Since you enjoyed reading the wild soccer facts so much, here are some amazing firsts:
Pele, the king of football, is said to have stopped two factions fighting a civil war in Nigeria during the year 1967. Both sides actually held a 48 hour ceasefire to watch Pele play in Lagos! That’s the power of football and Pele!
Gerd Muller managed to score 68 goals out of the 62 games he played for West Germany.
Tommy Docherty was sacked as Manchester United’s manager for sleeping with the physiotherapist’s wife!
Before he joined Barcelona, Luis Figo had actually signed illegal contracts with Parma and Juventus!
Brazil’s striker Ronaldo was declared the Most Valuable Player of the 1998 World Cup, even though Brazil lost the championship final to France. Ronaldo has also been named World Player of the Year thrice!
Lilian Thuram is France’s most capped player with 137 caps and 2 goals.
Hungary has won the most gold medals in the Olympics for soccer since the year 1952!
Robbie Fowler signed for Manchester City from Leeds United with the understanding that his former team would continue to pay him a salary!
During the largest soccer tournament ever held, as many as 5,098 teams and 35,000 players competed for the second Bangkok League Seven-a-Side Competition in 1999!
Germany’s Oliver Kahn is the first goalie to win the Most Valuable Player of the World Cup in the year 2002.
Brazil happens to be the only country that has made an appearance in every single World Cup final! And it is also the only country to have lifted the trophy five times.
The fastest goal in a World Cup match was scored by Czechoslovakian Vaclav Masek after just 16 seconds into the game against Mexico in 1962!
American Bert Patenaude was the first to score a hat trick in World Cup history while playing against Paraguay in 1930.
Sweden’s Erik Nilsson and Switzerland’s Alfred Bickel are the only players to have played in a World Cup before and after World War II. They both wore their national team’s World Cup soccer jerseys in 1938 and 1950!
Germany lost two World Cup finals in 1982 and 1986, making soccer uniform number 11 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge the only captain to have lost two finals!
The first own goal during a World Cup was scored by Paraguay’s Ramon Gonzales in a first round match against the United States in 1930.
Soccer legend Eusebio scored as many as 46 goals in the European Cup for his team Benfica!
The fastest hat trick was made by Hungarian Laszlo Kiss during a match against El Salvador in 1982. He scored during the 70th, 74th and 77th minute of the game, which also makes him the only substitute to have ever scored a hat trick!
The largest attendance for a soccer match saw a whopping 199,854 fans turn up for a match played by Brazil and Uruguay during the 1950 World Cup at the Maracana Municipal Stadium at Rio de Janeiro!
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Wild Soccer Facts!
Wild Soccer Facts!
Soccer, the most watched and played sport in the world, has some amazing and weird facts that are truly fascinating! Here are some you might enjoy:
During the first World Cup in 1930 at Uruguay, the soccer balls used were monkey skulls wrapped in paper and leather!
Soccer as we know it originated in Britain.
Soccer shirt number 10, Diego Maradona, was just 16 when he made his debut for Argentina.
Talking about number 10, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious numbers in soccer. Number 10 soccer jerseys have been worn by legends of the game, such as Michel Platini, Pele, Zico, Zinadane Zidane, Rivaldo, Mario Kempes, including Maradona, of course.
Sheffield Wednesday’s goalkeeper Kevin Pressman was actually sent off after 13 seconds against Wolverhampton Wanderers, making it the fastest red card in English soccer!
Goalkeepers were not required to wear different colored soccer uniforms from their teammates until 1913.
Soccer became an Olympic sport in 1908.
Former England international, Paul Gascoigne, was arrested and sectioned under the Mental Health Act in Newcastle.
Sheffield FC is the world’s oldest club, going back to the year 1857!
Ronaldinho scored all 23 goals for his youth team, during which his team beat the opposition 23:0. He was only 13 at the time!
Italian goalie, Walter Zenga, holds the record for the longest unbeaten run in World Cup history. He played 517 minutes without letting in a goal during the 1990 World Cup tournament!
Pele is the youngest player to score a goal in the World Cup. He was 17 years and 239 days old when he scored against Wales in 1958.
