Quidditch was well established in Ireland by the a fourteenth century, as proved by Zacharias Mumps's a   t of a match in 1385:
"A team of Warlocks from Cork flew over for a game in Lancashire and did offend the locals by beating their heroes soundly.  The
Irishmen knew tricks with the Quaffle that had not been seen in Lancashire before and had to flee the village for fear of their lives when
the crowd drew out their wands and gave chase." 
        Diverse sources show that the game had spread into other parts of Europe by the early fifteenth century. We know that Norway
was an early convert to the game (could Goodwin Kneen's cousin Olaf have introduced the game there?) because of the verse written
by the poet Ingolfr the Iambic in the early 1400s:

                            Oh, the thrill of the chase as l soar through the air 
                            With the Snitch up ahead and the wind in my hair 
                              As I draw ever closer, the crowd gives a shout 
                             But then comes a Bludger and 1 am knocked out.

Around the same time, the French wizard Malecrit wrote the following lines in his play Helas, Je me suis Transfigure Pieds ("Alas, I've
Transfigured My Feet")

                      GRENOUILLE:  I cannot go with you to the market today Crapaud. 
                          CRAPAUD:  ButGrenouille, I cannot carry the cow alone 
                         GRENOUILLE: You know, Crapaud, that I am to be Keeper 
                            this morning. Who will stop the Quaffle if I do not?

The year 1473 saw the first ever Quidditch World Cup, though the nations represented were all European. The nonappearance of teams
from more distant nations may be put down to the collapse of owls bearing letters of invitation, the reluctance of those invited to make
such a long and perilous journey, or perhaps a simple preference for staying at home.  The final between Transylvania and Flanders has
gone down in history as the most violent of all time and many of the fouls then recorded had never been seen before for instance, the
transfiguration of a Chaser into a polecat, the attempted decapitation of a Keeper with a broadsword, and the release, from under the
robes of the Transylvanian Captain, of a hundred blood - sucking vampire bats.
 

The World Cup has since been held every four years, though it was not until the seventeenth century that non - European teams turned
up to compete. In 1652 the European Cup was established, and it has been played every three years since. 

Bulgaria 
Of the many superb  European teams, perhaps the Bulgarian Vratsa Vultures is most renowned. Seven times European Cup winners,
the Vratsa Vultures are undoubtedly one of the most thrilling teams in the world watch, pioneers of the long goal (shooting from well
outside the scoring area), and always willing to: give new players a chance to make a name for themselves.

France 
In France the frequent League winners Quiberon Quafflepunchers are famed for their flamboyant play as much as for their shocking -
pink robes.

Germany 
In Germany we find the Heidelberg Harriers, the team that the Irish Captain Darren O'Hare once famously said was "fiercer than a
dragon and twice as clever." Luxembourg, always a strong Quidditch nation, has given us the Bigonville Bombers, celebrated for their
offensive strategies and always among the top - goal - scorers.

Portugal 
The Portuguese team Braga Broomfleet have recently broken through into the top levels of the sport with their groundbreaking Beater -
marking system; and the Polish Grodaisk Goblins gave us arguably the world's most innovative Seeker, Josef Wronski

                          Australia and NewZealand

New Zealand 
Quidditch was introduced to New Zealand some time in the seventeenth century, allegedly by a team of European herbologists who had
gone on an expedition there to research magical plants and fungi. We are told that after a long day's toil collecting samples, these
witches and wizards lrt off steam by playing Quidditch under the bemused gaze of the local magical community.  The New Zealand
Ministry of Magic has certainly spent much time and money preventing Muggles getting hold of Maori art of that period which clearly
depicts white wizards playing Quidditch (these carvings and paintings are now on display at the Ministry of Magic in Wellington). 
Among the best are the Moutohora Macaws (New Zealand), with their famous red, yellow, and blue robes, and their phoenix mascot
Sparky.

Australia 
The spread of Quidditch to Australia is believed to have occurred some time in the eighteenth century. Australia may be said to be an
ideal Quidditch - playing territory, given the great expanses of uninhabited outback where Quidditch pitches may be established.
Antipodean teams have always thrilled European crowds with their speed and showmanship. The-ThundelarraThunderers and the
Woollongong Warriors have dominated the Australian League for the best part of a century. Their enmity is legendary among the
Australian magical community, so much so that a popular response to an unlikely claim or boast is "Yeah, and I think I'll volunteer to
ref the nextThunderer Warrior game."

                                        Africa

The broomstick was probably introduced to the African continent by European wizards and witches travelling there in search of
information on alchemy and astronomy, subjects in which African wizards have always been .particularly skilled. Though not yet as
widely played as in Europe, Quidditch  is: becoming increasingly popular throughout the African continent. 

