A soccer field has a goal at each end. Each team tries to get the ball into the other team's goal. At the start of a match, the referee tosses a coin, and the winner picks a goal to attack or takes the kick-off. When the ball crosses the side line, the other team gets a throw-in, and a goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in. A goal may be scored directly from a goal kick, but only against the other team, and a corner kick is awarded when the ball crosses the goal line after last touching a defender and no goal is scored.

A referee runs each match and blows a whistle when a rule is broken. Except for the goalkeeper, players cannot touch the ball with their hands or arms during play, but players can use their head, chest or thighs as well as their feet. A referee shows a yellow card as a caution, and a player who gets a red card must leave the field. Yellow and red cards were first used at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. In official competitions a team may use up to five substitutes, as set by the competition. There is a break at half-time of up to 15 minutes.

A Chinese kicking game called cuju was recorded in the Han dynasty, and the Football Association was formed in London in 1863 and published the first rules. The first international match was played in Glasgow in 1872, Scotland against England. FIFA was founded in Paris on 21 May 1904. The Laws of the Game have been in effect since 1863 and kept by the IFAB since 1886. As of November 2026, FIFA has 211 member national associations. As of November 2026, about 250 million people play soccer in over 200 countries and territories.

As of November 2026, the 2026 World Cup had 48 teams, more than ever before, and three countries hosted it: Canada, Mexico and the United States. It was played in 16 cities: 11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico and 2 in Canada. It opened on June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, and the final was played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19. As of November 2026, Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan played their first World Cup in 2026, and the tournament had 308 goals in 104 matches, about 2.96 goals per match. The 2026 mascots were Maple the moose, Zayu the jaguar and Clutch the bald eagle.

The first World Cup was played in 1930 in Uruguay, and Uruguay won by beating Argentina 4-2. The first Women's World Cup was held in China in 1991. The World Cup and the Women's World Cup are each held every four years. As of November 2026, the Women's World Cup has 32 teams in its final tournament, and the United States has won it four times, more than any team. Brazil is scheduled to host the 2027 Women's World Cup.

Words to know

• referee: match boss
• defender: back-line player
• mascots: team symbols
• substitutes: replacement players