Football has been around for hundreds of years in one form or another, but it was not until the formation of the FA (The Football Association) in the nineteenth century that it really became a widespread phenomenon spurred on by organized competition.  In 1863 a number of football clubs met in London and agreed that an Association would be put together to encourage competitiveness and achievement in the sport.  It also meant that the rules and regulations of the game would become comprehensive rather than being determined by each individual club or team, as had been the case prior to the FA's formation.  1871 saw the first FA Cup, and by 1888 a Football League was formed from twelve clubs.  1892 saw the merging of the Football League with the Football Alliance, a London-based league, which in turn led to the division of the league into first and second rank groupings.

The success of professionalized football had been so significant that by the early twentieth century it had spread worldwide, encouraging the formation of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and inspiring international competition.