– 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
Diego Maradona: The Neapolitan
Migration from shanty town to global fame and struggle.
Welcome to Football Makes History: let’s talk football history
A new platform to talk about our two favorite subjects combined: football and history.
United in sorrow
The story of Chapecoense and how disasters involving football teams unite the world in sorrow.
Basque in the USSR
A story of a Spanish footballer turned Communist leader, where football and history intertwine across borders.
Referee in the Resistance
Dutch football referee Leo Horn, born in 1916, was a resistance fighter during the Second World War, all the while hiding his Jewish identity.
Seen from the Valley
Football in India arose from the presence of British troops, but the game that could unite, was later eclipsed by cricket. A local story from India.
FOOTBALL STORIES Latest
Referee in the Resistance
Dutch football referee Leo Horn, born in 1916, was a resistance fighter during the Second World War, all the while hiding his Jewish identity.
Football Highlights
October in Football
As the UEFA 2020 European Championships got pushed ahead one year, we provide you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts to help all fans out there to go back in time, think, and reflect.
September in Football
As the UEFA 2020 European Championships got pushed ahead one year, we provide you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts to help all fans out there to go back in time, think, and reflect.
August in Football
As the UEFA 2020 European Championships got pushed ahead one year, the team of Football Makes History will provide you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts to help all fans out there to go back in time, think, and reflect.
October in Football
As the UEFA 2020 European Championships got pushed ahead one year, we provide you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts to help all fans out there to go back in time, think, and reflect.
September in Football
As the UEFA 2020 European Championships got pushed ahead one year, we provide you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts to help all fans out there to go back in time, think, and reflect.
August in Football
As the UEFA 2020 European Championships got pushed ahead one year, the team of Football Makes History will provide you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts to help all fans out there to go back in time, think, and reflect.
SPECIALS Latest
On this day
United in sorrow
The story of Chapecoense and how disasters involving football teams unite the world in sorrow.
Football Lockdowns
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.
Reviews
Book review: 50 Most Important Moments
Two history teachers in Wales work as “The Football History Boys” wrote a book about the “50 most important moments”. We reviewed it.
Netflix’ “The English Game” Useful for History Teaching
Netflix original series “The English Game” reviewed by three history teachers from three countries.
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
What does identity have to do with football?
An interactive activity connecting football affiliations with personal identity in various historical contexts.
What does identity have to do with football?
An interactive activity connecting football affiliations with personal identity in various historical contexts.
Cold War Competitions
History teacher Zdravko Stojkoski developed this lesson plan with a visual approach to teaching post-war European history through football competitions
Nationalism in Spanish Football in the 20th Century
A lesson plan putting the Spanish Civil War and football in perspective.
North vs South. The Italian football division
A multimedia activity connecting the performances of football teams and the fame of players to economic inequalities and capitalism.
Nationalism, War, and Football: teaching foreign policies through football
A dynamic activity with a mini football match to show students the relationship between foreign policy and football.
