2012 in association football
The following are the association football events of the year 2012 throughout the world.
Events
Men
Senior
- Men's Football Tournament at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London,
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th
- January 21 – February 12: 2012 African Cup of Nations in and
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th
- March 8 – March 19: 2012 AFC Challenge Cup in
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th
- June 1 – June 3: 2012 Baltic Cup in
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th
- June 3 – June 11: 2012 OFC Nations Cup in
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th
- June 8 – July 1: UEFA Euro 2012 in and
- *
- *
- * and
- 22 June – 6 July 2012: 2012 Arab Nations Cup in
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th
- September 25 – September 29: 2012 Philippine Peace Cup in the
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th
- September 22 – October 2: 2012 Nehru Cup in
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th
- November 24 – December 8: 2012 CECAFA Cup in
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th
- November 24 – December 22: 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup in and
- *
- *
- December 7 – December 16: 2012 Caribbean Cup in
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th
- December 8 – December 20: 2012 West Asian Football Federation Championship in
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th
Youth
- 3 July – 15 July: 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship in
- *
- *
- 22 September – 6 October: 2012 AFC U-16 Championship in
- *
- *
- 3 November – 17 November: 2012 AFC U-19 Championship in the
- *
- *
Women
- Women's Tournament at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London,
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th:
- 20 January – 5 February: 2012 South American Under-20 Women's Football Championship in
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th:
- 29 February – 7 March: 2012 Algarve Cup in
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th:
- August 18 – September 9 — 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th:
- September 22 – October 13 — 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in
- *
- *
- *
- * 4th:
News
- In 2012, Major League Soccer in the United States and Canada added its 19th team, confirmed in 2010 as the Montreal Impact.
- CONCACAF changes the format of its club continental cup in the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League, taking out the preliminary round and putting the 24 teams in 8 groups of 3 teams each.
- January 30 – Women's Professional Soccer in the U.S. announced that it would cancel its 2012 season, with hopes of returning in 2013. The cancellation was the latest fallout from conflict with team owner Dan Borislow that consumed much of the 2011 season and extended into the offseason.
- May 18 – Women's Professional Soccer folded.
- November 21 – The United States Soccer Federation announced that it would launch a new women's professional league in 2013. The league, as yet unnamed, will have eight teams at launch, four of which have ties to former WPS teams. U.S. Soccer, the Canadian Soccer Association, and the Mexican Football Federation will pay the league salaries for many of their respective national team players, and U.S. Soccer will also house the league offices.
- December 9 – After scoring twice in a La Liga match against Real Betis, Lionel Messi establishes the new world record for most goals scored in a single calendar year, with 91 – surpassing Gerd Müller's 85 in 1972.
- December 15 – U.S. Soccer officially announces that its top-level women's league to be launched in 2013 will be known as the National Women's Soccer League.
2011–12 Egyptian Premier League
Following the Port Said Stadium disaster on 1 February 2012, the season was suspended. At that time, teams had played between 14 and 17 games out of 30. Haras El-Hodood was in first place with a 12–1–1 record. This result was considered a significant surprise by Al Ahram. On 10 March 2012, a decision was reached to cancel the remainder of the season.
Fixed dates for national team matches
Scheduled international matches per their International Match Calendar. Also known as FIFA International Day/Date.- 29 February
- 22 August
- 8-12 September
- 13-17 October
- 14 November
Continental champions
Men
Women
Domestic Champions
AFC nations
UEFA nations
CAF nations
CONCACAF nations
CONMEBOL nations
OFC nations
Deaths
January
- January 1 - Gary Ablett, English footballer
- January 2 - Ioan Drăgan, Romanian footballer
- January 2 - Paulo Rodrigues da Silva, Brazilian footballer
- January 3 - Juan Escudero, Spanish footballer
- January 3 - Willi Entenmann, German footballer
- January 6 - Harry Fearnley, English footballer
- January 8 - Graham Rathbone, Welsh footballer
- January 9 - Bill Dickie, Scottish footballer administrator
- January 10 - Cliff Portwood, English footballer
- January 10 – Alfred Pyka, German international footballer
- January 13 - Lefter Küçükandonyadis, Turkish Olympic footballer
- January 14 - Zelemkhan Zangiyev, Russian footballer
- January 16 - Juan Carlos, Spanish footballer
- January 20 - Walter Whitehurst, English footballer
- January 21 - Ernie Gregory, English footballer
- January 21 - Jeffrey Ntuka, South African footballer
- January 24 - Pierre Sinibaldi, French footballer
- January 27 - Juan Sarrachini, Argentine footballer
- January 31 - Stefano Angeleri, Italian footballer
- January 31 - Sid Ottewell, English footballer
February
- February 1 – Ladislav Kuna, Slovak football player and manager.
