Football in Russia is one of the most popular sports. Every year, a huge number of children enroll in children's football schools to do what they love. The national team regularly passes qualifying stages for international competitions in which it adequately plays against the leading national team of the planet. But among the current generation, not everyone knows the history of Russian football.
The advent of football in Russia
Few ball game fans know that the history of Russian football dates back to 1897. It was this year that the first football match was played - between the Sport teams and the Vasileostrovsky community of football players. This match ended with a community victory 6-0. Then there were no rules of football. Athletes just took the nets, the ball, stuffed it with feathers and began to play. Each player sought to hit the opponent’s net. That match is hardly a full-fledged game, but it was a starting point in the history of Russian football.
The appearance of the first football leagues in the USSR
The inhabitants of our country liked to play, as well as watch the game of football. More and more people began to play ball in their free time. This led to the fact that in the beginning of the XX century, football leagues began to appear in large cities. In 1901, the St. Petersburg Football League was founded, and after 10 years, football leagues were formed in Moscow, Kiev, Kharkov and other major cities of the country. After the revolution in the country, football began to develop even more intensively. In 1923, the first championship was held in the country, in which national teams participated. A year after that, the national team of the best players of the teams was formed. In 1936, a new tournament was introduced in the country, which was called the Country Cup. This tournament is taking place today. The best teams from all leagues are fighting for this important trophy.
The development of football after the war
Immediately after World War II, the ball game became popular again in the country. Significant events began to appear again in the history of Russian football. In 1952, the USSR national team first went to represent the country at the Olympic Games. There she was not able to win medals, but she spoke on equal terms against the strongest football teams on the planet. Gradually, our players began to gain skill, and the team began to gain the first significant victories. In 1954, the USSR national team confidently beat the team from Sweden with a score of 7: 0. And a year later the current World Cup winners - the German team - were defeated at that time.
In 1956, the USSR team won the first gold medals. At the Olympic Games in Melbourne, our team was not equal. And in 1960, she won the European Championship. The USSR team quickly turned into one of the most powerful teams on the planet. In 1966, she was among the four best teams on the planet. In 1988, our team again won gold medals at the Olympics. This award was the last for the players of the USSR. Later, the country broke up, and in 1992 the Russian Football Union was formed.
Achievements in modern football
After the formation of the Russian Football Union in 1992, a new stage of development began for our football. A few days later, the national team was approved. In the same year, the first round of the Russian Championship took place. In 1996, the Russian team was third in the FIFA ranking. This indicator was the best in the history of modern football. But over time, our team only dropped in this ranking. At the moment, the Russian team takes 65th place in the ranking. Such a low indicator is caused by the unconvincing game of our team in international competitions.
In 1997, all ball game lovers celebrated their centenary. In honor of this event, various tournaments were held in many cities of the country. Despite the weak overall results of the football team, there are positive moments in modern history. Football clubs CSKA and Zenit have won the international
UEFA Cup tournament. In 2005, our women's youth soccer team won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship. In 2006 and 2013, the youth team won the European Championship. In 2008, our team became the third at the European Championship.
World Championship in Russia
On December 2, 2010, a significant event took place for the whole country. Russia won the election of the host country of the World Cup. After that, football in the country immediately became the main sport. In large cities of the country, the construction of stadiums began. All cities are preparing for the arrival of foreign guests. In 2017, the Confederations Cup was already successfully held. Despite the weak play of the Russian national team, the audience was delighted with the tournament.
The history of the origin of football in Russia is now told only at pedagogical institutes. Nowadays, few people know that the USSR team won first places at prestigious international competitions. But, despite the unconvincing game of the team, every year the popularity of football in the country only grows. The most famous Russian football players have successfully played in the strongest foreign championships.