Sparta Rotterdam Football Club (abbreviated as "Sparta", in English: Sparta Rotterdam) was founded in 1888 and is located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It is a professional football club in the Netherlands. The club was established by 8 students and initially started as a cricket club, forming its football department in July 1888. They were the first club in the Netherlands to use goalposts made of rods instead of ropes, which had been the norm before. Their first home ground, "Het Kasteel", was built in 1916, and its unique castle-style main stand is one of the iconic structures in Dutch football, also listed as a national heritage site. This gives the team a unique historical atmosphere.
In 1893, Sparta played against Harwich and Parkeston Football Club from England. Although the team lost the match 0-8, this game marked the first time a Dutch club played against a foreign team. In 1894, the club faced another English team, Felixstowe Football Club. To prevent Sparta from suffering another heavy defeat, the Dutch Football Association mandated that the team field several foreign players for the match, resulting in a final score of 1-1.
Sparta won the national championship in 1909, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1915, and 1959, and also won the national cup in 1958, 1962, and 1966.