# 1981 in association football

The following are the association football events of the year 1981 throughout the world.

## Events

* 1981 Copa Libertadores: Won by Flamengo after defeating Cobreloa on the playoff match 2–0.
* 1980–81 European Cup: Won by Liverpool FC after defeating Real Madrid in final match 1–0.
* World Club Championship: Won by Flamengo after defeating Liverpool FC on a single match 3–0.
* March 25 – Kees Rijvers makes his debut as the manager of Dutch national team with a 1–0 win in the World Cup Qualifier against France. One player makes his debut for the Dutch: defender Edo Ophof from Ajax Amsterdam.
* September 1 – Dutch striker Wim Kieft makes his debut for the Netherlands national football team in the friendly against Switzerland. It's the 400th game in the history of the Dutch national team.

## Winners club national championship
### Asia

* Qatar – Al-Sadd SC

### Europe

* Albania – KF Partizani Tirana
* Austria – Austria Wien
* Belgium – R.S.C. Anderlecht
* Bulgaria – CSKA Sofia
* Cyprus – AC Omonoia
* Czechoslovakia – Baník Ostrava
* Denmark – Hvidovre IF
* East Germany – Dynamo Berlin
* England – Aston Villa
* Faroe Islands – HB Torshavn
* Finland – HJK Helsinki
* France – AS Saint-Étienne
* Greece – Olympiacos F.C.
* Hungary – Ferencváros
* Iceland – Vikingur
* Ireland – Athlone Town A.F.C.
* Italy – Juventus
* Luxembourg – Progrès Niedercorn
* Malta – Hibernians F.C.
* Netherlands
** Eredivisie – AZ Alkmaar
** Eerste Divisie – HFC Haarlem
* Northern Ireland – Glentoran F.C.
* Norway – Vålerenga IF
* Poland – Widzew Łódź
* Portugal – Benfica
* Romania – Universitatea Craiova
* Scotland – Celtic F.C.
* Spain – Real Sociedad
* Sweden – Östers IF
* Switzerland – FC Zürich
* Turkey – Trabzonspor
* Soviet Union – FC Dynamo Kiev
* West Germany – Bayern Munich
* Yugoslavia – Red Star Belgrade

### North America

* Mexico – UNAM
* United States / Canada –
** Chicago Sting (NASL)

### Oceania

* Australia – Sydney Slickers

### South America

* Argentina
** Metropolitano – Boca Juniors
** Nacional – River Plate
* Bolivia – Jorge Wilstermann
* Brazil – Grêmio
* Chile – Colo-Colo
* Colombia – Atlético Nacional
* Ecuador – Barcelona
* Paraguay – Olimpia Asunción
* Peru – FBC Melgar
* Uruguay – Peñarol
* Venezuela – Deportivo Táchira

## International tournaments

* Mundialito in Montevideo, Uruguay (December 30, 1980 – January 10, 1981)
** Uruguay
** Brazil
* 1981 British Home Championship (May 16–23, 1981)
       Abandoned following severe civil unrest in Northern Ireland.

## National teams
### Netherlands

| Date | Opponent | Final Score | Result | Competition | Venue |
| January 6 | Italy | 1–1 | D | Mundialito | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo |
| February 22 | Cyprus | 3–0 | W | World Cup Qualifier | Oosterpark Stadion, Groningen |
| March 25 | France | 1–0 | W | World Cup Qualifier | De Kuip, Rotterdam |
| April 29 | Cyprus | 0–1 | W | World Cup Qualifier | Makario Stadium, Nicosia |
| March 26 | Switzerland | 2–1 | L | Friendly | Hardturm, Zürich |
| September 9 | Republic of Ireland | 2–2 | D | World Cup Qualifier | De Kuip, Rotterdam |
| October 14 | Belgium | 3–0 | W | World Cup Qualifier | De Kuip, Rotterdam |
| November 18 | France | 2–0 | L | World Cup Qualifier | Parc des Princes, Paris |

