Who got the ball rolling?

While the rules of Association Football were founded in England in the 19th Century, it has been played in the UK right back to the Middle Ages.

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Football: However, the first games involving feet and a ball are reckoned to be cuju, dating back to China in the 3rd Century BC. It was a bit like keepie-uppie but with teams. There was a similar ancient sport in Japan called kemari.