The following are the football (soccer) events of the year 1961 throughout the world.

This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2023)

• Copa Libertadores 1961: Won by Peñarol after defeating Palmeiras on an aggregate score of 2–1.
• 1961 International Soccer League
  • FK Dukla Prague beat Everton F.C., 9–2, in the final on aggregate
• September 6 – Dutch club Feyenoord from Rotterdam makes its European debut by defeating Sweden's IFK Göteborg (0–3) in the first round of the European Cup.
• September 18 – The North American Football Confederation and Football Confederation of Central America and the Caribbean merge to form CONCACAF.

•  Argentina: Racing Club
•  Brazil: Santos
•  England: Tottenham Hotspur
•  France: AS Monaco
•  Iceland: KR
•  Italy: Juventus
•  Mexico: Chivas Guadalajara
•  Netherlands: Feyenoord
•  Paraguay: Cerro Porteño
•  Romania: Steaua București
•  Soviet Union: FC Dynamo Kyiv
•  Spain: Real Madrid
•  Turkey: Fenerbahçe

• 1961 British Home Championship (October 8, 1960 – April 15, 1961)

 England

This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2023)

• January 12 – Andrea Carnevale, Italian international footballer
• January 13 – César Baena, Venezuelan international footballer
• January 17 – Zhao Dayu, Chinese international footballer (died 2015)
• January 18 – Peter Beardsley, English international footballer
• January 20 – Patricio Yáñez, Chilean international footballer
• January 31 – Jonny Otten, German international footballer. ^[1]
• February 13 – Oļegs Karavajevs, Latvian international footballer
• March 13 – Sebastiano Nela, Italian international footballer
• March 21 – Lothar Matthäus, German international footballer and manager
• April 4 – Karsten Härtel, former German footballer^[2]
• April 6 – Tony Paul, English former professional footballer^[3]
• April 11 – Roberto Cabañas, Paraguayan international footballer (died 2017)
• April 19 – Dave Wiffill, English former professional footballer and coach^[4]
• May 3 – Daniel Sánchez, Uruguayan international footballer
• May 5 – Ali Hussein Shihab, Iraqi international footballer (died 2016)
• May 8 – Gert Kruys, Dutch footballer and manager
• May 21 – Thomas Dooley, American international footballer and manager
• June 1 – Rubén Espinoza, Chilean footballer
• June 3 – César Zabala, Paraguayan international footballer (died 2020)
• June 29 – Víctor Genés, Paraguayan footballer and football manager (died 2019)
• August 1 – Danny Blind, Dutch international footballer and manager
• August 10 – Chris Marustik, Welsh international footballer (died 2015)
• September 9 – Justo Jacquet, Paraguayan footballer
• September 20 – Erwin Koeman, Dutch international footballer and manager
• October 16 – Wilfried Brookhuis, Dutch footballer
• October 20 – Guillermo Muñoz, Mexican footballer
• November 3 – Sven Habermann, German-Canadian soccer player
• November 4 – Nigel Worthington, Northern Irish international footballer and manager
• November 17 – Wolfram Wuttke, German international footballer (died 2015)
• November 20 – Dave Watson, English footballer and manager
• December 17 – Henk van Stee, Dutch footballer and manager