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The first ever football match did not take place between the Old Etonians and Darwen FC, it did not take place around the formation The FA (the oldest football association in the world), it did not even take place with a game of Cuju in ancient China.

It dates back even further, and took place in Mesoamerica.

As David Goldblatt explains. Marco Bevilacqua illustrates.

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Music sourced from epidemicsound.com
Additional footage sourced from freestockfootagearchive.com

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