- February 1 - Ladislao Nerio, Salvadoran footballer
- February 4 - Pongphan Wongsuwan, Thai football manager
- February 6 - Juan Vicente Lezcano, Paraguayan football defender
- February 8 - Enrique Moreno Bellver, Spanish footballer
- February 12 - Malcolm Devitt, English footballer
- February 13 - Eamonn Deacy, Irish footballer
- February 13 - Sansón, Spanish footballer
- February 14 - Tom McAnearney, Scottish footballer
- February 14 - Alfredo Vega, Paraguayan footballer
- February 16 - John Ritchie, English footballer
- February 17 - Jordan da Costa, Brazilian footballer
- February 18 - Zvezdan Čebinac, Serbian footballer
- February 22 - Thabang Lebese, South African footballer
- February 23 - Peter King, English footballer
- February 26 - Árpád Fekete, Hungarian footballer
- February 27 - Armand Penverne, French footballer
- February 28 - Jaime Graça, Portuguese footballer
- February 29 - Karl Kodat, Austrian footballer
March
- March 1 - Henryk Bałuszyński, Polish footballer
- March 1 - Altamir Heitor Martins, Brazilian footballer
- March 2 - Gerry Bridgwood, English footballer
- March 6 - Marcos Alonso Imaz, Spanish footballer
- March 7 - Marcel Mouchel, French footballer
- March 7 - Włodzimierz Smolarek, Polish footballer
- March 7 - Ramaz Urushadze, Georgian footballer
- March 8 - Jens Petersen, Danish footballer
- March 9 - Brian Bromley, English footballer
- March 13 - Amusa Shittu, Nigerian footballer
- March 14 - Ray Barlow, English footballer
- March 16 - Estanislau Basora, Spanish footballer
- March 19 - Karl-Heinz Spickenagel, German footballer
- March 23 - Péter Pázmándy, Hungarian footballer
- March 28 - Brian Philips, English footballer
- March 30 - Kees Guyt, Dutch footballer
- March 30 - Francesco Mancini, Italian footballer
April
- April 1 – Giorgio Chinaglia, Italian football player and manager.
- April 3 - Airton Pavilhão, Brazilian footballer
- April 3 - José María Zárraga, Spanish footballer
- April 4 - Dubravko Pavličić, Croatian footballer
- April 5 - Jimmy Lawlor, Irish footballer
- April 6 - Larry Canning, English footballer
- April 6 - Dermot Hannafin, Gaelic footballer
- April 8 - John Egan, Gaelic footballer
- April 10 - Erdoğan Arıca, Turkish footballer
- April 12 - Kellon Baptiste, Grenadian footballer
- April 12 - Manfred Orzessek, German footballer
- April 14 - Lee Kyung-hwan, South Korean footballer
- April 14 - Eddie May, English footballer
- April 14 – Piermario Morosini, Italian football player.
- April 15 - Samir Said, Kuwaiti footballer
- April 18 - Arthur Bottom, English footballer
- April 20 - Alfie Biggs, English footballer
- April 21 - Brian Heward, English footballer
- April 28 - Dudley Peake, Welsh footballer
- April 30 - Giannis Gravanis, Greek footballer
June
- June 21 – Ramaz Shengelia, Soviet Georgian player, played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
July
- July 19 – Hans Nowak, German footballer.
- July 31 – Alfredo Ramos, Brazilian defender, squad member of Brazil at the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
August
- August 1 - Aldo Maldera, Italian footballer
- August 2 - Bernd Meier, German footballer
- August 6 - Boris Razinsky, Russian footballer
- August 6 - Godfried van den Boer, Belgian footballer
- August 8 - Surya Lesmana, Indonesian footballer
- August 9 - Erol Togay, Turkish footballer
- August 12 - Jackie Watters, Scottish footballer
- August 15 - Elson Iazegi Beyruth, Brazilian footballer
- August 17 - Panos Markovic, Greek footballer
- August 20 - Len Quested, English footballer
- August 22 - Houcine Anafal, Moroccan footballer
- August 24 - Krum Yanev, Bulgarian footballer
- August 24 – Félix Miélli Venerando, Brazilian goalkeeper, winner of the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
- August 25 - Florencio Amarilla, Paraguayan footballer
- August 25 - Emilio Pacione, Scottish footballer
- August 26 - Alan Steen, English footballer
- August 27 - Antoine Redin, French footballer
- August 27 - Ivica Horvat, Croatian footballer
September
- September 4 - Milan Vukelić, Serbian footballer
- September 5 - Ediz Bahtiyaroğlu, Turkish footballer
- September 6 - Oscar Rossi, Argentine footballer
- September 7 - Abdul Ghafoor, Pakistani footballer
- September 8 - Adolf Bechtold, German footballer
- September 9 - Ron Tindall, English footballer
- September 11 - Rolf Bjørn Backe, Norwegian footballer
- September 11 - Sergio Livingstone, Chilean footballer
- September 12 - Jimmy Andrews, Scottish footballer
- September 14 - Frank Dudley, English footballer
- September 15 - Predrag Brzaković, Serbian footballer
- September 15 - Jean-Louis Heinrich, French footballer
- September 17 - Bafo Biyela, South African footballer
- September 18 - Jorge Manicera, Uruguayan footballer
- September 18 - Olinto Sampaio Rubini, Mexican footballer
- September 19 - Rino Ferrario, Italian footballer
- September 20 - Michel Pech, French footballer
- September 21 - Len Weare, Welsh footballer
- September 25 - John Bond, English footballer
- September 26 - Pape Alioune Diop, Senegalese footballer
- September 28 - Juan Baena, Spanish footballer
October
- October 1 - Abdelkader Fréha, Algerian international footballer
- October 3 - Jean-Louis Lagadec, French footballer
- October 3 - Albie Roles, English footballer
- October 4 - Rudolf Oslansky, Austrian footballer
- October 7 - Georges Casolari, French footballer
- October 8 - Rafael Lesmes, Spanish footballer
- October 11 – Helmut Haller, German international footballer.
