Gianni Infantino watched Scotland v England at Hampden Park
The FIFA President had promised he would be in attendance to the representatives of the two member associations earlier in March
The match celebrated 150 years since the oldest international fixture in football
Gianni Infantino attended the 150th Anniversary Heritage Match between Scotland and England at Hampden Park in Glasgow, as promised to the representatives of the two member associations at the 137th IFAB Annual General Meeting in London in March. The match marked 150 years since the oldest international fixture in football, a scoreless draw between the two nations on 30 November 1872 in Glasgow.
The FIFA President was part of the capacity crowd who were on hand to celebrate this historical occasion as England triumphed 3-1 to claim current bragging rights in football’s most ancient international rivalry. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said it was a privilege to attend such an important match to celebrate the birth of international football.
"Six months ago, I promised the football associations of Scotland and England that I would join them in Glasgow for the 150th Anniversary Heritage Match, commemorating the first-ever international football fixture between the two sides in 1872", Mr Infantino said. "I had a wonderful evening among friends from both countries, including the First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf, as we celebrated football's most ancient international rivalry and the giant steps made by the game in the last 150 years. “It was a great match, played in the spirit of fair competition, and the fans of both teams came together to create a great atmosphere, showing that even with the oldest of rivalries that football unites the world.”
It was England’s first victory over Scotland since a 3-0 win at Wembley in 2016. International football first started on St Andrew’s Day in 1872 when a crowd estimated between 2,500 and 4,000 fans paid one shilling each to attend the West of Scotland Cricket Club where they witnessed history. Since that day, there have been a total of 116 matches played between the two nations with England winning 49, Scotland winning 41 and 26 ending in draws. As a nod to the history of the match, England wore special warm-up shirts which bore their original crest from 1872. The shirts will be auctioned for Alzheimer's Society on 30 September.