The football game that stopped World War I at Christmas

Last update 22 July, 2023 by Alberto Llopis

The history of football match that stopped World War I It is undoubtedly one of those that everyone should know. Throughout time we have seen how football has served as an element of cohesion between peoples, countries and fully competing ideologies. That same degree carried to extremes occurred 24 from December to 1914. In full First World War, the Belgian town of Ypres witnessed a terrible battle between German and English, each defending their interests through blood and tears but little sweat as temperatures rarely exceeded the positive values.

Diseases, injured, Dead comrades were the breeding ground for a war that had just begun but that was already spreading across half of Europe and was beginning to show some traces of the cruelty with which it would be resolved.. With British and Germanics facing each other, what seemed impossible was possible for the delight of many. The shots, the bullets, tanks gave way to the Truce, peace (although momentary). The culprit? Best said the culprits, of the: football and Christmas. Eve Eve was something different on both sides and it soon lived in the environment.

The football match that stopped World War I for Christmas

the day 24 both countries decorated their trenches, emergency barracks and made based carols, of songs, letters and photos of their loved ones. German intoning best holiday versions, English emotional melodies were singing the postcard two sides that barely separated them 40 meters and much hatred by.

However, at that time with the music, Christmas by, a British soldier named brave had the idea to appear in peace to the German headquarters had no warning that French in their ranks, which led to a German officer had given him six cigarettes and a chocolate bar. And the most important, celebrate the commitment as intimate dates through a football game that would supply for a day shots several months.

Said and done, just hours after the match occurred. The lawn was an unexpected ice cream Belgian grass fields, porterías helmets of soldiers, the duration of the match just one hour. There was no referee, in “Beautiful game” (long passes were the tonic) and uniforms most curious, while the British team strong air lifted their kilts.

They say that the Germans won the game 3-2 but maybe that was not the most important, but the fact that football managed to stop even if temporarily a cruel and bloody war like no other had been to date.
One hundred years later, UEFA held such an event in the Belgian town of Ypres cited and even the Premier League has decided to build a stadium in honor I lived in that 24 from December to 1914.