# 1973 in association football

The following events occurred in association football throughout the world in the year 1973.

## Events

* Copa Libertadores 1973: Won by Independiente after defeating Colo-Colo on an aggregate score of 2–1.
* Sunderland AFC wins the FA Cup final.
* May 31 – NAC Breda claims the KNVB Cup after defeating NEC, 2–0.

### Europe vs South America FIFA charity match
## Winners club national championship
### Asia

* Iran: Persepolis
* Qatar: Al-Esteqlal

### Europe

* East Germany: Dynamo Dresden
* England: Liverpool
* France: Nantes
* Hungary: Újpest
* Italy: Juventus
* Netherlands: Ajax
* Poland: Stal Mielec
* Scotland: Celtic
* Soviet Union: Ararat Yerevan
* Spain: Atlético Madrid
* Turkey: Galatasaray
* West Germany: Bayern Munich
* Yugoslavia: Red Star Belgrade

### North America

* Mexico: Cruz Azul
* United States / Canada:
** Philadelphia Atoms (NASL)

### South America

* Argentina
** Huracán – Metropolitano
** Rosario Central – Nacional
* Brazil: Palmeiras

## International tournaments

* 1973 British Home Championship (May 12–19, 1973)
       England

## Births

* January 3 – Jaroslav Švach, Czech youth international (d. 2020)
* January 21 – Sergei Zhdanov, former Russian footballer
* January 30
** René Gottwald, retired German footballer
** Predrag Kodžo, Serbian footballer
* February 2 – Valeriy Yablochkin, Kazakhstani footballer
* February 10 – Ivan O'Konnel-Bronin, Estonian footballer
* February 18 – Markus Wanner, retired Swiss footballer
* February 23 – Alan Tutton, English former professional footballer
* February 24 – Ivan Gentizon, retired Swiss footballer
* March 7 – Ray Parlour, English footballer
* March 11 – Damián Álvarez, Mexican footballer
* March 16 – Bert Zuurman, Dutch footballer
* March 28 – Delmo (Delmo Arcângelo Coelho Monteiro), Brazilian former footballer
* April 4 – Peter Hoekstra, Dutch footballer
* April 6 – Sun Wen, Chinese footballer
* April 9 – Bart Goor, Belgian footballer
* April 10 – Roberto Carlos, Brazilian footballer
* April 12 – Roberto Ayala, Argentine footballer
* April 26 – Lee Woon-jae, South Korean footballer
* May 1 – Oliver Neuville, German footballer
* May 2 – Cristino Jara, Paraguayan footballer
* May 8 – Jesús Arellano, Mexican footballer
* June 18 – Lesmond Prinsen, Dutch footballer
* July 6 – Romuald Ardeois, French professional footballer
* July 13 – Roberto Martínez, Spanish football player and coach
* July 21 – Nelson Abeijón, Uruguayan footballer
* July 24 – Johan Micoud, French international footballer
* August 1 – Pierre Bastou, French professional football
* August 9 – Filippo Inzaghi, Italian international footballer
* August 14 – Jay-Jay Okocha, Nigerian international footballer
* August 14 – Jared Borgetti, Mexican footballer
* August 19 – Marco Materazzi, Italian international footballer
* August 26 – Heini Stocker, retired Liechtenstein footballer
* September 4 – Nandor Njergeš, retired Serbian footballer
* September 8 – Ángel Maldonado, Mexican footballer
* September 13 – Fabio Cannavaro, Italian international footballer
* September 18 – Limberg Méndez, Bolivian footballer
* September 21
** Pedro Acevedo, former Chilean footballer
** Max Eberl, German footballer
** Oswaldo Sánchez, Mexican footballer
* September 23 – Raphaël Clapson, French professional footballer
* October 9
** Thomas Frank, Danish football player and manager
** Carlos Pavón, Honduran international footballer
* October 11 – Steven Pressley, Scottish footballer
* October 14 – Fabián O'Neill, Uruguayan international footballer (died 2022)
* October 20 – Lim Gi-han, coach and former South Korean footballer
* October 24 – Glenn Summerville, Dutch footballer
* October 29 – Robert Pires, French international footballer
* November 17
** Wally Dieng, French retired footballer
** Bernd Schneider, German international footballer
* November 27 – Stephen Pugh, Welsh former professional footballer
* November 29 – Ryan Giggs, Welsh footballer
* December 5 – Andrei Krasnopjorov, Estonian footballer
* December 6 – Petar Miloševski, Macedonian international footballer (died 2014)
* December 11 – Ray Kenny, Irish footballer
* December 12 – Walter Otta, Argentinian footballer
* December 27 – Ivica Vulić, Slovenian retired international footballer
* December 31 – Paweł Bugała, Polish former professional footballer

## Deaths
### March

* March 19 – Hans Stubb (66), German footballer (born 1906)
* March 29– Adolfo Zumelzú, Argentine defender, runner-up of the 1930 FIFA World Cup. (71)

### April

* April 21 – Evert Jan Bulder (78), Dutch footballer (born 1894)

### September

* September 15 – Washington Ortuño, Uruguayan midfielder, winner of the 1950 FIFA World Cup (46)

### November

* November 16 – Lorenzo Fernández, Uruguayan defender, winner of the 1930 FIFA World Cup. (73)