Fantastic Facts About Football That Sound Fake But Are Actually TRUE

Football is replete with moments that, at times, leave one doubting whether they were right out of some fantasy book. Some feats, that you would think could never happen on the pitch, actually have happened. From scoring oddities to record-breaking statistics, here are mind-blowing football facts that will keep you agog in amazement:

1. Hugo Sánchez’s Perfect First Touch Finishes
   Hugo Sánchez of Real Madrid reached an astonishing record of scoring 38 goals in La Liga matches during the 1989/90 season. Astounding fact? All of those goals were first-touch finishes.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Phenomenal 2016
   Cristiano Ronaldo had an unforgettable year in 2016, winning four trophies including the UEFA Champions League and the European Championship. More impressively? He lost fewer matches, 3, compared to the number of trophies he lifted.
3. Neymar’s Ballon d’Or Feat Without Europe
   Before he became a European football star, Neymar managed to find his place in the top 10 of the Ballon d’Or rankings without having played in Europe merit of his performances recorded at Brazilian club Santos alone.
4. Trophyless Gareth Bale Returns to Tottenham
   His first season without a trophy, Gareth Bale did return on loan to his old club for the 2020/21 season, Tottenham Hotspur, after a quite trophy-filled sojourn at Real Madrid.
5. Eden Hazard’s Home Scoring Streak
   The influence that Eden Hazard used to have at Chelsea is not taken for granted. For an astonishing seven-year period, Chelsea never lost a home Premier League match in which Hazard had scored.
6. Bayern Munich’s Dominance in 2013/14
   Such was Bayern Munich’s dominance during the 2013/14 Bundesliga season, had they let in every single shot on target that came their way, they still would have won the league.
7. John Terry Outscores Iniesta
   Chelsea legend John Terry, a defender, scored more Premier League goals for his club than Barcelona’s midfield maestro Andrés Iniesta managed in La Liga.
8. Chelsea’s Unique UEFA Achievement
   Chelsea is the only football club to simultaneously hold the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League titles, as it won the Europa League in 2013 while still champions of the Champions League.
9. Away Titles by Arsenal
   Arsenal did something no team has since—that is winning league titles away to Anfield, White Hart Lane, Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford, and Highbury.
10. Real Madrid Beat Their Own Reserves
    In the 1980 Copa del Rey final, Real Madrid played—and defeated—their own reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, to win the title.
11. Gary Lineker’s Clean Slate
    Amazingly, England legend Gary Lineker never received a yellow or red card throughout his professional career.
12. Mourinho’s Unbeaten Home Run
    In these nine long years, José Mourinho remained undefeated at home in league games for teams like Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid between 2002 and 2011.
13. First Ever Puskas Award Winner
    Cristiano Ronaldo was the first winner of FIFA’s Puskas Award back in 2009, given to the player who scored the most beautiful goal that year.
14. Mario Balotelli’s Legendary Assist
    Known for his antics, Mario Balotelli’s solitary Premier League assist came at the perfect time-setting up Sergio Agüero’s famous title-winning goal for Manchester City in 2012.
15. Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo’s Complete Timing
    Both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored goals in every minute of a football match, meaning they’ve each hit the net at least once in every minute from the 1st to the 90th.
16. Steve Bruce’s Unlikely Goal Haul
    Steve Bruce, Manchester United’s former defensive stalwart, managed to score 19 goals across all competitions during the 1990/91 season.
17. Neymar Beats Messi to La Liga Player of the Month
    Believe it or not, Neymar received a Player of the Month award from La Liga before his Barcelona teammate and legend Lionel Messi ever did.
18. Bas Dost’s First-Touch Goal Streak
    Dutch striker Bas Dost scored an astonishing 45 goals in a row with just one touch, demonstrating his peerless poaching ability.
19. Philipp Lahm’s Clean Tackling Record
    German legend Philipp Lahm did not commit a single foul in more than a year, which speaks volumes about his defensive discipline.
20. Shocking Champions League Record of Theo Walcott
    Theo Walcott, despite his pretty inconsistent career, has scored more Champions League goals compared to a host of legendary names such as Eden Hazard, Ronaldo Nazário, Alexis Sánchez, and David Villa.
21. Sergio Ramos’s Clean National Record
    Despite everything that is said about him being a hard man, Sergio Ramos was never shown a red card while playing for the national team of Spain, though at club level, he was an extreme character.
22. The All-In-One Game
    Wayne Rooney, Gareth Bale, and Kevin Davies are the only players to have scored, assisted a goal, and also scored an own goal in the same match in the history of the Premier League.

These facts remind one that football, as magical as it may be, is just about as unpredictable: full of unbelievable feats.