20 Football Facts You Won't Believe
Some football facts are so unbelievable that it's hard to believe them. They defy expectations. Many would consider these facts fake, but they are indeed true. Curious to know what they are? Here are 20 statistical paradoxes.
Whether you're a casual fan or a serious bettor, these astonishing football facts add an extra layer of excitement to the game. Platforms like Mostbet not only provide a venue for placing bets on your favorite teams but also offer detailed statistics and insights, helping you make informed decisions. By combining these unbelievable facts with strategic betting on Mostbet, you can enhance your football-watching experience and potentially increase your winnings.
English Managers have never won the Premier League
Since the top division of English football was renamed the Premier League (from the 1992/1993 season), the English manager has yet to win the tournament. Scottish manager Alex Ferguson has 13 victories, Spanish manager Pep Guardiola has five, French manager Arsène Wenger and Portuguese manager José Mourinho have three each. Italian managers Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Mancini, Claudio Ranieri, and Antonio Conte, Scottish manager Kenny Dalglish, Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini, and German manager Jürgen Klopp have won the title once.
Coman has more championships than seasons as a professional
Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has won gold medals in every season. He already has 12 championship titles: two with PSG, two with Juventus, and eight with Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, Coman has played professionally for 11 years, as he briefly played for Italian and German teams during the 2015/2016 season.
Bergomi played in four World Cups without playing in the qualifiers
Giuseppe Bergomi played in four World Cups and won the 1982 edition with the Italian national team. Despite this, he did not play a match in the qualifying stages. In 1982, the defender joined the Italian national team just in time for the tournament. Italy qualified for the 1986 World Cup as the reigning champions, and they qualified for the 1990 World Cup as the host nation. After seven years, Bergomi made a surprising comeback to the national team in 1998.
Mourinho didn't lose a home match for nine years
Early in his career, José Mourinho had an incredible home record. His teams did not lose a single match in national championships at their home grounds for nine years, from 2002 to 2011. This streak ended when Real Madrid suffered a 0-1 defeat to Sporting Gijon, allowing online sportsbook platforms to make some good profit.
Hughes played two matches in one day
1987 Mark Hughes played in two official matches in two countries within a few hours. During the day, the Welshman participated in a Euro qualifying match between Wales and Czechoslovakia. After the final whistle, he quickly headed to the airport. In the evening, he became a substitute for Bayern Munich in the second half of a DFB-Pokal match against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Lineker didn't receive a single card throughout his career
Former England national team player and current popular television pundit Gary Lineker played his entire career without receiving any cards. The striker played over 400 matches in various tournaments but has yet to receive a warning or a red card. Lineker is undoubtedly a strong contender for the title of the gentleman of football.
Ronaldo didn't score a goal in his first 26 Champions League matches
Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Champions League with 140 goals, surprisingly failed to score in his first 26 Champions League matches while playing for Manchester United. The Portuguese forward needed four seasons to unlock his scoring potential in the prestigious European competition.
Neuer has more goal contributions in World Cup playoffs than Ronaldo
Ronaldo has participated in five World Cups but has not registered any assists or goals in the playoffs. He has kept a clean sheet in eight matches. Interestingly, in terms of goal contributions, Ronaldo is surpassed even by the goalkeeper of the German national team, Manuel Neuer, who assisted in the Round of 16 match against England in the 2010 World Cup.
Neymar made the top 10 candidates for the Ballon d'Or before moving to Europe
In 2011, Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or, and Neymar made it to the top 10 candidates. What makes this remarkable is the fact that Neymar had not yet played in Europe at that time. The 19-year-old winger was still playing for Santos. Neymar joined Barcelona in 2013. Nevertheless, he received 1.12% of the votes in the poll. Santos won the Copa Libertadores and participated in the Club World Cup that year.
Piqué has scored more goals in the Champions League than Hazard
Eden Hazard cannot boast about his four seasons at Real Madrid or his statistics in the Champions League. The Belgian winger has scored only 10 goals in 61 Champions League matches. In contrast, Barcelona's center-back Gerard Piqué has scored 16 goals in his Champions League career (in 128 matches).
