I still remember the first time I heard that quote from a Filipino volleyball player talking about how they discovered their sport—"Nagkataon siguro na dumating siya, triny ko lang din"—and it struck me how similar this is to football's own origin story. Sometimes the most revolutionary things happen by pure chance, and that's exactly how the world's most popular sport came to be. When people ask me who made football, I always tell them it wasn't invented by any single person or in any single moment, but rather emerged through centuries of cultural evolution across different civilizations.
The earliest forms of football-like games date back over 2,000 years, with records showing that ancient Chinese, Greek, and Roman civilizations all had games involving kicking balls toward targets. The Chinese game of cuju, which literally means "kick ball," was particularly sophisticated—players had to keep a leather ball filled with feathers airborne using only their feet, knees, and head, much like modern football techniques. What fascinates me about these early versions is how they weren't really organized sports in the way we think of them today. They were more like community traditions that evolved naturally, similar to how that Filipino athlete described discovering volleyball—it just happened, they tried it, and something beautiful emerged.
The real transformation began in England during the medieval period, where various forms of "mob football" were played between neighboring towns with hundreds of participants. These games were chaotic, violent, and had very few rules—imagine an entire village trying to move an inflated animal bladder toward a specific landmark while the opposing village did everything to stop them. I've always found it remarkable that these unruly gatherings eventually gave birth to the structured sport we know today. The turning point came in 1863 when representatives from eleven London clubs and schools met at the Freemasons' Tavern to establish the Football Association and standardize the rules. This moment was football's equivalent of coach Sherwin contacting that player—an intentional, organized effort that gave structure to something that had previously been quite random.
What many people don't realize is that the evolution of football was anything but smooth. The 1863 meeting actually caused a major schism between clubs that preferred a handling game (which later became rugby) and those advocating for a purely kicking game. The final vote was far from unanimous—it was more like 13-4 in favor of the kicking-only rules. I personally believe this split was necessary for football to develop its unique identity, though I sometimes wonder how different the sport might be if they'd kept some handling elements. The beautiful game continued to evolve through the latter half of the 19th century with the introduction of crossbars, penalty kicks, and the offside rule, each innovation making the game more structured and strategic.
The globalization of football happened surprisingly quickly once the rules were standardized. British sailors, merchants, and industrial workers introduced the game wherever they went, with the first international match taking place between Scotland and England in 1872—a shockingly defensive 0-0 draw that nonetheless attracted over 4,000 spectators. By the early 20th century, football had spread to South America, Europe, and Africa, with each region adding its own flair and style to the game. I've always been particularly drawn to how South American countries, especially Brazil, developed a more fluid, artistic approach to football that contrasted with the physical, direct style popular in Europe.
The establishment of FIFA in 1904 and the first World Cup in 1930 marked football's transition from a popular pastime to a global phenomenon. That first tournament in Uruguay had just 13 teams—a far cry from today's 32-team format—but captured the world's imagination nonetheless. What's remarkable is how the basic rules established in 1863 have remained largely intact while the game itself has transformed beyond recognition in terms of speed, tactics, and global reach. I sometimes think about those early football pioneers and wonder if they could have possibly imagined that their standardized rules would one day govern a sport followed by over 4 billion people worldwide.
Modern football continues to evolve at a rapid pace, with technological innovations like VAR (Video Assistant Referee) and goal-line technology changing how the game is officiated. Tactical approaches have shifted dramatically too—the possession-based tiki-taka style that dominated the late 2000s has given way to more pressing-oriented approaches. Personally, I miss the days when teams would take more risks and individual brilliance could single-handedly decide matches, but I understand why modern football has become more systematic and data-driven. The financial aspect has changed dramatically as well—the first football transfer in 1893 involved Willie Groves moving from West Bromwich Albion to Aston Villa for what would be about £650,000 in today's money, a pittance compared to the €222 million Paris Saint-Germain paid for Neymar in 2017.
When I reflect on football's journey from chaotic village games to the world's most popular sport, I'm reminded of that concept of chance and opportunity that the Filipino athlete described. Football's evolution wasn't linear or predetermined—it was shaped by countless accidents, coincidences, and moments where someone decided to try something new. The true origins of football aren't found in any single rulebook or founding document, but in this ongoing process of cultural exchange and innovation. The beautiful game continues to evolve, and I suspect the next hundred years will bring changes we can't even imagine today, all stemming from that same human impulse to kick a ball and see what happens.