Earliest football match between China and Japan recorded in 50 BC

Frontline reports that an ancient Chinese text by poet Li Ju, written around 50 BC, contains the earliest known reference to an international football match between China and Japan. The article draws on Phil Soar and Martin Tyler's book to highlight this finding. The origin of football remains debated, with both China and Japan claiming ancient versions: China's Tsu Chu (kicking a stuffed ball through a silk net) and Japan's elegant Kemari, both played over 2,500 years ago. Evidence also points to a similar Greek game called Episkyros and a Roman variant, Harpastum, which Romans introduced to Britain.

In medieval England, the game was violent and often banned by monarchs from Edward II (1314) to Elizabeth I. The sport's fortunes reversed under Queen Victoria. Modern rules were first set down by schoolmaster John Charles Thring in 1862, transforming football from a riotous romp into an orderly game.