The England national football team has represented England in international football since the first international match in 1872. It is controlled by The Football Association (FA), the governing body for football in England, which is affiliated with UEFA and comes under the global jurisdiction of world football’s governing body FIFA.[3][4] England competes in the three major international tournaments contested by European nations: the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA European Championship, and the UEFA Nations League.
Why is football so popular in England?
It is popular thanks to the simplicity of the game. The fact you don’t need much more than a ball to play means it is as popular amongst school children as it is amongst office workers.
It is also a great way to know people, both on and off the pitch due to the obligatory after-game drink in the pub! You can safely assume most universities, colleges, places of work have a team.
Choosing a team is often a family affair or a matter of where you live. But once you have chosen a team it is a life-long commitment. You will support them through thick and thin!
What is the history of football in the UK?
Football’s unwavering popularity in the UK has lasted for centuries. It may have something to do with the fact that the English invented the sport in 1170 and as any proud Brit will tell you, it is England’s national sport!
The first football club to be set-up was Sheffield F.C. in 1857. This was followed by the creation of the Football Association, in 1863, which established the rules of the modern game. And England played its first official international match, in 1872, against Scotland.
How is football played in England?
The game is easy enough to understand, both as a player and a spectator. You have 11 players in each team. The match lasts 90 minutes, split into two 45-minute halves. The aim of the game is to score by getting the ball past the opposite teams goal keeper and into their goal.
If after 90 minutes the score is equal, the match is a draw. Some games go into extra time though, which can last up to 30 minutes. If the score remains tied, the match is either replayed or a penalty shootout can be used to decide the winner.
Simple enough, right? Well yes until you get to the offside rule, which makes most people scratch their head. The rule applies when a player is ahead of all the defenders on the opposite team and the ball is either passed to them or they try to interfere with the opponents players. Got that?
Who is the best football player in the England team?
Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is an English professional football manager and former player. He is the manager of EFL League One club Derby County, for whom he previously served as interim player-manager. He spent much of his playing career as a forward while also being used in various midfield roles. Widely considered one of the best players of his generation, Rooney is the record goalscorer for both the England national team and Manchester United as well as holding the record for the most appearances of any outfield player for the England national team.
Rooney joined the Everton youth team at the age of nine and made his professional debut for the club in 2002 at the age of 16. He spent two seasons at the Merseyside club, before moving to Manchester United for £25.6 million in the 2004 summer transfer window where he won 16 trophies and became the only English player, alongside teammate Michael Carrick, to win the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, League Cup, UEFA Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup. He scored 253 goals for United in all competitions to make him their top goalscorer of all time, with 183 Premier League goals being the second most scored by a player for any single club, behind Sergio Agüero (184 goals for Manchester City). Rooney’s 208 Premier League goals make him the Premier League’s second-top scorer of all time. He also has the third-highest number of assists in the Premier League, with 103.
How was England vs Italy match?
England and Italy meet once more, this time in the Uefa Nations League after the dramatic penalty shoot-out between the two in last summer’s Euro 2020 final. Then, it was the Azzurri who triumphed – but they failed to build on that success as Roberto Mancini’s side lost in a World Cup qualifying play-off. They will not be at Qatar 2022 as a result, where England will attempt to reach a third successive major tournament semi-final at the very least, having qualified with ease.
Gareth Southgate’s outfit have not had quite as positive a time of matters in the Nations League so far, losing to Hungary and drawing with Germany across two games in the past week. Harry Kane netted his 50th England goal in the latter, from the penalty spot, and is now just three off Wayne Rooney in the all-time scoring list.
Italy are still searching for the right combinations in attack after injuries to the likes of Nicolo Zaniolo, Domenico Berardi and – on a longer-term basis – Federico Chiesa. England will make changes of their own though, with Southgate noting the unsual timing of four quickfire games. “Teams are thinking about player welfare to a degree, freshness, but also they are preparing for a World Cup because they know what’s coming and what they haven’t got in terms of friendlies ahead of the tournament,” he noted.
Also read:
