Note that all races are being considered 'humans', and thus the timeline has sort of been compressed into a modern one. It's basically Middle-Earth, but with real Earth dates if you catch my meaning.
Football. No, not the mockery of rugby that they call football out West in Aman, this is the tale of real football, the beautiful game. It started in what they call the 'First Age' of football. Football had been knocking about as an amateur game ever since Eru Illuvatar, more well known as "the father of football", played the first documented, organized game some hundred and fifty years ago in the 1840s. By 1887, now long retired from his playing days, Eru decided that there was money to be made from football, and started the first professional league, the Professional Football Association (PFA). Initial stars such as Manwe, Aule, and Ulmo dominated for Eru's side, Valar FC, beating out the opposition to win a string of 6 straight league titles.
At this time Eru grew tired with age, and decided to pass on the ownership of the club and league to Manwe, his most beloved player. Melkor, the brother of Manwe, was jealous of the favour that Eru was showing his brother, and after being reprehended for his 'lack of character' by Eru, he set out to make his own, rival league. The Senior Football League (SFL) was formed, and Melkor's slick promises of higher wages, as well as lies and deceit about Eru and Manwe rigging the PFA to have Valar FC always win lured over many quality players, including Annatar and Gothmog. Melkor's team, the Utumno FC, nicknamed the Iron Devils, dominated the SFL, and deemed themselves worthy to challenge Valar FC for the Two Trees Trophy, a trophy awarded to the winner of the PFA at the end of each season. Wishing to dismiss the league once and for all, and to show Melkor that his attempts to usurp the PFA were folly, Manwe agreed to the match. It was an intense and fierce match, and it drew the attention of the world. Melkor's inspired performance in goal kept Valar at bay for the first ninety minutes, a performance which included an excellent diving save against his brother Manwe. In the extra time, Valar's new striker, Tulkas, stripped Gothmog of the ball, roared in alone, and smashed an absolute cracker past Melkor, ripping into the twine, and sending everybody into a frenzy.
Defeated and ashamed, Melkor suspended the operations of his league and team, staying in Utumno, secluded from the outside world. Meanwhile, the intense and glorious match helped game of football grow. It spread far into the east, and Valar FC winger Orome started the Cuivienen Championship League, the second professional football league. A few years later, another league, the Khazad League One, started up thanks to funding from Aule, the Valar FC centerback. More leagues popped up as the popularity of the sport intensified, and players from Cuivienen and other regions of Middle-earth began to become more skilled players. Eventually some of the greatest stars like Ingwe, Finwe, and Elwe were transferred to teams in the Professional Football Association, becoming stars there while older talents like Aule, Manwe, and Ulmo were phased out. Soon, Valar FC lost it's grip on the football world, and Noldor United became the premier football talent.
Now in the year 1905, most of Valar FC's original stars were aging and moving to retirement. The oldest of them, Melkor, was 38, and hadn't played professional football since his devastating defeat 10 years earlier, playing only in a secret, underground league in Utumno. In a last ditch effort, Melkor put together a squad, and challenged for the Two Trees Trophy. He was finally successful, with new signing, the deadly midfielder, Ungoliant being the key to defeating his old rivals Valar FC in another intense match. On the victory tour, the Two Trees Trophy mysteriously disappeared, and was never recovered. It was temporarily replaced by the Silmaril Cup, one donated by Noldor United's star striker, Feanor. Defeated and disappointed, Manwe announced his retirement from football, and Valar FC crumbled around the retirement. They were still competitive, but it was Noldor United that became the direct challenge to the Iron Devils to claim the Silmaril Cup. In 1906, the Iron Devils comfortably beat the inexperienced PFA champions Noldor United in the Silmaril Cup Tournament Final, 3-0. It was Melkor's last effort in goal before he announced his retirement. From that point on, his work became behind the scenes as manager, focusing on every aspect of Utumno FC, off and on the pitch. He grew an amazing youth academy, modelled off of the past strategies of his mentor Eru, yet mostly a twisted mockery of his unparalleled work. Utumno's youth squad were called the Orcs, and they played a fierce, relentless style of football, fouling and challenging with limitless aggression. Their skill was minimal, but their ability to work together as a team and disrupt the other team's play was sensational, and with direction from Melkor, a new crop of stars was prepared for the Iron Devils.
Noldor United also grew. Stars like Feanor, Fingolfin, and Finrod were still in their primes, but a new crop of players such as Maedhros, Fingon, and Maglor became prevalent players in the youth leagues. Despite the star power, by 1911, nobody had reclaimed the Silmaril Cup from Utumno. Feanor suffered an injury on a vicious tackle from one of Utumno's vicious back four, known as the "Balrogs" in those days. The injury forced an early retirement at the age of 31, and hope was seemingly lost for Noldor United. But newer clubs such as Gondolin City, Doriath Forest, and Nargothrond FC became contenders as well. In 1914, the spell was finally broken, and, led by the attacking combo of Beren and Luthien, the Silmaril Cup was reclaimed from Utumno. Utumno still had an incredible team however, and constantly challenged for the Cup. Much to the ire of Feanor's seven sons, they couldn't claim the Silmaril Cup from their former allies, and now rivals, Doriath Forest. Utumno nearly claimed the trophy in 1916, but former Valar FC players, led by Manwe, found that Melkor had been using illegal narcotics to enhance the performance of his players, and that he had also been paying his players illegally. These legal issues landed Melkor a life sentence in prison, and the Senior Football League and Utumno FC were finally disbanded for good in a legal battle referred to as the War of Wrath.
