Football originated between the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC, but the first professional match took place in 1863, following the formation of the Football Association. With such a long history, it’s no wonder the sport boasts numerous records set over the years, and some of these feats are so remarkable that breaking them would be a true miracle. From the longest distance goal to the largest number of hat-tricks scored by a single player, we have compiled the most fascinating records set during the rich football legacy.
Largest Football Betting Win – £1,000,000
Betting on sports may be very profitable, and Daman Chick has proved this. In 2016, the 32-year-old kitchen fitter from Birmingham bet £5 on the Euro 2016 final, predicting that the Portuguese forward Eder would score the opening goal in the 84th minute. Although Eder netted the goal in the 109th minute, the bookmaker still awarded Daman Chick £1,000,000 since his bet was the closest to reality. The lucky winner was unaware of his success and failed to claim his prize, so the bookmaker had to arrange a dedicated social media campaign to locate him.
Most Goals Netted by a Goalkeeper – 129
Although a shot stopper finding the back of the net is quite a rarity, it’s one of the most spectacular events that can happen on the field. But how on Earth has a player who aimed to protect the net managed to score 129 goals? The name of this legend is Rogério Ceni. The Brazilian keeper made over 1,200 appearances for Sao Paulo from 1993 to 2015 and was a designated free-kick and penalty taker. Ceni scored 69 penalties, 59 free kicks, and one goal from open play. He also netted two additional goals in unofficial matches, but IFFHS did not recognise them. Whatever number is taken to be official, the record is still incredible and, most likely, unbeatable.
Most Goals Netted by One Player in a Single Professional Match – 13
The history of professional football has already seen several matches with truly extraordinary scoring (e.g., the record-breaking 2002 match between AS Adema and SO L’Emyrne, which ended 149:0, or a game between Arbroath and Bon Accord in 1885, which ended with a 36:0 scoreline). However, we are interested in another legendary encounter when Australia beat American Samoa 31:0 in 2001. Archie Thompson became a hero of the match after scoring 13 goals and quickly captured the headlines due to his record-breaking performance.
Most Hat-Tricks Scored by One Player – 141
Scoring a hat-trick has long been considered an outstanding achievement, testifying to a footballer’s high skill and mastery. Although the Guinness Book of Records states Pele as the record holder with 92 hat-tricks, the RSSSF’s data shows that Erwin Helmchen managed to overperform the Brazilian legend by netting 141 trebles during his 27-year career. The German striker is also included in the list of the most prolific goal scorers in football history, as he found the net 989 times in 582 official games.
Fastest 5 Goals Netted in a Single Game – 8 min 59 sec
Just like the previous records, this one is so incredible that beating it borders on impossible. On September 22, 2015, Robert Lewandowski delivered one of the most remarkable performances in football history: the Polish forward came off the bench in the 46th minute during the match between Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg and scored five times in just over nine minutes. No footballer has ever achieved such a result in Bundesliga history. Besides his five-goal feat, Lewandowski also set records for the most goals scored by a substitute (5), the fastest Bundesliga hat-trick (3:22), and the fastest four goals scored in a Bundesliga game (5:42).
Longest-Distance Goal – 96.01 meters
Surprisingly, the longest-distance goal was netted not by a regular field player but by a goalkeeper. With a length of 96.01 meters, none of the famous strikers has even come close to it. The record belongs to Tom King and took place in a match between Newport County and Cheltenham Town in 2021. The keeper landed the ball into the opponent’s net just 10 minutes after the kick-off. However, the King’s feat did not help Newport to win, as the match ended 1:1.