Cameroonian, Roger Milla, is the oldest player to play in the World Cup. He was all of 42 years and 39 days when he played against Russia in 1994! During that game, he also scored, making him the oldest goal scorer in the World Cup!
In 1990, the United Arab Emirates qualified for the World Cup for the first time. Although they were knocked out during the group stage, two players managed to score goals. Both of them received a Rolls Royce for the goals!
The 1970 World Cup held in Mexico was a landmark tournament since yellow and red cards were used for the first time in its history. Yellow cards were given as a warning, while red cards were used to eliminate players from matches. If a player received two yellow cards, it counted as a red card.
According to video evidence, one of the fastest ever goal scored was in 2.8 seconds by Uruguayan Ricardo Olivera in 1998!
Sweden has actually played against Brazil seven times in World Cup history. No other country has faced Brazil that often.
No host country has ever been eliminated during the first round of a World Cup tournament.
Pele scored as many as 589 goals in only 605 matches for his team Santos! Read More!
Soccer, the most watched and played sport in the world, has some amazing and weird facts that are truly fascinating! Here are some you might enjoy:
During the first World Cup in 1930 at Uruguay, the soccer balls used were monkey skulls wrapped in paper and leather!
Soccer as we know it originated in Britain.
Soccer shirt number 10, Diego Maradona, was just 16 when he made his debut for Argentina.
Talking about number 10, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious numbers in soccer. Number 10 soccer jerseys have been worn by legends of the game, such as Michel Platini, Pele, Zico, Zinadane Zidane, Rivaldo, Mario Kempes, including Maradona, of course.
Sheffield Wednesday’s goalkeeper Kevin Pressman was actually sent off after 13 seconds against Wolverhampton Wanderers, making it the fastest red card in English soccer!
Goalkeepers were not required to wear different colored soccer uniforms from their teammates until 1913.
Soccer became an Olympic sport in 1908.
Former England international, Paul Gascoigne, was arrested and sectioned under the Mental Health Act in Newcastle.
Sheffield FC is the world’s oldest club, going back to the year 1857!
Ronaldinho scored all 23 goals for his youth team, during which his team beat the opposition 23:0. He was only 13 at the time!
Italian goalie, Walter Zenga, holds the record for the longest unbeaten run in World Cup history. He played 517 minutes without letting in a goal during the 1990 World Cup tournament!
Pele is the youngest player to score a goal in the World Cup. He was 17 years and 239 days old when he scored against Wales in 1958.
Cameroonian, Roger Milla, is the oldest player to play in the World Cup. He was all of 42 years and 39 days when he played against Russia in 1994! During that game, he also scored, making him the oldest goal scorer in the World Cup!
In 1990, the United Arab Emirates qualified for the World Cup for the first time. Although they were knocked out during the group stage, two players managed to score goals. Both of them received a Rolls Royce for the goals!
The 1970 World Cup held in Mexico was a landmark tournament since yellow and red cards were used for the first time in its history. Yellow cards were given as a warning, while red cards were used to eliminate players from matches. If a player received two yellow cards, it counted as a red card.
According to video evidence, one of the fastest ever goal scored was in 2.8 seconds by Uruguayan Ricardo Olivera in 1998!
Sweden has actually played against Brazil seven times in World Cup history. No other country has faced Brazil that often.
No host country has ever been eliminated during the first round of a World Cup tournament.
Pele scored as many as 589 goals in only 605 matches for his team Santos! Read More!
Double Trouble for Adebayor
Emmanuel Adebayor, from Manchester City, has done it again. He has now been charged by the FA for violent conduct against former Arsenal team mate, Robin Van Persie. Earlier, Adebayor was charged with improper conduct, which saw him run the length of the pitch while celebrating his goal against Arsenal, provoking the opposing team! For more details, read on…
Adebayor is looking at a three match ban for shoving his studs down Dutchman Van Persie’s face during a match against Arsenal that saw him score in his fourth consecutive match. Though Manchester City won 4:2, the victory was marred by Van Persie’s accusation of Adebayor deliberately kicking him in the face. This three match ban means Adebayor, also a Togo international, will not to be able to play for Manchester City until October 19.
