Who first played Soccer?
Ever wondered about the origins of the game “Soccer”?
250 million people play Soccer, the world’s most famous game (according to FIFA).
Ever wondered where it all started?
On July 15, 2004, Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA, formally announced to the world that soccer originates in Zibo, Shandong province, China. Not many know that this sport was called Cuju in ancient China.
A leather feather-filled ‘ball-like’ object dribbled by opponents with the intention of kicking it into an opponent’s net during the Han Dynasty China (221 BC) was a popular sport within the imperial court. According to FIFA: “The very earliest form of the game for which there is scientific evidence was an exercise from a military manual dating back to the second and third centuries BC in China.” The sport was refined during the Tang Dynasty (618–907) and Song Dynasty (960–1279) when professional players would entertain the imperial court and play against the imperial officials. Replacing the feathers with air in the leather ball created a faster game making it more a spectator sport providing an afternoon’s entertainment for the Emperor and his guests.
