
Football (soccer) | History, Game, Rules, & Significant Players ...
2 days ago · Football, also called soccer, is a game in which two teams of 11 players, using any part of their bodies except their hands and arms, try to maneuver the ball into the opposing …
Why Do Some People Call Football Soccer | Britannica
Before long, it had proved more popular than either of them. In full, it was known as gridiron football, but most people never bothered with the first word. As a result, American association …
Football - Global Popularity, Rules, History | Britannica
Jan 5, 2026 · The U.S. Soccer Federation formed in 1913, affiliated with FIFA, and sponsored competitions. Between the world wars, the United States attracted scores of European …
Football - Professionalism, Rules, Leagues | Britannica
Dec 31, 2025 · Diego Maradona Diego Maradona (right) of Argentina and a South Korean defender in a 1986 World Cup football (soccer) game. Greater professionalization of sports …
Football | Equipment, Strategy & History | Britannica
Dec 1, 2025 · The folk football games of the 14th and 15th centuries, which were usually played at Shrovetide or Easter, may have had their origins in pagan fertility rites celebrating the return …
soccer - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
Professional soccer leagues, in which players were paid, began in the late 1880s. They formed first in England and then in other countries. By 1900 people were playing soccer throughout …
Folk football | medieval sport | Britannica
The folk football games of the 14th and 15th centuries, which were usually played at Shrovetide or Easter, may have had their origins in pagan fertility rites celebrating the return of spring.
What is the origin of football? - Britannica
What is the origin of football? Modern football originated in Britain in the 19th century. Though “folk football” had been played since medieval times
Gaelic football | Irish, Rules & Origins | Britannica
Gaelic football, Irish version of football (soccer), an offshoot of Britain’s medieval mêlée, in which entire parishes would compete in daylong matches covering miles of countryside.
Pele | Biography, World Cups, & Facts | Britannica
Dec 25, 2025 · Pele, Brazilian football (soccer) player, in his time probably the most famous and possibly the best-paid athlete in the world. He was part of the Brazilian national teams that …