## Movies

* Escape to Victory

## Births

* January 1 – Mladen Petrić, Croatian international
* January 2
** Hanno Balitsch, German footballer
** Maxi Rodríguez, Argentine footballer
* January 9 – Ebi Smolarek, Polish international
* January 10 – James Coppinger, English club footballer
* January 15 – El Hadji Diouf, Senegalese international
* January 19 – Lucho González, Argentine international
* January 20 – Owen Hargreaves, Canadian-born English footballer
* January 21
** Ivan Ergić, Serbian footballer
** Roberto Guana Italian footballer
** Mohd Amri Yahyah, Malaysian international
* January 23 – Lee Dong-geun, South Korean former footballer
* January 25
** Rodrigo Calaça, Brazilian footballer
** Dmitry Izvekov, former Russian professional footballer
* January 26 – Fernando Curcio, Uruguayan footballer
* January 28 – Thomas Schlieter, German footballer
* January 30
** Dimitar Berbatov, Bulgarian footballer
** Afonso Alves, Brazilian footballer
** Peter Crouch, English footballer
* February 13
** Durahim Jamaluddin, Malaysian international (d. 2018)
** Liam Miller, Irish international (d. 2018)
* February 18 – Ivan Sproule, Northern Ireland international
* February 21 – Nery Fernández, Paraguayan former professional footballer
* February 23 – Gareth Barry, English footballer
* February 24
** Felipe Baloy, Panamanian international
** Mauro Rosales, Argentinian footballer
* February 25 – Park Ji Sung, South Korea footballer
* February 27 – Alessandro Rottoli, Italian professional footballer
* March 9 – Didi Longuet, former professional footballer
* March 10 – Samuel Eto'o, Cameroonian international
* March 15 – Aymen Mnafeg, Tunisian footballer
* March 16 – Johannes Aigner, Austrian footballer
* March 18 – Cristián Basaure, Chilean former footballer
* March 19
** Maksim Arap, former Russian footballer
** Matt Haddrell, English footballer
** Kolo Touré, Ivorian footballer
* March 27 – Terry McFlynn, British footballer
* March 29 – Jlloyd Samuel, Trinidadian footballer (d. 2018)
* March 31 – Wolfgang Bubenik, Austrian footballer
* April 8 – Cédric Faivre, French professional football
* April 9 – Ireneusz Jeleń, Polish international
* April 12 – Nicolás Burdisso, Argentinian footballer
* April 29 – George McCartney, Northern Ireland international
* May 7 – Azrine Effendy Sa'duddin, Malaysian footballer
* May 8
** Andrea Barzagli, Italian footballer
** Sam Ketsekile, Mosotho footballer
** Shimane Kgope Ntshweu, Botswana footballer
* May 13 – Carciano, Brazilian footballer
* May 15 – Patrice Evra, Senegalese-born French international
* May 27 – Johan Elmander, Swedish footballer
* May 31
** Josefine Krengel, German footballer
** Neddy Rose, Seychellois footballer
* June 4 – Giourkas Seitaridis, Greek international
* June 10 – Burton O'Brien, Scottish footballer
* June 13 – Danny Curran, English former footballer
* June 16 – David Buxo, Andorran footballer
* June 17 – Doddy Édouard, Mauritian footballer
* June 18 – Denis Shevelev, former Russian professional footballer
* June 21 – İbrahim Öztürk, Turkish club footballer
* June 22
** Mathias Abel, German footballer
** Péter Bajzát, Hungarian footballer
** Ronald Spuller, Austrian retired professional footballer
* June 23 – Björn Schlicke, German youth international
* June 27
** Jennifer Molina, Mexican female footballer
** Jean-Renaud Nemouthé, French retired footballer
** Cléber Santana, Brazilian footballer (d. 2016)
* June 30 – Irakli Toçi, Albanian retired footballer
* July 2 – Baptiste Lafleuriel, former French professional footballer