Vinicius Junior has scored more goals in the Champions League than Ronaldo
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior has already scored more goals in the UEFA Champions League than legendary Brazilian forward Ronaldo by the age of 22. Vinicius has scored 15 goals in 46 matches, while Ronaldo, throughout his career, played 40 times in the premier European tournament for Real Madrid and Inter Milan, scoring 14 goals.
Drogba scored fewer goals in the Premier League than Bent
Didier Drogba was a much brighter star in England than Darren Bent, but he scored fewer goals. Drogba scored 104 goals compared to Bent's 106. However, the difference in the number of matches played is insignificant, with Bent playing 277 games and Drogba playing 254.
Stankovic played for three different national teams in the World Cup
Former midfielder Dejan Stankovic, who played for Inter Milan and Lazio, represented three national teams in the FIFA World Cup. In 1998, he played for the unified Yugoslavia team. In 2006, he described the team of Serbia and Montenegro. Then the country split and Stankovic played for the Serbian national team in his last World Cup appearance in 2010.
The goalkeeper played for 15 minutes after the end of the match
In 1937, during a match between Chelsea and Charlton at Stamford Bridge, the game was prematurely interrupted due to bad weather after an hour of play. However, the goalkeeper of the visiting team, Sam Bartram, didn't hear the referee's whistle due to the noise of the spectators. The fog on the field was so thick that Bartram also didn't see the players leaving the field. He stood in the goal for 15 minutes, thinking his team was still playing in the opponent's half.
Manchester City has fewer victories in European competitions than Nottingham Forest
Today, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest are teams from different planets: the former dominates in the Premier League and European football, while the latter fights for survival in the top tier. However, even after winning the Champions League, Manchester City has fewer trophies in Europe than Nottingham Forest. Manchester City has won the Champions League and the Cup Winners' Cup once each (in 1970), while Nottingham Forest won the European Cup twice (in 1979 and 1980) and the UEFA Super Cup once (in 1979).
Dundee United is the only team that Barca lost all matches to
Modest Dundee United can be considered the most uncomfortable opponent in Barcelona's history. The teams met four times in European competitions, and on all four occasions, the Scottish team emerged victorious, with scores of 2-1, 2-0, 1-0, and 2-1. No other team that played more than one match against Barcelona took 100% of the points from the Catalan giants.
Perugia went undefeated for the season but didn't become champions
In the 1978/1979 Serie A season, a unique situation occurred. Perugia did not lose a match throughout the tournament, achieving 11 victories and 19 draws in 30 games. However, Perugia did not win the title. The gold went to Milan, who had three losses but accumulated three more points than Perugia.
Real Madrid won the Spanish Cup, defeating its reserve team in the final
A unique case also occurred in Spanish football. In the final of the 1979/1980 Copa del Rey, Real Madrid played against its reserve team, Castilla, which had surprisingly defeated several top-tier teams on its way to the final. However, there was no real contest in the final: the main Real Madrid team won convincingly with a score of 6-1.
A football match ended with a score of 149-0
A match in the Madagascar championship between Adema and Stade Olympique l'Emyrne is the highest-scoring game in football history. It took place in October 2002, and Adema won with a staggering score of 149-0. The overwhelming victory resulted from Stade Olympique l'Emyrne's protest against referee decisions while competing for the championship. In the previous Round, Adema had been crowned champions with the help of a referee's controversial decision. In the match against Adema, the coach of Stade Olympique l'Emyrne instructed his players to score as many goals as possible into their net, and they executed the plan flawlessly. Some players were later banned for an extended period.
Once, a penalty shootout had 48 kicks
The longest penalty shootout in football history took place in the Namibian Cup of the 2004/2005 season. The match between KK Palace and Civics dragged on because the teams couldn't determine a winner until the 48th penalty kick. In the end, KK Palace had better luck, winning the shootout with a score of 17-16.
17.06.2023