Songfacts®:

• Ed Sheeran isn't just about the music - he's also a massive soccer fan and a proud supporter of his local team, Ipswich Town. In a move that combines his passion for both music and the beautiful game, Sheeran sponsored Ipswich Town's shirts for the 2021-2022 season. The shirts sport a slick logo with the mathematical symbols from Sheeran's first four albums, accompanied by the word "Tour."
  
  But Sheeran's love for soccer doesn't stop there. When the opportunity arose for him to contribute his musical talents to the season 3 finale of the popular American sports comedy show Ted Lasso, he leapt at the chance. The end result? A sweeping, heart-stirring ballad that oozes with nostalgia, capturing the essence of new beginnings, bittersweet endings, and the ultimate triumph of love.
• "A Beautiful Game" was released on May 31, 2023, the day the Ted Lasso series finale aired. Sheeran revealed he'd been asked to write it more than a year previously.
  
  "I recorded bits of it whilst on tour using crowds from the stadiums that I've been playing, and I'm super, super, super proud of it," he said. "I love the show. I've loved working on this song. I hope you enjoy it - just a bit of fun. Football!"
• Ted Lasso, a spirited but inexperienced American college football coach, is hired to lead AFC Richmond, an English soccer team. The show follows his journey as he tries to win over the team, and the fans. The song's message is about how hardships mold ordinary individuals into champions.
• Out of the embers, we'll rise from the ashes
  Write in the stars with our names
  That we are here, we are bruised, we are damaged
  But the joy was worth the pain
  Woah-oh-oh-oh, love's a beautiful game
  
  Sheeran crafted the song to hold dual meanings:
  
  A celebration of romantic love, where dreams can only come true through true devotion between one another.
  
  Or an anthem to the love of soccer, where years of heartbreak culminate in glorious triumphs.
• Caution: Spoiler alert! In the season 3 finale, Ted Lasso bids farewell to AFC Richmond and heads back to the United States, becoming the coach of his own son's soccer team. The song's first verse drops subtle clues, suggesting the end of Lasso's remarkable journey with AFC Richmond.
  
  Though we've not reached the end
  We should take some time apart
  Leave here with no regrets
  Knowing we gave our all
• Sheeran co-wrote the song with Foy Vance and Swedish hitmaker Max Martin, the latter of whom also produced the track with Oscar Görres.
  
  Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Foy Vance is signed with Sheeran's Gingerbread Records. They are close friends, and their previous collaborations include "Make It Rain," "Barcelona" and "The Hills Of Aberfeldy."
• Sheeran first performed the song during a concert in Johan Cruijff Arena, Amsterdam, on July 15, 2022.
• "A Beautiful Game" won the Emmy in the Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics category at the 2024 awards. Foy Vance collected the award on behalf of his collaborators.