According to an FA statement, ”Under the fast track disciplinary process, Adebayor has been charged with violent conduct following an incident with Robin van Persie, which resulted in the Arsenal player receiving facial injuries.” Referee Mark Clattenburg advised FA that though he wasn’t privy to the incident, had he been, he would’ve sent Adebayor off.
The stormy Togolese joined Manchester City on 18 July 2009 after signing a five year contract for a transfer fee somewhere in the region of £25 million. Adebayor scored during his debut against Blackburn Rovers, smashing a shot from 18 yards in the third minute! His second match saw him score the only goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers, giving his team a 1:0 win. He headed the ball into the goal during his third consecutive league match versus Portsmouth, which again saw Manchester City win by 1:0. And then came the fourth consecutive goal during the fateful match…
Prior to this, Emmanuel Adebayor was criticized for celebrating a goal by running the entire length of the pitch in front of Arsenal supporters, who almost invaded the pitch and threw objects towards him in anger. He was booked for this, but later apologized. Mark Hughes suggested that Adebayor did this in order to be loved by Manchester City fans.
Adebayor, who was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008, also plays for his birth country Togo, though he was also eligible to play for Nigeria. He helped Togo to qualify for the 2006 African Cup of Nations, during which he scored 11 goals in the qualifiers! He also played a leading role in Togo’s 2006 World Cup qualification. Though Adebayor failed to score a single goal in the World Cup, and Togo was eliminated during the group stage, he was made team captain after the qualification.
This is not the first time that Adebayor has got into trouble for his impetuosity and temper. During the 2006 African Cup of Nations, he almost left the tournament after a fight with his coach and was once dropped from the team after a row over bonus payments! But Adebayor was brought back into the national Togo team in 2007.
Adebayor wears soccer uniform number 25. Read More!
Adebayor is looking at a three match ban for shoving his studs down Dutchman Van Persie’s face during a match against Arsenal that saw him score in his fourth consecutive match. Though Manchester City won 4:2, the victory was marred by Van Persie’s accusation of Adebayor deliberately kicking him in the face. This three match ban means Adebayor, also a Togo international, will not to be able to play for Manchester City until October 19.
According to an FA statement, ”Under the fast track disciplinary process, Adebayor has been charged with violent conduct following an incident with Robin van Persie, which resulted in the Arsenal player receiving facial injuries.” Referee Mark Clattenburg advised FA that though he wasn’t privy to the incident, had he been, he would’ve sent Adebayor off.
The stormy Togolese joined Manchester City on 18 July 2009 after signing a five year contract for a transfer fee somewhere in the region of £25 million. Adebayor scored during his debut against Blackburn Rovers, smashing a shot from 18 yards in the third minute! His second match saw him score the only goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers, giving his team a 1:0 win. He headed the ball into the goal during his third consecutive league match versus Portsmouth, which again saw Manchester City win by 1:0. And then came the fourth consecutive goal during the fateful match…
Prior to this, Emmanuel Adebayor was criticized for celebrating a goal by running the entire length of the pitch in front of Arsenal supporters, who almost invaded the pitch and threw objects towards him in anger. He was booked for this, but later apologized. Mark Hughes suggested that Adebayor did this in order to be loved by Manchester City fans.
Adebayor, who was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008, also plays for his birth country Togo, though he was also eligible to play for Nigeria. He helped Togo to qualify for the 2006 African Cup of Nations, during which he scored 11 goals in the qualifiers! He also played a leading role in Togo’s 2006 World Cup qualification. Though Adebayor failed to score a single goal in the World Cup, and Togo was eliminated during the group stage, he was made team captain after the qualification.
This is not the first time that Adebayor has got into trouble for his impetuosity and temper. During the 2006 African Cup of Nations, he almost left the tournament after a fight with his coach and was once dropped from the team after a row over bonus payments! But Adebayor was brought back into the national Togo team in 2007.
Adebayor wears soccer uniform number 25. Read More!
