1968 in association football

The following are the association football (soccer) events of the year 1968 throughout the world.

Events

• Copa Libertadores 1968: Won by Estudiantes de La Plata after defeating Palmeiras on an aggregate score of 2–0.
• 29 May – European Cup won by Manchester United after defeating Benfica 4–1 in extra time at Wembley Stadium, London.
• 30 May – The Dutch national team plays its 300th official match in history, drawing 0–0 in a friendly against Scotland.
• 5 June – Alan Mullery becomes the first England player to be sent off in an international match during a 0–1 defeat to Yugoslavia in the European Nations' Cup semi-finals in Florence, Italy.
• 19 September – Dutch club ADO makes its European debut by defeating Grazer AK (4–1) in the first round of the Cup Winners Cup, with four goals from Piet Giesen.

Winners club national championship

Asia

•  Qatar: Al-Oruba

Europe

•  England: Manchester City
•  France: AS Saint-Étienne
•  Iceland: KR
•  Italy: A.C. Milan
•  Netherlands: Ajax Amsterdam
•  Poland: Ruch Chorzów
•  Scotland: Celtic
•  Spain: Real Madrid
•  Turkey: Fenerbahçe
•  West Germany: 1. FC Nürnberg

North America

•  Mexico: Toluca
•  United States /  Canada
  • Atlanta Chiefs (NASL)

South America

•  Argentina
  • San Lorenzo - Metropolitano
  • Vélez Sársfield - Nacional
•  Brazil
  • Botafogo - Taça Brasil
  • Santos - Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa
•  Paraguay: Olimpia Asunción

International tournaments

• African Cup of Nations in Ethiopia (12–21 January 1968)
  1.  Congo-Kinshasa
  2.  Ghana
  3.  Ivory Coast
• 1968 British Home Championship (21 October 1967 – 28 February 1968)

 England

• UEFA European Football Championship in Italy (5–10 June 1968)
  1.  Italy
  2.  Yugoslavia
  3.  England
• Olympic Games in Mexico City, Mexico (13–26 October 1968)
  1.  Hungary
  2.  Bulgaria
  3.  Japan

Births

• 1 January – Davor Šuker, Croatian international footballer
• 5 January – Gennaro Monaco, Italian former player, former manager^[1]
• 27 January – Gidix Nasa, Papua New Guinean former footballer^[2]
• 31 January – Dragan Reljić, Croatian former professional footballer^[3]
• 27 March – René Fluri, retired Swiss footballer^[4]
• 31 March – Francesco Moriero, Italian international footballer and manager
• 1 April – Bulat Esmagambetov, Kazakhstani footballer
• 16 April – Martin Dahlin, Swedish international footballer
• 18 April – Adelio Salinas, former Paraguayan footballer
• 1 May – Oliver Bierhoff, German international footballer
• 2 May – Pedro Ramos, Ecuadorian football referee
• 22 May – Gabriel Mendoza, Chilean international footballer
• 5 June – Percy Olivares, Peruvian footballer
• 6 June – Edwin Vurens, Dutch footballer
• 22 June – Fabián Guevara, Chilean footballer
• 25 June – Dorinel Munteanu, Romanian international footballer
• 16 July – Jorge Sosa (Jorge Adrián Sosa Reyna), Mexican football manager and former player^[5]
• 25 June – Martin Filson, English former professional footballer^[6]
• 26 June – Paolo Maldini, Italian international footballer
• 6 August – Fulvio Cimino, retired Swiss footballer^[7]
• 14 August
  • Darren Newman, English former professional footballer^[8]
  • Onésimo Sánchez, Spanish football player and manager
• 15 August – Ulugbek Ruzimov, Uzbekistani footballer
• 20 August – Klas Ingesson, Swedish international footballer and manager (died 2014)
• 22 August – Alejandro Grandi, Uruguayan retired footballer^[9]
• 11 September – Slaven Bilić, Croatian international football player and manager
• 14 September – Jorge Gómez, Chilean footballer
• 15 September – Juan Carlos Garay, Ecuadorian footballer
• 17 September – Francesc Vilanova, Spanish footballer and manager (died 2014)
• 18 September – Carlos Guirland, Paraguayan footballer
• 23 September – Franco Massimo, English former professional footballer^[10]
• 25 September – Gary Blackford, English former professional footballer^[11]
• 27 September – Robert Alleyne, English former professional footballer^[12]
• 8 October – Zvonimir Boban, Croatian international footballer
• 17 October – Héctor Ferri, Ecuadorian footballer
• 20 October – Jonathan Akpoborie, Nigerian international footballer
• 24 October – Osmar Donizete Cândido, Brazilian international footballer
• 27 October – Jamie Slater, Welsh former professional footballer^[13]
• 30 October – Chris Grocock, English lawyer and former professional footballer^[14]
• 18 November – Barry Hunter, Northern Irish international and scout
• 4 December – Gilles Petrucci, retired French footballer^[15]
• 8 December – Igor Luzyakin, Russian professional football coach and former player^[16]
• 13 December – Carlos Hasselbaink, Dutch footballer
• 26 December – Thijs Waterink, Dutch footballer
• 27 December – Steve Guillod, retired Swiss footballer^[17]

Deaths

January

• 4 January – Armando Castellazzi, Italian midfielder, winner of the 1934 FIFA World Cup and first man to win the Serie A both as player and as manager. (63)

June

• 17 June – José Nasazzi, Uruguayan defender, winner of the 1930 FIFA World Cup and by many regarded as Uruguay's greatest ever player. (67)

August

• 30 August - Luitpold Popp, German international footballer (born 1893)

November

• 10 November – Santos Iriarte, Uruguayan forward, winner of the 1930 FIFA World Cup. (66)

December

• 21 December – Vittorio Pozzo, Italian manager, winner of the 1934 FIFA World Cup and 1938 FIFA World Cup and the only manager that won the FIFA World Cup twice. (82)
• 28 December – Fernando Giudicelli, Brazilian midfielder, Brazilian squad member the 1930 FIFA World Cup. (62)