1973 in association football

The following events occurred in association football throughout the world in the year 1973.

Events

Copa Libertadores 1973: Won by Independiente after defeating Colo-Colo on an aggregate score of 2–1.
Sunderland AFC wins the FA Cup final.
May 31 – NAC Breda claims the KNVB Cup after defeating NEC, 2–0.

Europe vs South America FIFA charity match

Winners club national championship

Asia

Iran: Persepolis
Qatar: Al-Esteqlal

Europe

East Germany: Dynamo Dresden
England: Liverpool
France: Nantes
Hungary: Újpest
Italy: Juventus
Netherlands: Ajax
Poland: Stal Mielec
Scotland: Celtic
Soviet Union: Ararat Yerevan
Spain: Atlético Madrid
Turkey: Galatasaray
West Germany: Bayern Munich
Yugoslavia: Red Star Belgrade

North America

Mexico: Cruz Azul
United States / Canada:
- Philadelphia Atoms (NASL)

South America

Argentina
- Huracán – Metropolitano
- Rosario Central – Nacional
Brazil: Palmeiras

International tournaments

1973 British Home Championship (May 12–19, 1973)

England

Births

January 3 – Jaroslav Švach, Czech youth international (d. 2020)
January 21 – Sergei Zhdanov, former Russian footballer
January 30
- René Gottwald, retired German footballer
- Predrag Kodžo, Serbian footballer
February 2 – Valeriy Yablochkin, Kazakhstani footballer
February 10 – Ivan O'Konnel-Bronin, Estonian footballer
February 18 – Markus Wanner, retired Swiss footballer
February 23 – Alan Tutton, English former professional footballer
February 24 – Ivan Gentizon, retired Swiss footballer
March 7 – Ray Parlour, English footballer
March 11 – Damián Álvarez, Mexican footballer
March 16 – Bert Zuurman, Dutch footballer
March 28 – Delmo (Delmo Arcângelo Coelho Monteiro), Brazilian former footballer
April 4 – Peter Hoekstra, Dutch footballer
April 6 – Sun Wen, Chinese footballer
April 9 – Bart Goor, Belgian footballer
April 10 – Roberto Carlos, Brazilian footballer
April 12 – Roberto Ayala, Argentine footballer
April 26 – Lee Woon-jae, South Korean footballer
May 1 – Oliver Neuville, German footballer
May 2 – Cristino Jara, Paraguayan footballer
May 8 – Jesús Arellano, Mexican footballer
June 18 – Lesmond Prinsen, Dutch footballer
July 6 – Romuald Ardeois, French professional footballer
July 13 – Roberto Martínez, Spanish football player and coach
July 21 – Nelson Abeijón, Uruguayan footballer
July 24 – Johan Micoud, French international footballer
August 1 – Pierre Bastou, French professional football
August 9 – Filippo Inzaghi, Italian international footballer
August 14 – Jay-Jay Okocha, Nigerian international footballer
August 14 – Jared Borgetti, Mexican footballer
August 19 – Marco Materazzi, Italian international footballer
August 26 – Heini Stocker, retired Liechtenstein footballer
September 4 – Nandor Njergeš, retired Serbian footballer
September 8 – Ángel Maldonado, Mexican footballer
September 13 – Fabio Cannavaro, Italian international footballer
September 18 – Limberg Méndez, Bolivian footballer
September 21
- Pedro Acevedo, former Chilean footballer
- Max Eberl, German footballer
- Oswaldo Sánchez, Mexican footballer
September 23 – Raphaël Clapson, French professional footballer
October 9
- Thomas Frank, Danish football player and manager
- Carlos Pavón, Honduran international footballer
October 11 – Steven Pressley, Scottish footballer
October 14 – Fabián O'Neill, Uruguayan international footballer (died 2022)
October 20 – Lim Gi-han, coach and former South Korean footballer
October 24 – Glenn Summerville, Dutch footballer
October 29 – Robert Pires, French international footballer
November 17
- Wally Dieng, French retired footballer
- Bernd Schneider, German international footballer
November 27 – Stephen Pugh, Welsh former professional footballer
November 29 – Ryan Giggs, Welsh footballer
December 5 – Andrei Krasnopjorov, Estonian footballer
December 6 – Petar Miloševski, Macedonian international footballer (died 2014)
December 11 – Ray Kenny, Irish footballer
December 12 – Walter Otta, Argentinian footballer
December 27 – Ivica Vulić, Slovenian retired international footballer
December 31 – Paweł Bugała, Polish former professional footballer