Association football

Historical eventDecember 111886

Association football

The London-based football club Arsenal, then known as Dial Square, played their first match on the Isle of Dogs.

Everything on December 11Original source
Photo: NK Nafta 1903 · CC BY 3.0

In context

When
Saturday, December 11 1886140 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1880s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1886.

Type: type of sport, team sport, Olympic sport, and spectator sport.

What happened

History Main article: History of association football For a chronological guide, see Timeline of association football . FIFA has stated that soccer originated in Britain, starting around the eighth century, and that no historical connection exists with any game played in antiquity outside Europe. [ 1 ] The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public schools of England. [ 2 ]

Association football, commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who mostly use their feet to kick an inflated ball around a pitch.

December 11 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1886Association football
  2. 2006Holocaust denial
  3. 2006International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust
  4. 2007Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)
  5. 2008Bernie Madoff
  6. 2009Rovio Entertainment
  7. 2012Aqrab massacre
  8. 20172017 New York City Subway bombing
  9. 20192019 Bougainvillean independence referendum
  10. 2020Food and Drug Administration
  11. 2024Murder of Sara Sharif

Also in 1886

  • June 26Henri MoissanFrench chemist Henri Moissan successfully isolated elemental fluorine (pictured in liquid state), for which he later won the Nobel Prize…
  • May 4Labour movementDuring a labor rally in Chicago, a bomb explosion and gunfire led to the deaths of eight police officers and four members of the public.
  • September 4United States ArmyAfter more than 25 years of fighting against the United States Army and the armed forces of Mexico, Geronimo of the Chiricahua Apache sur…
  • June 2Wedding of Grover Cleveland and Frances FolsomThe wedding of Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom (wedding depicted) took place in the White House, in the only time that a U.S. preside…
  • February 23Charles Martin HallAmerican inventor Charles Martin Hall discovered an inexpensive method of producing aluminium.
  • August 311886 Charleston earthquakeThe 7.0 Mw Charleston earthquake struck southeastern South Carolina with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), killing 60 people a…
  • October 28New York HarborIn New York Harbor, U.S. president Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty (pictured), a gift from France commemorating the Decl…
  • June 10Mount TaraweraMount Tarawera, a volcano in New Zealand's North Island, erupted (depicted), killing around 120 people and creating the Waimangu Volcanic…

Everything we record for 1886 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Association football”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/association-football-1886-december-11, accessed October 29, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Association football happen?

December 11 1886 — 140 years ago, on a Saturday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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