Soccer, known to most of the world as football, is the most popular sport on the planet. While the modern game as we know it has evolved over the last hundred years or so, the origins of soccer are ancient.

Early Beginnings
More than 2,000 years ago, Chinese, Japanese, Greek and Roman cultures were all playing games that involved players kicking or carrying a ball through a goal. It has been determined that as far back as 2500 B.C., a kicking game called Tsu Chu was played in China.

Kemari
One obvious antecedent of soccer was the Japanese game of kemari, in which players had to pass the ball to one another using their feet without it touching the ground.

Medieval Soccer
In the Middle Ages, violent soccer-type contests between two teams of unlimited players took place on the streets of towns and villages. The ball was often a pig's bladder or stuffed animal skin.

Shrove Tuesday
Since the 1500s, the town of Ashbourne in the United Kingdom has played a primitive game of soccer with no referees and very few rules. Goals are placed on opposite ends of the town.

The 1800s
Soccer gained popularity among the privileged classes in England during the 1800s. Eventually, the game's popularity spread to the working classes.

The Birth of Modern Soccer
The English Football Association, or FA, was formed in 1863 by representatives from 11 English "football" teams that met at a tavern in London. For the first time in its history, soccer had rules and a governing body.