1978 in association football
 |
The following are the football (soccer) events of the year 1978 throughout the world.
Events
- Copa Libertadores 1978: Won by Boca Juniors after defeating Deportivo Cali on an aggregate score of 4-0.
- England: Ipswich Town win the FA cup beating Arsenal F.C. 1-0 with the winning goal scored by Roger Osborne
Winners club national championship
Europe
- England: Nottingham Forest
- Hungary: Újpest FC
- Italy: Juventus
- Netherlands:
- Romania: Steaua Bucureşti
- Spain: Real Madrid
- Scotland: Rangers
- Turkey: Fenerbahçe
North America
South America
- Argentina
- Metropolitano – Quilmes
- Nacional – Independiente
- Brazil: Guarani
- Paraguay: Olimpia Asunción
International tournaments
- African Cup of Nations in Ghana (March 5 – 16 1978)
- 1978 British Home Championship (May 13 – May 20, 1978)
- FIFA World Cup in Argentina (June 1 – 25 1978)
Births
- January 9 – Hamlet Barrientos, Bolivian footballer
- January 28 – Gianluigi Buffon, Italian football player goalkeeper
- January 28 – Jamie Carragher, English football player defender
- February 5 – Jairon Zamora, Ecuadorian footballer
- March 9 – Lucas Neill, Australian footballer
- March 24 – Tomáš Ujfaluši, Czech footballer
- March 30 – Mauricio Rojas, Chilean footballer
- April 30 – Simone Barone, Italian footballer
- June 20 – Frank Lampard, English football player midfielder
- June 9 – Miroslav Klose, German football player forward
- June 21 – Hatem Aqel, Jordanian footballer
- July 22 – Dennis Rommedahl, Danish footballer
- November 7 – Rio Ferdinand, English football player defender
- November 7 – Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Dutch footballer
- November 8 – Ali Karimi, Iranian footballer
- November 11 – Erik Edman, Swedish footballer
- December 17 – Patricia Pérez, Mexican female footballer
- December 23 – Nicolás Suárez, Bolivian footballer
- December 29 – Victor Agali, Nigerian footballer
- December 29 – Kieron Dyer, English footballer
Deaths
January
- January 3 – Rubén Morán, Uruguayan striker, winner of the 1950 FIFA World Cup. (47)
July
- July 13 - George Reader (81), English football referee
August
- August 5 - Ernst Melchior, Austrian footballer
- August 11 – Mario Varglien, Italian midfielder, winner of the 1934 FIFA World Cup. (72)
- August 15 - Leo Lemešić, Croatian football player and manager
September
- September 15 - Ricardo Zamora, Spanish footballer
- September 25 – Luigi Allemandi, Italian defender, winner of the 1934 FIFA World Cup. (74)
November
- November 18 – Pablo Dorado, Uruguayan striker, winner of the 1930 FIFA World Cup and first player ever to score in a World Cup Final. (70)
December
- December 5 – Carlos Riolfo, Uruguayan midfielder, winner of the 1930 FIFA World Cup. (73)