2021 in association football facts for kids
This article is about the exciting world of football (soccer) events in 2021 from all around the globe. You'll find out about important matches, player news, and big tournaments that happened or were planned for this year.
Contents
Key Events in Football
January Highlights
- January 15: Famous English player Wayne Rooney stopped playing professional football. After retiring, he became the manager of the EFL Championship club Derby County.
- January 29: Saïd Benrahma joined West Ham United from Brentford for €23 million. This was one of the most expensive player transfers during the winter of 2021.
Exciting Upcoming Matches
February
- February 11: The final match of the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup Final was played. It took place at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
May
- May 26: The final of the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League Final was played. This big game happened at the Stadion Miejski in Gdańsk, Poland.
- May 29: The final of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League Final was played. It was held at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
June
- June 11: The first match of the 2021 Copa América was played. Argentina played against Chile at the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- June 11: The opening match of UEFA Euro 2020 also took place. Turkey played against Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.
July
- July 8: The very first match of the new UEFA Europa Conference League was played.
- July 10: The final of the 2021 Copa América Final was played. It happened at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla, Colombia.
- July 11: The UEFA Euro 2020 Final was played. The big final match was held at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom.
Tournament Champions
This section lists the winners of major football tournaments around the world in 2021.
International Tournaments
These are competitions where national teams from different countries play against each other.
Tournament | Confederation | Host Country(s) | Winner | Runner-Up | Finals Stadium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 African Nations Championship | CAF (Africa) | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé | |
2020 CONCACAF Nations League Finals | CONCACAF (North America) | ![]() |
- | - | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup | TBC | - | - | TBC | |
2021 Copa América | CONMEBOL (South America) | ![]() ![]() |
- | - | Estadio Metropolitano, Barranquilla |
UEFA Euro 2020 | UEFA (Europe) | Multiple Hosts | - | - | Wembley Stadium, London |
2021 UEFA Nations League Finals | ![]() |
- | - | San Siro, Milan | |
2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup | FIFA | ![]() |
- | - | Švyturys Arena, Klaipėda |
Youth International Tournaments
These tournaments are for younger players representing their countries.
Tournament | Confederation | Host Country(s) | Winner | Runner-Up | Finals Stadium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 AFC U-19 Championship | AFC (Asia) | ![]() |
Cancelled | Bunyodkor Stadium, Tashkent | |
2020 AFC U-16 Championship | ![]() |
Cancelled | Khalifa Sports City Stadium, Isa Town | ||
2021 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations | CAF (Africa) | ![]() |
- | - | TBC |
2021 UNAF U-17 Tournament | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Stade du 5 Juillet, Algiers | |
2021 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations | ![]() |
- | - | TBC |
Continental Club Tournaments
These are competitions for football clubs within the same continent.
Confederation | Tournament | Previous Winner | Winner | Runner-Up | Finals Stadium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AFC (Asia) | 2021 AFC Champions League | ![]() |
- | - | 2-Legged |
2021 AFC Cup | ![]() |
- | - | TBC | |
CAF (Africa) | 2020–21 CAF Champions League | ![]() |
- | - | |
2020–21 CAF Confederation Cup | ![]() |
- | - | ||
CONCACAF (North America) | 2021 CONCACAF Champions League | ![]() |
- | - | |
2021 CONCACAF League | ![]() |
- | - | ||
CONMEBOL (South America) | 2021 Copa Libertadores | ![]() |
- | - | |
2021 Copa Sudamericana | ![]() |
- | - | ||
2021 Recopa Sudamericana | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
2-Legged Final | ||
OFC (Oceania) | 2021 OFC Champions League | ![]() |
- | - | TBC |
UEFA (Europe) | 2020–21 UEFA Champions League | ![]() |
- | - | Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul |
2020–21 UEFA Europa League | ![]() |
- | - | Stadion Miejski, Gdańsk | |
2021 UEFA Super Cup | ![]() |
- | - | Windsor Park, Belfast | |
FIFA (Global) | 2021 FIFA Club World Cup | ![]() |
- | - | TBC |
Players Retiring in 2021
Some well-known football players decided to end their professional careers in 2021.
- Stéphane Ruffier (34), a French goalkeeper who played for A.S. Monaco and A.S. Saint-Étienne.
- Wayne Rooney (35), a famous English forward who played for Everton and Manchester United.
Player Transfers in 2021
Football transfers happen when a player moves from one club to another. Clubs pay a "transfer fee" for the player's contract.
Winter 2021 Transfers
This table shows some of the biggest player transfers that happened during the winter transfer window in 2021.
Player | Age | Team Leaving | Team Joining | Transfer Fee |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
25 | ![]() |
![]() |
€23 million |
![]() |
26 | ![]() |
![]() |
€22.5 million |
![]() |
18 | ![]() |
![]() |
€21 million |
![]() |
20 | ![]() |
![]() |
€20 million |
![]() |
21 | ![]() |
![]() |
€20 million |
![]() |
28 | ![]() |
![]() |
€16 million |
![]() |
26 | ![]() |
![]() |
€15.8 million |
![]() |
32 | ![]() |
![]() |
€15 million |
![]() |
22 | ![]() |
![]() |
€13 million |
![]() |
23 | ![]() |
![]() |
€11 million |
![]() |
27 | ![]() |
![]() |
€9 million |
![]() |
26 | ![]() |
![]() |
€5.9 million |
![]() |
21 | ![]() |
![]() |
€5 million |
![]() |
29 | ![]() |
![]() |
€4.5 million |
![]() |
31 | ![]() |
![]() |
€4 million |
![]() |
23 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan (Loan Fee: €3.5 million) |
![]() |
32 | ![]() |
![]() |
€2 million |
![]() |
22 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan (Loan Fee: €2 million) |
![]() |
23 | ![]() |
![]() |
€1.7 million |
![]() |
24 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan (Loan Fee: €1.5 million) |
![]() |
19 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan (Loan Fee: €1.25 million) |
![]() |
20 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan (Loan Fee: €1.1 million) |
![]() |
23 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan (Loan Fee: €650,000) |
![]() |
25 | ![]() |
![]() |
€570,000 |
![]() |
22 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan (Loan Fee: €500,000) |
![]() |
33 | ![]() |
![]() |
Undisclosed |
![]() |
29 | ![]() |
![]() |
Undisclosed |
![]() |
32 | ![]() |
![]() |
Free Transfer |
![]() |
34 | Free Agent | ![]() |
Free Transfer |
![]() |
32 | ![]() |
![]() |
Free Transfer |
![]() |
32 | ![]() |
![]() |
Free Transfer |
![]() |
28 | ![]() |
![]() |
Free Transfer |
![]() |
33 | ![]() |
![]() |
Free Transfer |
![]() |
23 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
27 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
32 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
32 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
26 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
28 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
23 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
28 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
21 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
23 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
21 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
24 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
26 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
19 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |
![]() |
20 | ![]() |
![]() |
Loan |