Association football, also known as just football or soccer, is an organized team sport played between two groups of eleven players each. It is the most popular sport in the world, playing in more than 200 countries and territories, making it the most popular sport in the world. The game of football was first developed in the 19th century in England and later played internationally, with the use of a grid system. With the spread of the game to other countries, particularly those with large populations, the rules and techniques have been modified.
One of the great developments of the football clubs throughout the history of the game is the introduction of rules that restrict the contact of players during play. For instance, in the early 19th century, many English clubs banned the forward pass, reasoning that it encourages “barbaric” actions such as running from the goal, diving, and blocking. The same rationale applies today in Europe, especially in the three nations of Belgium, Germany, and Spain. Despite such restrictions, football continues to be one of the most popular games in the world.
The late 19th century witnessed the emergence of professional football players in what was then the British soccer league, the Football Association. In response to this development, the Football League of England was created to compete with European soccer before the World Cup tournaments in Germany and Japan in decades to come. The formation of the English Football Association gave birth to the first international soccer competition, the World Cup, which is still being celebrated today.