Fantasy football is a game where participants assemble an imaginary team of real-life soccer players and score points based on their actual statistical performance in matches. It was invented in 1990 by Italian journalist Riccardo Albini, originally named Fantacalcio, and its popularity skyrocketed when the newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport began hosting it in 1994, attracting 70,000 participants instead of the predicted 10,000. The game spread rapidly across Europe, leading to official UEFA competitions for the Champions League and Europa League, and it is now especially massive in the UK with over 9 million players. Gameplay typically involves selecting 11 to 15 players under a strict budget, with rules limiting how many can come from the same club, though smaller leagues often use a bidding system instead. Points are awarded for achievements like scoring goals, earning assists, keeping clean sheets, or saving penalties, and are deducted for negative events such as conceding goals or receiving disciplinary cards.