Football originated from various early forms of ball games played worldwide, but the modern form of football (soccer) as we know it today originated in England in the mid-19th century. The earliest known football-like games include China's "cuju" around 206 BC to 220 AD, ancient games in Greece and Rome, and versions played by indigenous cultures in Mesoamerica and Australia. The codified rules of modern association football were established in England in 1863, marking the formal birth of the sport.
American football, a different variant, evolved from rugby and soccer and took shape in the United States in the late 19th century, with standardized rules emerging in the 1880s.