* July 10 – Aleksandar Tunchev, Bulgarian international
* July 14 – Khaled Aziz, Saudi Arabian midfielder
* July 16 – Paulo (Gideon Paulo da Silva), Brazilian footballer
* July 19 – Anderson Luiz de Carvalho, Brazilian club footballer
* July 20 – Damien Delaney, Irish footballer
* July 28 – Michael Carrick, English footballer
* July 30 – Bruno Parente, retired Portuguese footballer
* August 4 – Hadson da Silva Nery, Brazilian midfielder
* August 8 – Witold Sabela, Polish former professional footballer
* August 10 – Malek Mouath, Saudi Arabian footballer
* August 12 – Oliver Đokić, Serbian footballer
* August 21 – Benjamín Ruiz, Chilean footballer
* August 24 – Mickaël Germain, Guadelopean former professional footballer
* September 1
** Mana Nopnech, Thai retired professional footballer
** Maksim Rybalko, former Russian professional football player
* September 9 – Pacheta (Héctor Carrasco Rojo), Spanish professional footballer
* September 11 – Victor Kros, Dutch footballer
* September 22 – Alma Martinéz, Mexican female footballer
* September 23 – Jay Murray, English footballer
* October 1 – Ivan Semenets, former Russian professional footballer
* October 3
** Zlatan Ibrahimović, Swedish footballer
** Andreas Isaksson, Swedish football goalkeeper
** Iván Pailós, Uruguayan footballer
* October 6 – Mikael Dorsin, Swedish footballer
* October 8 – Chris Killen, New Zealand international
* October 9 – Ryoichi Maeda, Japanese international
* October 12 - Shola Ameobi, Nigerian international
* October 13 - Koen Brack, Dutch footballer
* October 21 - Yohan Viola, Dominican Republic footballer
* October 23
** Marcin Folc, Polish footballer
** Olivier Occéan, Canadian international
* October 24 – Soeris Baidjoe, Dutch footballer
* October 28 – Milan Baroš, Czech footballer
* November 8 – Joe Cole, English footballer
* November 20
** Espen Hoff, Norwegian footballer
** İbrahim Toraman, Turkish international footballer
* November 21 – Martin van Leeuwen, Dutch footballer
* November 22 – Seweryn Gancarczyk, Polish international
* November 25 – Xabi Alonso, Spanish international
* December 3 – David Villa, Spanish footballer
* December 3
** Ioannis Amanatidis, Greek footballer
** Aleksandr Galakhov, former Russian professional footballer
* December 6 – Gil Ferreira, Brazilian footballer
* December 12 – Federico Tafani, Italian footballer
* December 20 – Leo Bertos, New Zealand international
* December 21 – Cristian Zaccardo, Italian international defender
* December 28 – Khalid Boulahrouz, Dutch footballer
* December 30 – Umar Karsanov, former Russian professional footballer
* December 31 – Dadi Mayuma, Congolese former footballer

## Deaths
### January

* January 29 – Lajos Korányi, Hungarian international (b. 1907)

### May

* May 9 – Ralph Allen, English club footballer (b. 1906)
* May 14 – Michele Andreolo, Italian midfielder, winner of the 1938 FIFA World Cup. (68)

### June

* June 21 – Alberto Suppici, Uruguayan midfielder, winner of the 1930 FIFA World Cup as manager. (82)

### August

* August 15 – Carlo Buscaglia, Italian footballer (born 1900)

### September

* September 22 – Néstor Carballo, Uruguayan international footballer (born 1929)

### October

* October 9 – František Fadrhonc (66), Czech football manager (born 1914)

### November

* November 3 – Eraldo Monzeglio, Italian defender, winner of the 1934 FIFA World Cup and 1938 FIFA World Cup. (75)

### December

* December 4 – Zoilo Saldombide, Uruguayan striker, winner of the 1930 FIFA World Cup. (76)