Cu ju | 蹴鞠: 2,000 Years of Ancient Chinese Soccer

According to FIFA, the earliest form of soccer was a Chinese invention.Though China failed to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil, it does have a historical connection with the game, which, according to FIFA, originated in China.

The Chinese game that developed into modern football was called Cu Ju, literally meaning kickball. It was created in the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD). Emperor Liu Bang (256-195 BC), a fan himself, had a football field set up in the royal palace. In Cu Ju, players started a game from the middle line, put the ball into play from side lines and took penalty shots from baselines. On each side of the field there were six goals, or holes more specifically, with six goalkeepers guarding them. In addition to the keepers, six players from each team competed.

Following the emperor's demands, players should not purposefully commit fouls and had to respect referees, who had to be fair. A local panel would review any disputes that happened during the game and had the authority to issue a final ruling. In the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), the game was modified to have one goal with a net on each side. Players tried to send the ball into the opponent's net, which started to make the game resemble modern football. The goal had a frame of about 31 square centimeters, meaning players had to be precise in order to score. It was a feat that would challenge modern superstar players like Diego Maradona and David Beckham. Emperor Zhao Ji (1082-1135) was a diehard football fan. Apart from the ruling, his roles included what's comparable to the chairman of the national football association and head of the fan club. He not only competed in the sport but also promoted the game with his authoritative powers. During the Tang and Song dynasties, football started to become a leisure activity that didn't necessarily involve competitions. People practiced skills like kick-ups wherever they could. Football players, who were on the royal staff, enjoyed high social status in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). They wore team jerseys during major ceremonies that included canonizing princes, promoting ministers and receiving international guests. Qiyunshe( Cloud-high Club) was the most prominent football club in the Song Dynasty. Their influence could be compared to Real Madrid in La Liga today. Qiyunshe, based in the capital city of Kaifeng, even expanded to have teams in other cities. Players in Qiyunshe followed a strict code of conduct. They were prohibited from participating in the "Ten Commandments" that included spreading rumors, gambling, provocations and alcoholism. Members in the club were required to respect coaches and fellow players, practice honesty, wear decent clothes and honor their social status. Football in China declined during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), when aristocrats and government officials practiced the sport instead of working. Even prostitutes practiced football skills as a way to attract men which further reduced the sport's reputation as a royal and respected game. Rulers in the Qing Dynasty completely banned football. Not long after, modern football was introduced to China and totally replaced the ancient game of Cu Ju.

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cù jū ，zhōng guó gǔ dài hàn zú mín jiān shèn zhì guó jiā jun1 duì jiān guǎng fàn liú háng de 蹴鞠，中国古代汉族民间甚至国家军队间广泛流行的 yī zhǒng jì néng hé tǐ yù yùn dòng ，yě jiù shì jīn tiān zú qiú de qǐ yuán ，一种技能和体育运动，也就是今天足球的起源， tā zuò wéi hàn zú zhòng yào wén huà yǐng xiǎng le qí tā mín zú ，zhí zhì jiàn jiàn chuán bō zhì shì jiè 。 它作为汉族重要文化影响了其它民族，直至渐渐传播至世界。 cù jū de chǎn shēng jí zhè xiàng yùn dòng de xíng chéng hé fā zhǎn ， 蹴鞠的产生及这项运动的形成和发展， cóng chū tǔ wén wù jí qí tā lì shǐ wén xiàn fāng miàn kàn ， 从出土文物及其它历史文献方面看， zhōng huá zuì dà de shèng shì fán huá shí dài huáng dì jiù yǐ jīng tuī dòng zhè xiàng yùn dòng le 。 中华最大的盛世繁华时代黄帝就已经推动这项运动了。