Messi Becomes Barca’s Highest Paid Player
Argentinean national team’s soccer uniform number 10, Lionel Messi made history recently when he signed a new contract with club Barcelona that makes him the highest paid player in the squad ever…
Barca’s president, Joan Laporta, was thrilled to make the deal official, “Leo should be the highest paid player in the squad. He deserves it. He’s the best player in the world and one of the best in football history. He’s content and that’s why he’s playing the way he is”. Leo joined Barca as a youth team player back in 2001 during which he won a host of trophies. He also played a leading role in the club’s recent unprecedented title treble – the Primera Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League. Scoring 38 goals in the three competitions, and helping with 16 assists, Messi is now a popular choice to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo as FIFA World Player of the Year this December.
The striker’s contract with Barca was to expire in 2014, but he signed a new one that keeps him with the club until 2016, which will probably be the best years in his career. Ending all speculation, Leo claimed, “I want to spend all my career here, in Barcelona, if it’s possible. I would love to finish at Barcelona. This contract is a result of everything that happened last year and of what I have done since coming into the first team. I am simply one more person in this spectacular group of players, where there is a team that is very nice, very united and in which I am simply part of continuing to win things”. According to the new deal, Messi’s release clause increases from 150million Euros to 250million Euros.
Laporta declared, “This is the best news Barca can receive today. It is important to have a player with his human qualities and his football ability. This deal recognizes all that he gives to Barcelona. It is impossible to imagine the team without a player like Messi. We expect Leo to retire here with Barca.” This announcement was expected for some time now and coach Pep Guardiola joined in to express his delight, “It’s an immense piece of news for the club and for the player that Messi is renewing his contract, as it also was when Victor Valdes and Xavi did so. People go to football to see the best and that’s what they are. It’s a privilege for Barca to have some of the best footballers like Messi.”
Next on the club president’s list is captain Carles Puyol, whose services he also hopes to retain at Camp Nou. There have been rumors that the captain is not too happy ever since Barca acquired Ukrainian defender, Dmytro Chygrynskiy. Laporta asserted, “I am convinced that Puyol is keen to end his career at Barca. But I also understand that a player of his age examines the possibility of having an experience outside of Spain.” Let’s see how the cookie crumbles over the next couple of months… Read More!
Barca’s president, Joan Laporta, was thrilled to make the deal official, “Leo should be the highest paid player in the squad. He deserves it. He’s the best player in the world and one of the best in football history. He’s content and that’s why he’s playing the way he is”. Leo joined Barca as a youth team player back in 2001 during which he won a host of trophies. He also played a leading role in the club’s recent unprecedented title treble – the Primera Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League. Scoring 38 goals in the three competitions, and helping with 16 assists, Messi is now a popular choice to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo as FIFA World Player of the Year this December.
The striker’s contract with Barca was to expire in 2014, but he signed a new one that keeps him with the club until 2016, which will probably be the best years in his career. Ending all speculation, Leo claimed, “I want to spend all my career here, in Barcelona, if it’s possible. I would love to finish at Barcelona. This contract is a result of everything that happened last year and of what I have done since coming into the first team. I am simply one more person in this spectacular group of players, where there is a team that is very nice, very united and in which I am simply part of continuing to win things”. According to the new deal, Messi’s release clause increases from 150million Euros to 250million Euros.
Laporta declared, “This is the best news Barca can receive today. It is important to have a player with his human qualities and his football ability. This deal recognizes all that he gives to Barcelona. It is impossible to imagine the team without a player like Messi. We expect Leo to retire here with Barca.” This announcement was expected for some time now and coach Pep Guardiola joined in to express his delight, “It’s an immense piece of news for the club and for the player that Messi is renewing his contract, as it also was when Victor Valdes and Xavi did so. People go to football to see the best and that’s what they are. It’s a privilege for Barca to have some of the best footballers like Messi.”
Next on the club president’s list is captain Carles Puyol, whose services he also hopes to retain at Camp Nou. There have been rumors that the captain is not too happy ever since Barca acquired Ukrainian defender, Dmytro Chygrynskiy. Laporta asserted, “I am convinced that Puyol is keen to end his career at Barca. But I also understand that a player of his age examines the possibility of having an experience outside of Spain.” Let’s see how the cookie crumbles over the next couple of months… Read More!
2010 World Cup: Qualifying Teams
It’s official. Besides host South Africa who automatically qualify, Brazil, England, Netherlands, Spain, Paraguay, Ghana, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Korea DPR have also secured a berth in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. While, Peru and Bolivia have no chance of qualifying. Let’s take a look at the South American Zone...
