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The first official international soccer match was played

On this day · 30 November 1872
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On November 30, 1872, Scotland and England met in Glasgow for football's first official international and battled to a scoreless draw.

Verified · Scotland v. England: 150 years of international football

On St Andrew’s Day, November 30, 1872, the world’s first official international football match kicked off at the West of Scotland Cricket Club’s ground at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Glasgow.

The fixture grew out of a public challenge from the Football Association’s secretary, Charles Alcock, inviting a Scottish side to face England. Queen’s Park, Scotland’s leading club, supplied all eleven home players. Scotland wore dark blue; England played in white. Around 2,500 spectators paid a shilling to watch, with ladies admitted free.

The match ended 0-0, a result that flattered neither attack but thrilled the crowd.

Football’s grandest rivalry began, fittingly, with no goals at all.

The two associations had agreed to a yearly contest, and the meeting became the seed of all international football that followed, making this Glasgow afternoon the official starting point of the sport’s global competitive history.

0-0
final score
2,500
spectators
1872
year played

Sources & references

2 references

Well-established. Corroborated by 2 independent sources.

1 Scotland v. England: 150 years of international football museum article “Saturday, 30-11-1872, at the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Partick; SCOTLAND 0-0 ENGLAND, attendance in the region of 2,500 with ladies admitted without charge.” fifamuseum.com ↗
2 Scotland v England: The World's First Football International Fixture museum article “On this day in 1872 the first ever official international football match was played as Scotland took on England at Hamilton Crescent on St Andrew's Day, 30th November 1872, finishing in a goalless draw.” scottishfootballmuseum.org.uk ↗
✓ Last reviewed Jun 7, 2026

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