1976 in association football

Events

• Copa Libertadores 1976: Won by Cruzeiro after defeating River Plate on an aggregate score of 3–2.
• September 15 - Dutch club Roda JC makes its European debut with a defeat in Brussels against Belgium's R.S.C. Anderlecht in the second round of the Cup Winners Cup.

  Winners club national championship

Asia

• Qatar - Al-Rayyan SC

  Europe

• - Liverpool
• - AS Saint-Étienne
• - Torino
• *Eredivisie - PSV Eindhoven
• *Eerste Divisie - HFC Haarlem
• - Stal Mielec
• - Real Madrid
• - Trabzonspor
• - Partizan

  North America

• - Club América
• / :
• *Toronto Metros-Croatia
• *Los Angeles Skyhawks

  South America

• Argentina:
• *Metropolitano - Boca Juniors
• *Nacional - Boca Juniors
• Brazil: Internacional

  International tournaments

• African Cup of Nations in Ethiopia
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• 1976 British Home Championship
• UEFA European Football Championship in Yugoslavia
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• AFC Asian Championship in Iran
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• Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada
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  Births

• January 18 - Pavel Mareš, Czech international footballer
• February 5 - John Aloisi, Australian international footballer
• February 7 - Daisuke Oku, Japanese international footballer
• February 26 - Mauro Lustrinelli, Swiss international footballer
• March 17 - Álvaro Recoba, Uruguayan international footballer
• March 19 - Alessandro Nesta, Italian international footballer
• April 1 - Clarence Seedorf, Dutch international footballer
• April 20 - Aldo Bobadilla, Paraguayan footballer
• April 23 - Darren Huckerby, English footballer and coach
• April 27 - Walter Pandiani, Uruguayan footballer
• May 2 - Amado Guevara, Honduran international footballer
• May 3 - Beto, Portuguese international footballer
• May 6 - Denny Landzaat, Dutch international footballer
• June 14 - Massimo Oddo, Italian international footballer
• June 23 - Patrick Vieira, French international footballer
• June 24 - Ricardo Alexandre dos Santos, Brazilian international footballer
• July 1 - Ruud van Nistelrooy, Dutch international footballer
• July 1 - Patrick Kluivert, Dutch international footballer
• July 5 - Nuno Gomes, Portuguese international footballer
• July 10 - Lars Ricken, German international footballer
• July 16 - Carlos Humberto Paredes, Paraguayan footballer
• July 17 - Anders Svensson, Swedish international footballer
• July 17 - Marcos Senna, Spanish international footballer
• July 26 - Danny Ortiz, Guatemalan footballer
• August 11 - Tõnis Kalde, Estonian international footballer
• August 24 - Björn van der Doelen, Dutch footballer
• August 27 - Ysrael Zúñiga, Peruvian footballer
• August 28 - Federico Magallanes, Uruguayan international footballer
• August 29 - Jon Dahl Tomasson, Danish international footballer
• September 18 - Ronaldo, Brazilian international footballer
• September 26 - Michael Ballack, German international footballer
• September 27 - Francesco Totti, Italian international footballer
• September 29 - Andriy Shevchenko, Ukrainian international footballer
• October 4 - Mauro Camoranesi, Italian international footballer
• October 28 - Martin Lepa, Estonian footballer
• November 26 - José Pablo Burtovoy, Argentine footballer
• December 25 - Atko Väikmeri, Estonian footballer

  Deaths

November

• November 3 – Giuseppe Cavanna, Italian goalkeeper, winner of the 1934 FIFA World Cup.

  December

• December 25 – Conduelo Píriz, Uruguayan midfielder, winner of the 1930 FIFA World Cup.