The following are the football (soccer) events of the year 1972 throughout the world.

Events

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...

: Won by Independiente after defeating

Universitario de Deportes Club Universitario de Deportes, popularly known as Universitario or simply as La "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of S ...

on an aggregate score of 2-1. * 11 May – Ajax Amsterdam claims the

Dutch Cup The KNVB Beker (; en, KNVB Cup), branded as the TOTO KNVB Beker for sponsorship reasons, is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Ou ...

by defeating

FC Den Haag Alles Door Oefening Den Haag (), commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag (), is a Dutch association football club from the city of The Hague. They play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football, following relegation ...

: 3-2. * 12 October – the 1972–73 Honduran League was canceled due to economic problems. * 18 November 1972 –

1972 Scotland v England women's football match Scotland Women v England Women (1972) was the first ever official international women's football match to be played in Great Britain. It was contested by the national teams of Scotland and England. The match took place on 18 November 1972 at Rav ...

Winners club national championship

Asia

Al-Sadd SC Al Sadd Sports Club ( ar, نادي السد الرياضي, lit=Dam Sports Club) is a Qatari sports club based in the Al Sadd district of the city of Doha. It is best known for its association football team, which competes in the ...

Europe

Vejle BK Vejle Boldklub is a Danish professional football club based in Vejle in Jutland. Formed in 1891, the club is one of the most successful clubs in Danish football history, having won the Danish championship five times and the Danish cup title six ...

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river. Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebu ...

Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 188 ...

*: Olympique de Marseille *:

Újpest FC Újpest Football Club () is a Hungarian professional football club, based in Újpest, Budapest, that competes in Nemzeti Bajnokság I. Formed in 1885, Újpest reached the first division of the Hungarian League in 1905 and has been relegat ...

*: Juventus *: Ajax Amsterdam *: Zorya Voroshilovgrad *: Real Madrid *: Galatasaray S.K. *: Bayern Munich

North America

Cruz Azul Club de Futbol Cruz Azul or simply Cruz Azul () is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in the Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Because "azul" means "blue" in Spanish, the club has traditionally ...

* / : **

New York Cosmos New York Cosmos may refer to * New York Cosmos (1970–1985), a team in the North American Soccer League (then the top-tier soccer league in the United States and Canada) * New York Cosmos (2010), a team playing since 2020 in the National Independ ...

( NASL)

South America

* ** San Lorenzo - Metropolitano ** San Lorenzo - Nacional *:

Palmeiras Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (), commonly known as Palmeiras, is a Brazilian professional football club based in the city of São Paulo, in the district of Perdizes. Palmeiras is one of the most popular clubs in South America, with around ...

International tournaments

* African Cup of Nations in

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

(February 23 – March 5, 1972) *# *# *# *

1972 British Home Championship Year 197 ( CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 ''Ab urbe condi ...

(May 20 – May 27, 1972) ::Shared by and *

UEFA European Football Championship The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contes ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

(June 14 – 18 1972) *# *# *# *

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

(August 26 – September 10, 1972) *# *# *# and

Births

* January 1 – Lilian Thuram, French international footballer * January 2 –

Eduardo Pereira Eduardo Pereira Martínez (born 21 March 1954) is a retired Uruguayan footballer who played as a goalkeeper. International career Pereira made ten appearances for the senior Uruguay national football team The Uruguay national football team ...

, Timorese footballer * January 3 – Manuel Martínez, Mexican international footballer * January 8 **

Paul Clement Paul Drew Clement (born June 24, 1966) is an American lawyer who served as U.S. Solicitor General from 2004 to 2008 and is known for his advocacy before the U.S. Supreme Court. He established his own law firm, Clement & Murphy, in 2022 after le ...

, English footballer, coach, and manager **

Giuseppe Favalli Giuseppe Favalli (; born 8 January 1972) is an Italian former professional footballer. A versatile, consistent, tenacious and experienced defender, Favalli was capable of playing as a centre back as well as on the left or right flank as a full ...

, Italian footballer ** Esteban Valencia, Chilean international footballer * January 11 –

Huub Loeffen Huub Loeffen (born 11 January 1972) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a forward. Career Loeffen was born in Appeltern, Gelderland. In 2001, he retired from professional football due to injuries at age 29. He had appeared in ...

, Dutch footballer * January 16 **

Ruben Bagger Ruben Bagger (born 16 January 1972) is a former Danish football player, who spent his entire professional career for Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga, and played more than 300 matches for the club. He won five Danish Superliga championships a ...

, Danish footballer ** Yuri Alekseevich Drozdov, Russian footballer **

Ezra Hendrickson Ezra Hendrickson (born 16 January 1972) is a Vincentian professional football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire. Born in Layou, Hendrickson moved with his family to the United Sta ...

, Vincentian footballer ** Alen Peternac, Croatian footballer * January 29 –

Joseph Oosting Joseph Oosting (born 29 January 1972) is a Dutch Association football, football manager and former player, who is currently the manager of Eredivisie side, RKC Waalwijk. Club career He played professional football from 1988 to 2006 for BV Veendam ...

