Since its inception in the 1870s, football has grown to become a widely popular and well-loved sport across the globe. It even branched out into several variants such as futsal, association football (or soccer), beach soccer, and goalball, among many others. The hype over football has also made it one of the most gambled sports worldwide with avid football betting fans scouring for free football acca tips online and placing their money on different kinds of football bets.
Today, football is no longer just a sport, but it has also become a hobby and even a means of earning money for some. Football has become so big that it has given a whole history of facts and trivia. If you’re a big fan of football trivia, then here are ten facts you might find interesting. Some seem unbelievable, but they are definitely true.
The longest name for a football club
NAC Breda from the Netherlands takes the title of the longest club name. The club’s full name reads Nooit opgeven altijd doorgaan, Aangenaam door vermaak en nuttig door ontspanning, Combinatie Breda.
The club was founded after football clubs NOAD and ADVENDO merged in 1912. NOAD stands for Nooit Ophouden, Altijd Doorgaan which translates to “Never give up, always persevere”, while ADVENDO stands for Aangenaam Door Vermaak En Nuttig Door Ontspanning which means “Pleasant for its entertainment and useful for its relaxation.”
The player who played for two teams in one day
Current Welsh football manager and former football player Mark Hughes had to play for two different teams on 11 November 1987. At that time, Hughes recently signed for Bayern Munich and had to play for the new team even though it was on the same day as his match for Wales. He played a qualifier for Wales at lunchtime and played in the second half for Bayern in the evening. And so, he was named the first player to play for two teams on the same day.
The youngest player to score in a World Cup Final
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, more known as Pelé, is a Brazilian retired football player regarded as one of the best players of all time. Among his greatest feats, he becomes the youngest player to score in a World Cup Final. At 17 years and 249 days, he scored two goals for Brazil beating Sweden 5-2.
The only goalkeeper to score, assist, and win a penalty in the PL
Paul Robinson, a former goalkeeper for England, Leeds, Blackburn, Spurs, and Burnley, has been the only ‘keeper to score, assist, and win a penalty in the Premier League. He proved that goalkeepers don’t just block and save goals; they can also score. In fact, his football skills helped his team widen their score difference.
The longest football match was at 169 hours
A Cardiff football match broke the world record for the longest match ever at 169 hours. The match was not just for a stunt, rather for the charity Kicking Off Against Cancer. One player said that they were not prepared for the emotional challenge. Lucie Banks, the charity trustee, said that each hour played earned the players a five-minute break.
The highest recorded score in football history
A jaw-dropping score of 149-0 put the Madagascar team AS Adema into history after scoring the highest scoreline in a football match. However, it was not because AS Adema overwhelmed the other team. Their opponent, SO l’Emyrne, reportedly lost the game intentionally as a protest over refereeing decisions. In fact, SO l’Emyrne deliberately scored their own goals after each ball kick, leaving AS Adema and the audience bemused.
The most common names during the PL 2010/2011
Here’s a fun fact. During the Premier League in 2010/11, David and James were the most common first names of players during the season. There were 14 players with the name David, while 11 players were named James. Interestingly, this was the first season that former English goalkeeper David James did not appear.
The oldest football club worldwide
Founded on 24 October 1857, Sheffield F.C. is actually the oldest professional football club in the world. Meanwhile, the oldest league club is Notts County founded in November 1862.
The fastest goal ever
How long do you think it would take to score a goal? On 7 November 2009, Nawaf Al-Abed was able to score just after 2.4 seconds and has been credited as the fastest goal scored in the history of professional football. His team was playing against Al-Shoulla during the Prince Faisal Cup. Unfortunately, the score was deemed void and the match was cancelled after the Technical Committee of the Saudi Football Association found that Al-Abed’s team consisted of six players over the age of 23, which is against the regulations.
The largest football stadium in the world
You might not believe this, but the world’s largest stadium is the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, also known as May Day Stadium, located in Pyongyang, North Korea. Officials claim that the stadium can hold 150,000 people, but its real capacity may be under 114,000. Despite this, it still holds the record by a few thousand.
Were those trivia interesting? Or were you already aware of these facts? If you want to learn more and become a football trivia buff, then here are more football trivia you might not know.
