There is a mélange of facts behind the beautiful game of soccer that many people do not know about. Now, if you doubt this, then ‘can you tell us the premier league goalkeeper that has up to 5 assists’? Okay, let’s try this, ‘can you tell us the names of the two players that have used both feet to score penalties’?
These stats would make for a great debate down at the pub and if you’re a betting man, some of these more recent feats could have made you a very pretty penny. If betting isn’t your thing but you enjoy casino style games, check out Casimple – Online Casinos Made Simple where you can compare the latest sites and find the best bonuses available..
The fact is that these are not stats that you hear every day. But we have decided to bring them to your notice in clear terms, so all you need is to relax, read carefully, and enjoy these unique football stats and facts.
1 – Only one player scored in 7 competitions in the same football season, and he is Fernando Torres
While the Spanish forward was very successful in Atletico Madrid, and later Liverpool, the same may not be said about his stint at Chelsea without debates. For the blue army, he netted 45 times in all competitions, and this is very low when you compared it to the 81 goals he scored in fewer games for Liverpool.
But that did not stop him from creating a football record that will be very difficult for any player to equal or break in Stamford Bridge. In a singular season, Fernando Torres scored at least one goal in the FA Cup, the Europa League, and the Capital One Cup, the Fifa Club World Cup, the FA Community Shield, the UEFA Champions League, and the English premier league.
His feat saw him break the previous record of scoring in six tournaments in a single season, and the amazing thing is that the holder of this record is Pedro, who was his country team mate and later played at Stamford Bridge.
2 – The Youngest Player to Lift the World Cup Is Pele
The legendary nature of Pele cannot be disputed, and there are many records to prove this. He made one of those records in his early years as a footballer.
It was in 1958 that he traveled with the Brazilian National Team to the world cup in Sweden. At that time, he was the youngest member of the squad, and was left out of their first two games of the tournament. But in the third game, he was given a chance to play against USSR.
However, it was in the quarter finals that he scored his first goal of the tournament, and he did it at the age of 17 years 235 days. In the semi final fixture, Pele scored a hat-trick against France, and in the finals, he scored two goals that sealed victory for his country and gave them the world cup trophy for the very first time.
The only player next to Pele in this aspect is the French national, Kylian Mbappe, who was 19 years old when he won the 2018 world cup with France. However, when we talk about the youngest player to appear in the World Cup, we are talking about Norman Whiteside of the Northern Ireland team, who featured in the 1982 edition at the age of 17 years and 41 days.
3 – The Amount of Bets per Game in the 2018 World Cup was €2.1 Billion
The role that gambling is playing in football is becoming very essential, as it now finances a lot of teams and clubs. But these bookmakers can only make money to sponsor the teams from the humongous amount that many bettors wager on games.
When you consider the 2018 world cup as an example, you will see that €2.1 Billion per game was wagered per game, while the finals got a total wager of €7 billion. The team that was favored by most bettors is Croatia, as they picked it at as high as 34.0. With the rise of the betting culture, the Qatar showpiece is expected to break the 2018 record.
Currently, betting websites are searching for new customers by offering regular bonuses and odds that are very competitive. You can easily get a review of the bookmakers and a recommendation on the best from online sources.
4 – Dundee United Enjoys A 100% Win Rate against Barcelona
The Scottish premier league side has this amazing record against the Spanish giants. They’ve played them four times and defeated them on all those occasions. This record is one that only Dundee United parade in the British football world.
The first time that Dundee played against Barcelona was in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup of 1967, and they defeated them. They met again in the European cup quarterfinals of 1987, and Dundee defeated Barcelona both home and away to the chagrin of the football world. Since that defeat, only once have Barcelona lost home and away in a Champions League contest, and that was against Bayern in in 2013 where they were annihilated, crushed, and shellacked 7 – 0 on aggregate.
5 – Paul Robinson Is the Only Goalkeeper with Five Assists
Most times, goalkeepers do not get involved with goals. However, when they eventually get involved, the goals are usually very decisive in winning matches or titles. One huge example of such goalkeepers is Paul Robinson. During his career that lasted for nearly 20 years, the former England international registered five assists for Spurs, Blackburn and Lees. This man also holds the record of the longest goal ever scored in the world of football, when he scored against Watford from 95 yards.
6 – The First English Team to Reach European Cup Finals Is Birmingham City
Birmingham is no longer a giant in English football. But they once were, and when they were, the current championship side was the first team from England to take part in a European cup, and that happened in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup of 1956. The record of the first English team to play in the final of a European competition is also held by them.
7 – The Champions League Trophy Has Never Been Won By Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Ronaldo of Brazil
A lot of legendary players played out their career without a Champions League trophy and medal to show for it. But it is also surprising to see that some very great players never won the UEFA Champions League, which gives some bragging rights. For instance, Ronaldo De Lima of Brazil never won the UEFA Champions League, even after playing for Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan – all teams that have won the Champions League. The Swedish strong man, Zlatan Ibrahimovic never laid hands on the trophy; even with his amazing football record at Inter Milan, Ac Milan, Manchester United, and Barcelona.
8 – Bolivia Defeated Argentina 6-1 in A Game That Involved Lionel Messi In 2009
Though this sounds very shocking, it was true that Bolivia defeated Argentina 6 goals to 1 at home in 2009. The game had a lot of star players in the Argentine team, and one of them was the Argentine star, Lionel Messi. To be fair to him though, the altitude in Bolivia is so high that the majority of foreign players who come there to play find it very difficult, and this could also be the problem here.
9 – The 2009 European Championship Was Won By Denmark Even When They Did Not Qualify
After their failure to qualify for the European Championship of 1992, Denmark was brought in about 10 days before the start of the tournament. That happened after FIFA placed a ban on Yugoslavia, and the slot was given to Denmark. To the utmost chagrin of everybody, these outsiders came in and won the title.
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