, Dutch footballer * February 11 – Steve McManaman, English international footballer * March 2 –

Mauricio Pochettino Mauricio Roberto Pochettino Trossero (; born 2 March 1972) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player. He was most recently the head coach of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. Pochettino played as a central defender and b ...

, Argentine football player and manager * March 3 –

Karel Poborský Karel Poborský (; born 30 March 1972) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a right winger. He was most noted for his technical ability and pace. He began and finished his club career at Dynamo České Budějovice, where his k ...

, Czech international footballer * March 17 –

Mia Hamm Mariel Margaret Hamm-Garciaparra (; born March 17, 1972) is an American retired professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. Hailed as a soccer icon, she played as a forward for the ...

, American footballer * March 23 –

Daniel Prodan Daniel Claudiu Prodan (23 March 1972 – 16 November 2016) was a Romanian footballer who played mainly as a central defender. In a career marred by injuries, he played mainly for Steaua București and represented the Romania national team in o ...

, Romanian international footballer (died 2016) * March 28 – Péter Lipcsei, Hungarian footballer * March 29 –

Rui Costa Rui Manuel César Costa (; born 29 March 1972) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who is the 34th president of sports club S.L. Benfica. He also succeeded Luís Filipe Vieira as president of the club's SAD board of directors. ...

, Portuguese footballer * April 28 –

Jean-Paul van Gastel Jacobus Johannes Martinus Paulus "Jean-Paul" van Gastel (; born 28 April 1972 in Breda, North Brabant) is a retired football midfielder from the Netherlands, who obtained five caps for the Dutch national team, scoring twice. Currently, he is ...

, Dutch footballer * April 28 –

Wilmer Velásquez Wilmer Raynel Neal Velásquez (born April 28, 1972) is a retired Honduran Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. He was regarded as one of the greatest footballers in Honduran soccer for C.D. Ol ...

, Honduran international footballer * May 8 – José Alberto Guadarrama, Mexican footballer * May 10 – Radosław Majdan, Polish goalkeeper * June 15 –

Marcus Hahnemann Marcus Stephen Hahnemann (born June 15, 1972) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. Graduating out of Seattle Pacific University, he played for the Seattle Sounders between 1994 and 1996. Between 1997 and ...

, American international footballer * June 23 –

Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane (; born 23 June 1972), popularly known as Zizou, is a French professional football manager and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. He most recently coached Spanish club Real Madrid and is one of the mos ...

, French international footballer * August 7 –

Goran Vlaović Goran Vlaović (born 7 August 1972) is a Croatian retired footballer who played as a striker. Club career Born in Nova Gradiška, Vlaović started his professional career with Osijek in 1989 and moved to HAŠK Građanski in 1992, before goi ...

, Croatian footballer * August 30 –

Pavel Nedvěd Pavel Nedvěd (; born 30 August 1972) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is regarded as one of the most successful players to emerge from the Czech Republic, winning domestic and European accolades with Ital ...

, Czech international footballer * September 8 –

Markus Babbel Markus Babbel (; born 8 September 1972) is a German professional football coach and former player who last managed the Western Sydney Wanderers FC. He played as a defender for clubs in Germany and England. Babbel won the UEFA Cup twice, in 1996 ...

, German international footballer and manager * September 10 – João Carlos dos Santos, Brazilian international footballer * September 10 – Mariano Bombarda, Spanish footballer * October 1 – Jean Paulo Fernandes, Brazilian footballer * November 2 – Derlis Gómez, Paraguayan footballer * November 2 –

Darío Silva Darío Debray Silva Pereira (born 2 November 1972) is a Uruguayan retired professional footballer who played as a striker. After making a name for himself in his country and in Italy with Cagliari, he spent the following seven years of his car ...

, Uruguayan footballer * November 4 –

Luís Figo Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo (; born 4 November 1972) is a Portuguese former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Winger (association football), winger for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Barcelona, Real Madrid CF, Real ...

, Portuguese international footballer * November 11 – Nurmat Mirzabaev, Kazakhstani footballer * December 11 –

Andriy Husin Andriy Leonidovych Husin ( ua, Андрій Леонідович Гусін; 11 December 1972 – 17 September 2014) was a Ukrainian professional football player and coach. He played in the Ukraine national team, and was one of Ukraine's most ...

, Ukrainian international footballer and coach (died 2014) * December 29 –

Losseni Konaté Losseni Konaté (born 29 December 1972) is a former Ivorian footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played for ASEC Mimosas, US Monastir, and JJK Jyväskylä during his professional career. Konaté was a regular choice for the Ivory Coast nation ...

, Ivorian footballer

Deaths

* June 9 – Caesar ten Cate, Dutch international footballer (born 1890) * September 16 –

Jan de Natris Johannes ("Jan") Daniel de Natris (13 November 1895 in Amsterdam – 16 September 1972 in Amsterdam) was a football (soccer) player from the Netherlands, who represented his home country at both the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium ...

(76), Dutch international footballer (born 1895)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1972 In Association Football Association football by year