Is football in the Commonwealth Games?

It's taken four years, but the 2018 Commonwealth Games are now finally on the horizon.

England were runaway leaders in Glasgow in the 2014 games with a total of 174 medals, 58 of which were gold, and will be hoping for a repeat performance this time round.

But what is the event, who is competing, and will football be included in the schedule? Goal takes a look.

What is the Commonwealth Games?

The first Commonwealth Games was held in 1930 and was marketed as an international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations.

John Astley Cooper, who first proposed the idea of the event in 1891, wanted a 'Pan-Britannic-Pan-Anglican Contest and Festival every four years as a means of increasing goodwill and good understanding of the British Empire'. 

Indeed, the Commonwealth is held every four years, with the last taking place in Glasgow, Scotland 2014.

There have been a variety of Commonwealth editions, including the 'British Empire Games', the 'British Empire and Commonwealth Games', the 'British Commonwealth Games', and simply 'the Commonwealth Games' as we now know it.

The Commonwealth Winter Games ran from 1958 until 1966, the Commonwealth Youth Games have been held every year since 2000, while Para-sports were introduced in 1994 for athletes with a disability before they were included as full members for their national teams in 2002.

Where and when is the 2018 Commonwealth Games?

The opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games will be held on Wednesday April 5 and will be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The games will come to a close on Sunday April 15.

Australia, all-time leaders in the medal table with 852 golds, will host the games for the fifth time in its history.

Is football in the Commonwealth Games?

In short, no. 

A minimum of ten core sports and maximum of seventeen sports must be included in any Commonwealth Games schedule, with the current list including athletics, badminton, boxing, hockey, lawn bowls, netball (for women), rugby sevens, squash, swimming and weightlifting.

There are also nine para-sports, in this case swimming, athletics, cycling, table tennis, powerlifting, lawn bowls, and a triathalon. 

On March 8 2016, Beach Volleyball was also officially included in the event list.

While football, along with billiards, fencing, and golf, are recognised Commonwealth Games Federation sports, hosts may not select them as official events as the are deemed to 'need expansion'.

With the games running through the middle of April, too, it would not make sense for European club players to participate due to their domestic seasons and with the 2018 World Cup kicking off in the summer.

Which sports are played at the Commonwealth Games?

The official list of sports included in the 2018 Commonwealth Games is as followed:

Where and when is the 2018 Commonwealth Games?

The opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games will be held on Wednesday April 5 and will be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The games will come to a close on Sunday April 15.

Australia, all-time leaders in the medal table with 852 golds, will host the games for the fifth time in its history.

Commonwealth Games venues

Main arena Carrara Stadium will host both ceremonies and the athletics, while the vast majority of events will take place in the host city Gold Coast.

Some other events require facilities located elsewhere, however.

Which nations will compete in the Commonwealth Games?