The following are the association football events of the year 1879 throughout the world.

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• 10 January – Bobby Walker (d. 1930), Scotland international forward in 29 matches (1900–1913), scoring eight goals.
• 7 May – Ben Warren (d. 1917), England international half-back in 22 matches (1906–1911), scoring two goals.
• 3 June – Vivian Woodward (d. 1954), England international forward in 23 matches (1903–1911), scoring a record 29 goals.^[3]
• 21 September – Peter McWilliam (d. 1951), Scotland international half-back in eight matches (1905–1911).
• 26 September – Bob Crompton (d. 1941), England international full-back in 41 matches (1902–1914); 528 games for Blackburn Rovers (1896–1920).