How Has Soccer Changed Over The Years

Soccer has evolved tremendously from how it originated hundreds of years ago. Rules have changed significantly over the course of the last centuries, and are still being changed to this day. No matter how substantial soccer has changed from its beginnings, there is no doubt that it has always been one of the most popular sports, having over 250 million players worldwide only in the current age. Although soccer seems like a very simple sport where you kick the ball into a net, there is a lot more to it when it comes to formations, rules, and tactics. In order to understand soccer fully, we need to look at its beginning. Although it is unclear, the Aztecs may have been the inventors of soccer over 2000 years ago. The game was called Tchatali,

During the mid-1800s, undergraduate students in Cambridge produced the rules of soccer that everyone could follow. Known as the Cambridge Rules, the students created eleven primary rules for the sport in which they engraved onto a tree in a park. In 1855, the first ever soccer club had formed in Sheffield, United Kingdom. Not many knew about them only because they would play friendly and pickup matches with each other, but two years later they earned recognition for being an official club. Because of this, Sheffield Football Club holds the accolade for being the oldest soccer team in history. Known as the Sheffield Rules, they created their own set of distinct laws of the game, to which some are still used to this

Since then, FIFA have also recognized the best coaches, playmakers, goal scorers, goalkeepers, and overall best players every year since 2016 for both men and women. One of the most prestigious awards in soccer today is the Ballon d’Or, a golden trophy in the shape of a soccer ball. Hosted and awarded by France Football, this golden ball is given to the single best player of the year. Being one of the most popular and most-wanted trophies, the Ballon d'Or is considered by many soccer fans, journalists, coaches, and players as the most valued individual trophy a player can achieve. Last November, Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema won the 2022 Ballon d’Or due to his outstanding performance in the UEFA Champions League and La Liga, the Spanish league. The record for the most golden balls in history is currently held by Lionel Messi, who was won the Ballon d’Or seven times, and many suspect he will win his eighth at the end of this year due to his victory with Argentina in the recent 2022 Qatar FIFA World