modern-day football for hundreds of years. Moreover, he said that scots have been playing this game for around 500 years. In an interview, O’Brien said the initial clans used to play it in the churchyard, which was then brought to Glasgow in 1860. Moreover, he said: “The genius of Scots over the last 500 years, particularly the clan system, is what gave us football.”
When we tried to find the answer as to who invented football, we came to know that the English football association was founded in 1863, earlier than the Scottish football association, which was founded in 1873. This statement somehow shows that scots are less favorable when it comes to who invented football.
After establishing SFA, other European countries such as Netherland, Swiss, Denmark, Chile, and Argentina also started playing football in the late 19th century. However, the fate of football was changed in 1904 when FIFA came into being in Paris, and the first football world cup took place in Uruguay more than 25 years later.
CONCLUSION
Football has a long and winding history, with many people contributing to its development. While there is no definitive answer to who invented football, it is safe to say that the game has come a long way from its modest origins. Whether you are a fan of the sport or not, football is an integral part of our cultural heritage and deserves to be recognized.
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