![Thanks to numerous British influences, Switzerland became a footballing nation early on – and not only in its club names.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/titel-sfv-neu-300x225.jpg)
How Switzerland became a footballing nation
The Swiss Football Association was founded on 7 April 1895. But football actually became popular in Switzerland some time before that and can be attributed to the country’s strong international links in the 19th century.
![The players personally immortalised the club motto in the newly completed Wankdorf Stadium in 1925.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/yb-malen-300x198.jpg)
![Painting rather than passing: YB players in Wankdorf Stadium, 1925.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/malen-2-203x300.jpg)
![The statutes of YB, at the time still known as the Footballclub Young-Boys, from March 1898.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/yb-statuten-300x244.jpg)
![Anglicisms galore: an article from the Schweizer Sportblatt, November 1898.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/football-artikel-258x300.jpg)
![The FC St. Gallen team, circa 1881.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/fcsg-300x261.jpg)
![The Château de Lancy football team, 1853.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/lancy-300x197.jpg)
A football match from 1897. Rules followed? Yes. Competitive sport? Hmmm... YouTube
![Hans Gamper in a photo from 1896.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/gamper-187x300.jpg)
![The Swiss national football team training in the woods, circa 1960.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/nati-im-wald-290x300.jpg)
![A brisk march at the Solothurn cantonal gymnastics festival in Olten, 1921](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/turner-300x177.jpg)
Swiss Sports History
![](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/swisssportshistory-300x225.jpg)
This text was produced in collaboration with Swiss Sports History, the portal for the history of sports in Switzerland. The portal focuses on education in schools and information for the media, researchers and the general public. Find out more at sportshistory.ch