If the players on this table could talk, they'd have so much to tell us...

I took this photograph of a table football set in very poor condition while walking down a street in Thiès, Senegal. Both teams have been decimated. Some of the players had even been decapitated. Rust seems to have got the better of one team's defence, which was probably originally made up of red shirts.

Table football originated in Europe at the end of the 19th century, although its exact inventors are a matter of debate. One popular version attributes its creation to the Spaniard Alejandro Finisterre, who, inspired by football and injured during the Spanish Civil War, is said to have patented a similar game table in 1937. However, earlier patents, such as that of the Englishman Harold Searles Thorton in 1921, suggest that the concept already existed. Initially conceived as a form of indoor entertainment, table football quickly spread to cafés, bars and homes, becoming a popular pastime.over the decades, table football has evolved in terms of design and rules, varying from region to region. 

The 1950s and 1960s saw the emergence of organised competitions, particularly in France and Belgium, where the game was particularly popular. Today, there are international federations, such as the ITSF (International Table Football Federation), which regulate the sport and organise world championships. Made from a variety of materials (wood, plastic, metal), table football remains a symbol of conviviality, combining strategy, skill and playful pleasure, both in games rooms and in professional competitions.