Uganda 
Uganda in particular is emerging as a keen Quidditch playing nation. Their most notable club, the Patonga Proudsticks, held the
Montrose Magpies to a draw in 1986 to the astonishment of most of the Quidditch playing world. Six Proudstick players recently
represented Uganda in the Quidditch World Cup, the highest number of fliers from a single team ever united on a national side. O

Togo 
Another African team of note is the Tchamba Charmers (Togo) who has mastered the reverse pass.

Ethiopia 
The Gimbi Giant-Slayers (Ethiopia) won the All-Africa Cup two times.

Tanzania 
The Sumbawanga Sunrays (Tanzania) is a highly popular team whose formation looping has  delightedted crowds across the world:

                                  North America

        Quidditch reached the North American continent in the early seventeenth century, although it was slow to take hold there owing to
the great intensity of anti - wizarding feeling unfortunately exported from Europe at the same time. The great caution exercised by
wizard settlers, many of whom had hoped tofind less prejudice in the New World, tended to restrict the growth of the game in its early
days. 

Canada 
         In later times, however, Canada has given us three of the most accomplished Quidditch teams in the world: the Moose Jaw
Meteorites, the Haileybury Hammers, and the Stonewall Stormers. The Meteorites were threatened with disbandment in the 1970s
owing to their persistent practice of performing post - match victory flights over neighbouring towns and villages while trailing fiery
sparks from their broom tails. The team now confines this tradition to the pitch at the end of each match and Meteorite games
consequently remain a great wizarding tourist attraction.

United States 
        The United States has not produced as many worldclass Quidditch teams as other nations. because the game has had to compete
with the American broom game Quodpot. A variant of Quidditch, Quodpot was invented by the eighteenth - century wizard Abraham
Peasegood, who had brought a Quaffle with, him from the old country and intended to recruit a Quidditch team. The story goes that
Peasegood's Quaffle had inadvertently come into contact with the tip of his wand in his trunk, so that when he fiinally took it out and
began to throw it around in a casual manner, it exploded in hia face.  Peasegood, whose sense of humour appears to have been robust,
promptly set out to recreate the effect on a series of leather balls and soon all thought of Quidditch was forgotten as he and his friends
developed a game which centred on the explosive properties of the newly renamed "Quod."
        There are eleven players a side in the game.of Quodpot. They throw the Quod, or modified Quaflle, from team member to
member, attempting to get it into the "pot" at the end of the pitch before it explodes. Any player in possession of the Quod when it
explodes must leave the pitch. Once the Quod is safely in the "pot" (a small cauldron containing a solution which will prevent the Quod
exploding), the scorer's team is awarded a point and a new Quod is brought on to the pitch. Quodpot has had some success as a
minority sport in Europe, though the vast majority of wizards remain faithful to Quidditch.
        The rival charms of Quodpot notwithstanding, Quidditch is gaining popularity in the United States. Two teams have recently
broken through at international level: the Sweetwater All - Stars from Texas, who gained a well - deserved win over the Quiberon
Quafflepunchers in 1993 after a thrilling five day match; and the Fitchburg Finches from Massachusetts, who have now won the US
League seven times and whose Seeker, Maximus Brankovitch III, has captained America at the last two World Cups.

                                  South America

Quidditch is played throughout Sonth: America, though the game must compete with the popular Quodpot here as in the North.
Argentina and Brazil both reached the quarter - finals of the World Cup in the last century. 

Peru 
Undoubtedly the most skilled Quidditch nation in South America is Peru, which is tipped to become the first Latin World Cup winner
within ten years. Peruvian warlocks are believed to have had their first exposure to Quidditch from European wizards sent by the
International Confederation to monitor the numbers of Vipertooths (Peru's native dragon). Quidditch has become a veritable obsession
of the wizard community there since that time, aid their most famous team, the Tarapoto Treef Skimmers, recently toured Europe to
great acclaim.

                                          Asia

Quidditch has never achieved great popularity in the East, as the flying broomstick is a rarity in countries where the carpet is still the
preferred mode of travel. The Ministries of Magic in countries such as India; Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, and Mongolia, all of whom
aintain a flourishing trade in, flying carpets, regard Quidditch with some suspicion, though the sport does have some fans among witches
and wizards on the street.  The exception to this general rule is Japan, 

Japan
Quidditch has been gaining steadily in popularity over the last century. The most successful Japanese team, the Toyohashi Tengu,
narrowly missed a win over Lithuania's Gorodok Gargoyles in 1994. The Japanese practice of ceremonially setting fire to their brooms
in case of defeat is, however, frowned upon by the International Confederation of Wizards' Quidditch Committee as being a waste of
good wood.