The sport known as “The World’s Game” had to have started somewhere.
People all over the world revere the sport because of its accessibility and simplicity, as evidenced by competitions such as the World Cup.
As the 2022 FIFA World Cup begins in Qatar, the tournament’s 22nd edition since its inception in 1930, let’s take a look back to see who invented the sport:
Which country invented soccer?
“Tsu’ Chu” – pronounced tsoo-joo – was invented in China as a type of kickball, according to FIFA. This happened during the Han Dynasty, which lasted from 206 BC to 220 AD. The goal was a small net made of bamboo canes strung together, and the ball was made of leather and packed with feathers and hair.
Other early variations of the game include the 500-600-year-old Japanese “Kemari,” the Greek “Episkyros,” and the Roman “Harpastum.”
Kemari, in which participants stand in a circle without allowing the ball to touch the ground, is still played today. Harpastum drew inspiration from Episkyros despite the lack of information about it.
The purpose of Harpastum, which consisted of two teams and a softball-sized ball, was for a team to retain the ball on their side of the field for as long as possible. According to FIFA and History of Soccer, tackling, wrestling, and fighting appeared to have been authorized, although specific facts are unknown.
Did Great Britain invent soccer?
In contrast to China’s origins, England is widely credited with establishing the modernized version of the sport beginning in 1863 with the formation of the Football Association.
Before the Football Association was established, the sport was practiced on a smaller scale in England, but having an official governing body helped define laws that are currently evolving.
When was the very first international soccer match played?
Today, FIFA acknowledges the November 30, 1872 encounter between Scotland and England as soccer’s first international contest. The 0-0 stalemate between the two countries took place in front of 4,000 spectators who jammed the cricket fields at Hamilton Crescent in Glasgow, Scotland, to see the game.NYSC portal
Why do English supporters chant “It’s Coming Home?”?
The national football squad of England is known as the Three Lions. When the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament was hosted in England, English fans began singing the lyrics “It’s coming home, it’s coming home, it’s coming, football’s coming home” from the 1996 song “Three Lions” by David Baddiel, Frank Skinner, and The Lightning Seeds.JAMB portal
The tournament’s slogan was “Football Comes Home” in reference to the sport’s history and the anticipation that England would finally win a major international trophy for the first time since 1966, when it won the World Cup.
England reached the semifinals of the 1996 tournament and has not won a major title since, although came close when it placed second to Italy in the UEFA Euro 2020 event hosted in 2021 due to COVID-19.
With England in Group B with the United States, Wales, and Iran in Qatar in 2022, keep an ear out for fans and social media users chanting “It’s coming home” in reference to the Three Lions’ football program, which hopes to end a 56-year title drought.