Amazing Soccer Facts That Only a Few in the World Knew

Around 3.5 billion people worldwide identify themselves as football enthusiasts, and most don't just watch the game. These enthusiasts get involved with the game by betting on their favorite teams on gambling sites. GamblingAuthority is an excellent place to find reliable gambling sites or online casinos that let you play comfortably at home.

Association football, or soccer as it is more often known, has several different historical roots. The evolution of soccer, from its earliest iterations among indigenous tribes to the early football matches in the 19th century, is a fascinating tale of cooperation and leisure.

Whether you are a die-hard soccer fan, the following facts about this widely beloved game will amaze you.

Soccer is Over 2,000 Years Old

The Chinese game cuju, which dates back to the Han Dynasty, is sometimes cited as the ancestor of soccer (206 B.C.-A.D. 220). Players in a circle tried to keep the ball in the air by kicking it to one another and passing it around.

Groups of ancient Greeks and Romans and ancient North American and Maori peoples played various foot-based ball games. Modern soccer can also be traced back to medieval celebrations in England, Ireland, and Scotland.

Prisoners Without Hands Invented the Modern Soccer

In the early 1800s, inmates at London's Newgate Prison played one of the first documented games of contemporary team soccer. Convicted thieves in prison received amputations of their hands as punishment.

They used the standard regulations for a game involving kicking a ball, with the apparent modification of not using their hands, which is adopted by the modern soccer game.

Soccer is Short-Term for Association Football

Soccer is a term used only in the United States and Canada. Because it is not played on horseback, everyone else considers it football.

So, how did the term "soccer" come about? The answer is in the sport's name: Association Football. The "soc" in "Association" was a nickname for "soccer."

The term stuck in the United States, distinguishing the sport from American football, also called gridiron football.

Additional fact: the US is also home for the match with the most attendees. The game was between Real Madrid and Manchester United during the International Champions Cup 2014.

Soccer is the Father of Rugby and American Football

Soccer is the ancestor of both rugby and American football. Rugby School produced the first set of football rules in 1845, and these rules were revised and updated multiple times before the foundation of the Football Association in 1863.

After the rules of association football were altered in 1895, rugby was eventually divided into two separate sports: rugby league and rugby union. When it was initially played in 1869, American football borrowed rules from association football and rugby football.

European Explorers Spread Soccer Around the World

The soccer spread worldwide may be traced back partly to the European colonial era. U.S. troops stationed in the colonies frequently organized and hosted pick-up basketball games, inviting locals to participate.

Despite gaining their freedom, several formerly colonized nations in South and Central America, South Asia, and Africa remain devoted soccer fans. Brazil, a country that the Portuguese once ruled, is now one of the world's top soccer powers.

The Oldest Football Club is Over 160 Years Old

Sheffield F.C., the oldest non-league team in the world, was established on October 24, 1857; however, it only became a member of the Football Association in 1863. Founded in 1862, Notts County is the world's longest-continuously operating club league. They both still compete now.

Pele Is the Guinness World Record Holder for the Most Number of Goals and Won the Most FIFA World Cups.

Many people regard Pele as the best soccer player of all time. He competed in 1,363 matches and scored 1,279 goals. He has the Guinness World Record for the most goals scored by one person in a certain amount of time. Pele also holds a second Guinness World Record: he is the player who has won the most FIFA World Cups.

Pele, known as the "Eternal King," died from cancer on December 29, 2022. He was 82.

Neither Lionel Messi Nor Christiano Ronaldo Is the Richest Soccer Player

The debate between Ronaldo and Messi about how their performances affect their money and who makes more will continue indefinitely. On the other hand, Faiq Bolkiah, a former Leicester City reserve player, is the richest soccer player.

Though most footballers make money through the game, Bolkiah makes money from family holdings.

The player is the Sultan of Brunei's nephew and is thought to be worth $20 billion. His family owns the country's oil reserves and many of its riches. Critics have praised his dedication to the game because he keeps on training and playing, although he can comfortably live on his family's possessions.

Final Thoughts

Soccer's enchantment has spanned the globe for over two thousand years. Even though soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, many people know only the basics of the game and have yet to learn how it started or why it is still relevant in today's world.

Perhaps it is impossible to put the reasons for the game's passionate fan base into words, but in any case, a single 90-minute match provides all a sports enthusiast could want. There is a competitive spirit, a sense of urgency in the game, a hostile environment, an abundance of aggression, and a high physical prowess.

As a bettor or spectator, you cannot help but feel invested in a soccer game because every kick is made with passion.