Football (association football) is a sport played by two teams of eleven players. The aim is to get the ball to your team’s goal. There are different ways to play the game, and it can be played in both professional and amateur forms.
Although there are many forms of football, it is considered to be the world’s most popular sport. According to FIFA, there are 1.3 billion people worldwide who are interested in the sport.
The game is played on a rectangular field covered by grass. Teams are placed into leagues based on their performance. Each league usually consists of several divisions. Depending on the league, each team plays every other team in the league at home or away. If a team is positioned at the bottom of the table, they may be relegated to a lower division.
Many countries across the world have national leagues. Some of these leagues have cup competitions during the season. Most cup competitions are organized on a knockout basis.
Association football has a history spanning centuries. In the early twentieth century, football spread throughout Europe. During this time, industrialization, the rise of public school boys and the growth of railway transport led to the growth of a league structure.
After 1888, the Football League was formed in England. It allowed leading twelve teams from the North and Midlands to compete against each other. This was followed by the formation of the Irish and Scots leagues.