Brazil is ahead of Paraguay by three points, with both teams securing a place in the World Cup by defeating Argentina. Paraguay’s 1-0 win marks Argentina’s fourth defeat in the last five qualifying games, putting it in the fifth position with only two matches remaining to get one of the two remaining automatic qualifying places.
Legendary soccer shirt number 10, Diego Maradona, now the Argentinean coach, was gracious in his praise of the winning team even though he’s now in the line of fire, "Paraguay played well, particularly Cabanas and Haedo Valdes. They held the ball and midfielders attacked us from the sides. We should have marked them better. It is down to poor form and failures as a team. I didn't think we were going to be like we are. I wanted to be higher in the table. This is the reality we must live and I will face it like always in my life. We still have a chance and we are holding it." Used to facing criticism, Maradona made it clear that it doesn’t faze him, and was quick to defend Lionel Messi. "Do not throw stones at Messi yet again," said Maradona. "The Paraguayan players and Martino knew that he was dangerous. "They were three or four around him. They neutralized him well and he was not able to shine like he normally does."
Meanwhile, having won the Confederations Cup in June, Brazil qualified for the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time by beating Argentina 3-1. Though coach Dunga was quick to say that despite the qualification, his team is still under pressure to perform, "To say a national team is ready one year before the World Cup would be too soon. We have a combative spirit and a team who do their best each match. They can say we don't play well, but they cannot say we do not do our best." Brazilian midfielder, Felipe Melo, who wears the number 5 soccer uniforms, feels Chile is one of the best teams in South America, "I see Chile as one of the qualified teams. They are second in the table and it is not by chance. They are dangerous."
It’s confirmed that former Jamaican coach, Brazilian Rene Simoes, is taking over as new national coach of Costa Rica. He’ll be taking over from Rodrigo Kenton, who was recently fired after his team failed to score a single goal in their last three World Cup qualifiers. Aged 56, Simoes is remembered for leading Jamaica to their one and only World Cup debut back in 1998. He also even coached the Brazilian women’s team, that won a silver medal during the Athens Olympics in 2004. Read More!
Brazil is ahead of Paraguay by three points, with both teams securing a place in the World Cup by defeating Argentina. Paraguay’s 1-0 win marks Argentina’s fourth defeat in the last five qualifying games, putting it in the fifth position with only two matches remaining to get one of the two remaining automatic qualifying places.
Legendary soccer shirt number 10, Diego Maradona, now the Argentinean coach, was gracious in his praise of the winning team even though he’s now in the line of fire, "Paraguay played well, particularly Cabanas and Haedo Valdes. They held the ball and midfielders attacked us from the sides. We should have marked them better. It is down to poor form and failures as a team. I didn't think we were going to be like we are. I wanted to be higher in the table. This is the reality we must live and I will face it like always in my life. We still have a chance and we are holding it." Used to facing criticism, Maradona made it clear that it doesn’t faze him, and was quick to defend Lionel Messi. "Do not throw stones at Messi yet again," said Maradona. "The Paraguayan players and Martino knew that he was dangerous. "They were three or four around him. They neutralized him well and he was not able to shine like he normally does."
Meanwhile, having won the Confederations Cup in June, Brazil qualified for the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time by beating Argentina 3-1. Though coach Dunga was quick to say that despite the qualification, his team is still under pressure to perform, "To say a national team is ready one year before the World Cup would be too soon. We have a combative spirit and a team who do their best each match. They can say we don't play well, but they cannot say we do not do our best." Brazilian midfielder, Felipe Melo, who wears the number 5 soccer uniforms, feels Chile is one of the best teams in South America, "I see Chile as one of the qualified teams. They are second in the table and it is not by chance. They are dangerous."
It’s confirmed that former Jamaican coach, Brazilian Rene Simoes, is taking over as new national coach of Costa Rica. He’ll be taking over from Rodrigo Kenton, who was recently fired after his team failed to score a single goal in their last three World Cup qualifiers. Aged 56, Simoes is remembered for leading Jamaica to their one and only World Cup debut back in 1998. He also even coached the Brazilian women’s team, that won a silver medal during the Athens Olympics in 2004. Read More!
