History of Football: From Cuju to the World Cup

In Poland, people fall into three distinct groups regarding football: fervent fans, casual supporters, and declared opponents. Yet, even among enthusiasts, a deep understanding of the sport's origins is rare. The game's journey from ancient pastimes to the global spectacle of the World Cup is a rich narrative.

The earliest forms of football lacked standardized rules. An image from around 1830, "The foot-ball play" by Alexander Carse, depicts a match in rural England with no set regulations. The first codified rules emerged from Rugby School in 1845, followed by a written version in Cambridge in 1848. The English Football Association (FA) finally unified these rules in 1863.

The author admits to having gaps in his own knowledge despite growing up in a football-centric household. He credits his colleagues at "Rzeczpospolita," particularly sports journalism legends Mirosław Żukowski and Stefan Szczypełek, for their expertise. Szczypełek, in particular, is highlighted as an unparalleled authority on football history. Inspired by Szczypełek's "My History of Football," the author recommends it as essential reading for anyone following the current World Cup, especially those new to the sport's long and fascinating past.