Thus ended the 'First Age' of football in Middle-Earth. The 'Second Age' began in 1917 and lasted until 1970, a much longer era. The landscape of football changed over time, with new leagues emerging, and leagues with relegation and promotion becoming prevalent. The Silmaril Trophy, along with a replica of the Two Trees Trophy, were retired to the Association Football Hall of Fame in Aman, and a new tournament was founded to decide the premier football team in the world. It was simply the Champions League Tournament, and the top teams from the top leagues competed every year to receive decorative and spectacular championship rings. The most dominant team of the era was AFC Numenor, but other clubs located in Lindon, Imladris, Ered Luin, and Khazad-dum emerged as well. Star players like Celebrimor, Galadriel, Elrond, Gil-Galad, Tar-Minastir, Tar-Aldarion, and Cirdan became legends in the football world. The old clubs, Gondolin City, Noldor United, Nargothrond FC, Doriath Forest, and others whittled away in obscurity and lower leagues as the cities became less populated with the eastern migration, and they were unable to fund top tier football due to a lack of attendance.
This era, while perhaps less controversial than the 'First Age', was not without discord. Annatar, now known as Sauron, a former player for Utumno, and just as vile and evil as his mentor, Melkor, began to reassemble the 'Orcs'. Unable to create a club in Utumno, he started one in the south, in Mordor. Despite bringing in top talent (in allegedly illegal ways, much like Melkor before him), Mordor was unable to win the Champions League, being defeated by a Numenor team led by Tar-Minastir in 1947. Realizing he was unable to win on the pitch, Sauron took a different and longer approach. In 1962, Sauron feigned repentance, and began to infiltrate AFC Numenor. Eventually he became assistant manager to Ar-Pharazon. The team had been struggling since their last Champions League victory in 1954, and Sauron convinced the inexperienced Ar-Pharazon that illegal measures were the only way to reclaim their former glory (and riches). Still bitter at AFC Numenor for defeating his Mordor team 20 years earlier, he betrayed Ar-Pharazon and revealed his illegal activity anonymously, and then disappeared before Ar-Pharazon could pin any of the blame on him. It was a masterful plan, and it worked, despite the fact that everybody suspected he was behind it all. AFC Numenor was forced to suspend operations, the team was handed over to it's rightful owner, football tycoon Manwe, and he used the money to start new clubs.
Mordor FC resumed operations in 1967, and the extremely rich Sauron invested all his money into the club, making them the top team in the world. By 1970, an economic crash caused many of the other top clubs to fold and lose top talent. In a last ditch effort to defeat Mordor FC, the biggest stars in football, Elendil, Isildur, Elrond, Oropher, Gil-galad and others formed a club simply dubbed Alliance. They came toe to toe with Sauron's hated club in the 1970 Champions League Tournament Final, and they demolished the team in the first half, going up 3-0. Sauron then was forced to play his final, and illegal card, which led to his demise. In the strangest event in football history, Sauron himself, now 67 years old, subbed himself onto the pitch. Without the knowledge of anybody else, he used a secret weapon, a powerful narcotic that rejuvenated him, and even enhanced his physical prowess. However, since he was much too old to play this way without arousing suspicion, he disguised himself. He called himself Ash Nazg, a player who was apparently a new recruit from the far east, a player nobody had heard of before. While in this disguise, the former striker was even more potent than when he was at his physical peak in the 'First Age' of football. He scored a hat-trick, bringing Mordor to a tie headed into extra time, forcing some of the older players like Gil-Galad and Elendil to take to the bench, weary from the length of the match. Unfortunately for him, Isildur, Elendil's son, tackled him hard in the second half of extra time. The tackle severely mangled the disguise, and the referees recognized something was amiss. Immediately after the incident, the newly discovered Sauron was tested for drugs. He was caught with an extremely high concentration of a drug he dubbed 'ashnazg' in his system. His empire fell apart, and he was sentenced to a life-time in prison when he was found to have contrived murders, trafficked drugs, and of course used the substance in a professional football match, among other heinous deeds. Thus ended the 'Second Age' of football.
The 'Third Age' was one of relative peace. Manwe's successor, Eonwe, a former star of Valar FC, used the money from the AFC Numenor liquidation to start new clubs in Gondor and Arnor. Many new and smaller clubs and leagues evolved over time, and the game of football continued to grow. As of today, in 2017, the breakdown of the most notable leagues in Middle-Earth is as follows:
Gondorian Premier League (34 games)
Teams (18): Minas Tirith FC, Osgiliath Athletic, AFC Arnach, Harlond Wanderers, Emyn Arnen Rangers, Pelargir Town, Umladen United, AFC Glaniath, Linhir FC, Dol Amroth Rovers, Edhellond FC, AFC Tadrent, Ost Lontir Spurs, AFC Calembel, Dinadab FC, Lothgobel FC, AFC Bar Elir, Anfalas Blues
Rohirric Premier League (33 games)
Teams (12): Edoras Spurs, Hornburg United, Aldburg FC, AFC Underharrow, Upbourn Rangers, Grimsdale FC, Feldburg FC, AFC Oserly, Parth Galen Rovers, Snowbourn FC, Gapholt Town, Woodhurst City
Eriador Division One (36 games)
Teams (10): Port Mithlond, Harlond FC, Forlond Rovers, Old Forest FC, AFC Trollshaws, Ered Luin FC, Bree Stallions, Staddle FC, Combe Athletic, Imladris FC
Rhovanion Championship (36 games)
Teams (10): Goblin-Town FC, Dol-Guldur United, Iron Hills FC, Greenwood Forest, Lothlorien City, Dale FC, Erebor Wyrms, Esgaroth Sailors, Carrock Rovers, Mirkwood Woodmen