– An Educational Project funded by the EU Erasmus+ Programme –
Football Makes History brings together history educators and youth workers from all over Europe to develop new educational resources that can help young people explore European history and heritage through the lens of football, as well as use football to tackle social exclusion.
Stories
Browse our collection of stories about football history and inclusion. With the history of football being made up of millions of stories, of individuals and communities, of movements and processes, we offer stories that can inspire our cultural conversations today.
Videos
Get to know untold stories where individuals are making history with football. When faced with insurmountable challenges, individuals past and present can use football as a cultural force to foster positive change in society. We honour these individuals and tell their ‘untold’ stories in short videos.
Educational Resources
Explore our innovative educational resources that use football’s history, heritage and legacy to engage young people. The resources include ready-made lesson plans and historical source collections for school history education as well as toolkit with activities for non-formal settings.
Latest video
Let’s talk football history

Welcome to Football Makes History: let’s talk football history
A new platform to talk about our two favorite subjects combined: football and history.

Welcome to Football Makes History: let’s talk football history
A new platform to talk about our two favorite subjects combined: football and history.

The rise of female referees in professional men’s football
Although there have only been ten female referees in the top leagues of men’s football in Europe over the last 30 years, seven of them are currently active.

1. Deutscher Damenfußballclub 2 – 1 Dick, Kerr Ladies
On this day in 1981 a game that never happened took place. Or: How can counterfactual history help us shift perspectives?

March in Football
What moments in football history have we highlighted in the last month? How do they provide us with historical mirrors to the present?

A game for equality
Today in 1895, a football game was played as women were claiming equality in a patriarchal society.
FOOTBALL STORIES Latest
Football Highlights

March in Football
What moments in football history have we highlighted in the last month? How do they provide us with historical mirrors to the present?

February in Football
What moments in football history have we highlighted in the last month? How do they provide us with historical mirrors to the present?

December in Football
Waiting for UEFA2020, we provided you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts. Here is what you enjoyed reading in December!
March in Football
What moments in football history have we highlighted in the last month? How do they provide us with historical mirrors to the present?
February in Football
What moments in football history have we highlighted in the last month? How do they provide us with historical mirrors to the present?
December in Football
Waiting for UEFA2020, we provided you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts. Here is what you enjoyed reading in December!
SPECIAL Lockdown Football Stories

Football Lockdowns: Smallpox outbreak in 1972
Football Makes History Developer and history teacher Igor Jovanovic wrote for us about other times when Football was stopped like it currently is. This time it is the Smallpox outbreak in Yugoslavia.

Football Lockdowns: Oil Crises 1956 and 1973
Dutch sport historian Jurryt van de Vooren wrote of other times when Football was stopped, like it currently is. This time it’s oil shortages!

Football Lockdowns: Tilburg (NL) 1951
Dutch sport historian Jurryt van de Vooren wrote a historical overview of other times when Football was stopped, like it currently is. Small story of a local epidemic.

Football Lockdowns: World War Two
Dutch sports historian Jurryt van de Vooren wrote a historical overview of other times when Football was stopped like it currently is. The Second World War is our second short piece.

Football Lockdowns: The Spanish Flu of 1918
Dutch sports historian Jurryt van de Vooren wrote for us about other times when Football was stopped like it currently is. Spanish flu of 1918 is the first story.
Life Stories
Football Makes History gathers life stories of unique individuals that help us connect the history of football to diversity and inclusion.
This is Football Lives.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Latest

Discover women’s football then and now a game of quartet
Where are the women’s football quartet cards?

Football and Hooliganism
Teaching students about the causes of football hooliganism through the analysis of case studies and development of potential solutions.

Did a game of football start a war?
Learning activity teaching students historical causality by assessing the role of the 1990 “Maksimir riots” in the unfolding of the Yugoslav Wars.

Revealing the Historic Inequalities within Women’s Football
An educational resources that helps students develop historical empathy, using a theatre play on the history of women’s football.

Multiculturalism and representations of national identity
Teach students about questions of identity, citizenship and multiculturalism by looking at national football teams across Western Europe.