- October 12 - Henry Moyo, Malawian footballer
- October 13 - Jim Rollo, Scottish footballer
- October 15 - Vladimir Čonč, Croatian footballer
- October 15 - Trevor Kemp, Scottish footballer
- October 15 - Alberto Reif, Italian footballer
- October 17 - Milija Aleksic, English footballer
- October 17 - Bandya Kakade, Indian footballer
- October 17 - Pépito Pavon, Serbian footballer
- October 19 - Raúl Valencia, Spanish footballer
- October 19 - Jaouad Akaddar, Moroccan footballer
- October 23 - Philippe Di Santo, Belgian footballer
- October 23 - Hughie Hay, Scottish footballer
- October 23 - Jozef Mannaerts, Belgian footballer
- October 24 - Peter Wright, English footballer
- October 25 - John Connely, English footballer
- October 30 - Georges Van Straelen, French footballer
November
- November 1 - Jan Louwers, Dutch footballer
- November 4 - Reg Pickett, English footballer
- November 5 - Keih Ripley, English footballer
- November 5 - Jimmy Stephen, Scottish footballer
- November 6 - Ivor Powell, Welsh footballer
- November 6 - Bohdan Tsap, Ukrainian footballer
- November 7 - Heinz-Jürgen Blome, German footballer
- November 8 - Bobby Gilfillan, Scottish footballer
- November 10 - Eric Day, English footballer
- November 12 - Arthur Bialas, German footballer
- November 12 - Harry McShane, Scottish footballer
- November 14 - Alexandro Alves do Nascimento, Brazilian footballer
- November 14 - Paddy Meegan, Irish Gaelic footballer
- November 15 - Théophile Abega, Cameroonian footballer
- November 17 - Henryk Grzybowski, Polish footballer
- November 18 - Kenny Morgans, Welsh footballer
- November 20 – Mike Ryan, Irish-born American coach, first head coach of the United States women's national team.
- November 20 - Gary Ingham, English footballer
- November 21 - Wang Houjun, Chinese footballer
- November 22 - Mario Murillo, Costa Rican footballer
- November 22 - Raimund Krauth, German footballer
- November 23 - Alfonso Montemayor, Mexican footballer defender
- November 23 - Goffredo Stabellini, Italian footballer
- November 25 - Bert Linnecor, English footballer
- November 25 - Dave Sexton, English football manager
- November 27 - Herbert Oberhofer, Austrian footballer
- November 27 - Pascal Kalemba, Congolese footballer
- November 27 - Lennart Samuelsson, Swedish footballer
- November 28 - Cosimo Nocera, Italian footballer
- November 28 – José Maria Fidélis dos Santos, Brazilian defender, squad member of Brazil at the 1966 FIFA World Cup.
- November 30 - Mario Ardizzon, Italian footballer
December
- December 1: Mitchell Cole, English footballer.
- December 1: Steve Fox, English footballer.
- December 1: Phil Taylor, English footballer.
- December 2: Azumir Veríssimo, Brazilian footballer.
- December 3: Tommy Berggren, Swedish footballer.
- December 3: Diego Mendieta, Paraguayan footballer.
- December 4: Miguel Calero, Colombian goalkeeper.
- December 5: Doug Smith, Scottish footballer.
- December 7: Denis Houf, Belgian footballer.
- December 13: Ian Black, Scottish footballer.
- December 13: T. Shanmugham, Indian footballer.
- December 16: Adam Ndlovu, Zimbabwean footballer.
- December 16: Jim Patterson, Scottish footballer.
- December 17: Charlie Adam, Scottish footballer.
- December 18: George Showell, English footballer.
- December 20: Stan Charlton, English footballer.
- December 20: Dennis Stevens, English footballer.
- December 21: George Hazlett, Scottish footballer
- December 22: Wattie Dick, Scottish footballer.
- December 23: Cristian Tudor, Romanian footballer.
- December 27: Ken Jones, English footballer.
- December 28: Václav Drobný, Czech footballer.
- December 29: Salvador Reyes, Mexican forward.