Player numbers
We are so used to it that we don’t even notice it anymore: footballers – and various other sportsmen and women – are numbered like ping-pong balls in a lottery. But it hasn’t always been the case. The wearing of numbered jerseys started in 1912 for a match between two teams in Sydney, Australia. It took another 15 years for this idea to reach Europe, taking hold first in England. The world footballing governing body Fifa eventually adopted the idea and numbering made its debut in the World Cup in Switzerland in 1954.
swissinfo
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.