Objective of the study is to provide a philosophical understanding of the phenomenon of football from an existential perspective. Methods and structure of the study. In the course of this study, methods of theoretical and systematic analysis and participant observation were used. Results and conclusions. A philosophical understanding of football reveals many layers within the phenomenon: existential (human beings, meaning, choice, the will to win, overcoming obstacles), ontological (being-in-the-game, time, space), socio-philosophical (collective and personal identity, traditions, values, shared history), phenomenological (experience, physicality, emotionality), aesthetic (rhythm, movement, composition, the art of the game). Football can be called a complex phenomenon that reflects the existential and social nature of man and society. Football is a genuine event, a performance, a great game that has inherited the experience of the heroic sporting battles of Greece and Rome, where the arena of struggle allows heroes to prove themselves here and now to the fullest. In ancient times, this measure was literally on the verge of life and death [5], but today it has taken on a symbolic, but no less dramatic character. Modern football gladiators are also capable of giving the public deep experiences, showing the will to win, team spirit and patriotism. © 2026, Teoriya i praktika fizicheskoy kul'tury i sporta. All rights reserved.