The Oldest Football Videos on YouTube

April 25th, 2010 | by: Jan | View Comments

best football skills – June 24th, 2005

I recently read up a bit on the history of YouTube and learned, that the first ever YouTube video (”Me at the Zoo“) was uploaded by founder Jawed Karimi on April 23rd, 2005. The public beta test started only a week later in May and the official launch of the site was in November 2005. I started to wonder what the first – or rather oldest still available – football related videos on YouTube are. I started with the basic search term “football/soccer” and both words yield the same result. A skills compilation featuring illustrious has beens like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry. Fort Minor’s Remember the Name wasn’t leaked onto the Internet until August 20th, 2005. The corresponding album didn’t hit the shelves until November 22nd, 2005, so the oldest still available football skills highlight reel has to make do with The Roots’ Guns are Drawn instead.

The Oldest World Cup Video

iran vs japan – July 18th, 2005

The oldest video for the search term “world cup” brings up this goal by Iran’s Vahid Hashemian, from an Asian World Cup 2006 qualifier against Japan (2-1, March 25th, 2005). Iran went on to finish second in their group, behind Japan, and qualified for only their third World Cup. A slightly anti-climactic result.

The Oldest Champions League Video

Final Champion’s league 2004-2005 – September 25th, 2005

The 2005 final between Liverpool and AC Milan is the oldest available Champions League video. Liverpool’s epic comeback victory is made even more epic with the help of cheesy dance music. But Liverpool and Milan fans are probably desperate enough by now, that they’ll gladly sit through this video nonetheless, to reminisce about what it was like being teams at the top of their game.

The Oldest Lionel Messi Video

Compilado Messi 1 – December 16th, 2005

In December 2005, Lionel Messi was 18 years old and on his way to establish himself in Barcelona’s senior team. By then, his exploits on youth football level had apparently already earned him a Japanese fanbase, that would dedicate the above video to him. Compilado Messi 2, uploaded on the same day, then kicks into full gear with the Flashdance soundtrack.

The Oldest Jens Lehmann Videos

Jens Lehman save against villareal – May 9th, 2006

Lehman that w*nker – May 9th, 2006

No YouTube history session would be complete without an eccentric mad German goalkeeper. Searching for Jens Lehmann yields two results, which do an outstandingly accurate job of depicting the essence of Jens Lehmann.

So, that’s what general highlight reels, the World Cup, the Champions League, Lionel Messi and mad German goalkeepers were like during the early YouTube days.