The following are the association football events of the year 1973 throughout the world.

• 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

More information Europe XI, 4–4 ...

Europe XI	4–4	South America XI
Eusébio 14' Keïta 22' Asensi 51' Jara 54'	Report	Sotil 13' Cubillas 28' Brindisi 64' Chumpitaz 80' (pen.)
Penalties
	2–3	Espárrago Borja Ortiz Morena Caszely

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31 October 1973

Camp Nou, Barcelona

Attendance: 28,000

Referee: Aurelio Angonese

• 1973 British Home Championship (May 12–19, 1973)

 England

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• January 3 – Jaroslav Švach, Czech youth international (d. 2020)
• January 21 – Sergei Zhdanov, former Russian footballer^[1]
• January 30
  • René Gottwald, retired German footballer^[2]
  • Predrag Kodžo, Serbian footballer^[3]
• February 2 – Valeriy Yablochkin, Kazakhstani footballer
• February 10 – Ivan O'Konnel-Bronin, Estonian 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^[4]
• April 4 – Peter Hoekstra, Dutch footballer
• April 6 – Sun Wen, Chinese footballer^[5]
• 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^[6]
• 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^[7]
• 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
• 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^[8]
  • Max Eberl, German footballer
  • Oswaldo Sánchez, Mexican 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^[9]
• October 29 – Robert Pires, French international footballer
• November 17
  • Wally Dieng, French retired footballer
  • Bernd Schneider, German international footballer
• November 29 – Ryan Giggs, Welsh footballer
• December 5 – Andrei Krasnopjorov, Estonian footballer
• December 6 – Petar Miloševski, Macedonian international footballer (died 2014)
• December 12 – Walter Otta, Argentinian footballer
• December 27 – Ivica Vulić, Slovenian retired international footballer^[10]
• December 31 – Paweł Bugała, Polish former professional footballer^[11]