1961 in association football
The following are the football events of the year 1961 throughout the world.Events
- Copa Libertadores 1961: Won by Peñarol after defeating Palmeiras on an aggregate score of 2–1.
- 1961 International Soccer League
- *FK Dukla Prague beat Everton F.C., 9–2, in the final on aggregate
- September 6 - Dutch club Feyenoord from Rotterdam makes its European debut by defeating Sweden's IFK Göteborg in the first round of the European Cup.
- September 18 - The North American Football Confederation and Football Confederation of Central America and the Caribbean merge to form CONCACAF.
- : Racing Club
- : Santos
- : Tottenham Hotspur
- : AS Monaco
- : KR
- : Juventus
- : Chivas Guadalajara
- : Feyenoord
- : Cerro Porteño
- : Steaua București
- : FC Dynamo Kyiv
- : Real Madrid
- : Fenerbahçe
International tournaments
- 1961 British Home Championship
Births
- January 13 - César Baena, Venezuelan international footballer
- January 17 - Zhao Dayu, Chinese international footballer
- January 18 - Peter Beardsley, English international footballer
- January 20 - Patricio Yáñez, Chilean international footballer
- January 31 - Jonny Otten, German international footballer
- February 13 - Oļegs Karavajevs, Latvian international footballer
- March 13 - Sebastiano Nela, Italian international footballer
- March 21 - Lothar Matthäus, German international footballer and coach
- April 11 - Roberto Cabañas, Paraguayan international footballer
- May 3 - Daniel Sánchez, Uruguayan international footballer
- May 5 - Ali Hussein Shihab, Iraqi international footballer
- May 8 - Gert Kruys, Dutch footballer and manager
- June 1 - Rubén Espinoza, Chilean footballer
- June 3 - César Zabala, Paraguayan footballer
- June 29 - Víctor Genés, Paraguayan footballer and football manager
- August 3 - Gustavo Brand, Venezuelan football referee
- August 10 - Chris Marustik, Welsh international footballer
- September 9 - Justo Jacquet, Paraguayan footballer
- October 20 - Guillermo Muñoz, Mexican footballer
- November 3 - Sven Habermann, German-Canadian footballer
- November 17 - Wolfram Wuttke, German international footballer
- December 17 - Henk van Stee, Dutch footballer and manager
Deaths
January
