One of the undoubtedly most interesting aspects of football is the not always immediately arising question of its origin and historical development. Who immediately thinks of medieval fertility games when it comes to the Bundesliga and Champions League, or of straw-filled leather balls when discussing World Cups? It is generally known that modern football began in England at some point and then spread from there around the world, eventually making its way to Germany. The question of what came before is only sporadically raised, and inquiries into the how and why are even rarer. Upon closer examination, the following questions arise: Is football a modern English invention, or does its historical journey begin much earlier? What historical ball game cultures had how much influence on modern football?.