Goals, grapples, and glory – crazy stats recorded in football history

Football players, especially the professionals, are very talented and skillful – that is a statement that likely cannot be argued against. 

What happens, however, when some of them are so talented that they set up new records within the field or break existing ones? 

Let’s take a look at interesting records set by some of the best players in the history of football.

1. The most goals scored in a single World Cup

French football player Just Fontaine, who was active between 1950 and 1962, to this date holds the record for the most goals scored during one single World Cup. 

In the 1958 tournament he managed to score thirteen times in six matches. 

This fantastic performance won him the Golden Boot and, in 2004, at a FIFA award ceremony, Pelé named him as one of 125 greatest living football players.

2. Most hat-tricks in history

According to the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF), German football player Erwin Helmchen, active from the years 1924-1951, holds the record for the most hat-tricks scored in history. 

For the duration of his career, Helmchen netted an amazing 141 hat-tricks at least. 

He is in general known for his prolific scoring record as he bagged 989 goals in 582 official matches.

As of 2023 however, the Guiness World Records recognised Pelé as the player with the most hat-tricks at 92 – the difference being that Guiness World Records only counts official top-level matches, whereas RSSSF counts everything, including lower tier games.

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3. Most red cards in a game

In 2011, a match between two Argentinian fifth-tier teams ended with the referee issuing an astounding 36 red cards. 

The match started fairly normally; “only” two players ended up with a red card and had to leave the field by half-time. 

Once the second half began, however, things started to become chaotic and heated and ended with a massive fight not only involving the players, but also managers, coaches and even some fans. 

This led the referee to issue red cards to all the remaining players – and the staff too!

4. Most goals scored by one player in a single international game

Striker Archie Thompson, who played for Australia at the time, in 2001 set the record for the most goals scored by one player during an international game. 

During the World Cup qualifier match between Australia and American Samoa, he scored a staggering 13 goals. 

13? How is that possible you ask? 

Simple. The result of this unbelievable match was 31-0 for Australia, which also set a record for the most goals in an international match.

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5. Most goals in a game

If you thought that 31 goals in one game are unbelievable already, you’re in for a big surprise with this next one. 

Two teams from Madagascar, Adema and SOE, were supposed to play each other in the final game of the tournament. 

Even though the two teams are major rivals, SOE intentionally lost the game allowing their opponents to score 149 times. 

They were doing so to protest decisions that referees had taken in previous matches.

Clash of titans: Messi vs Ronaldo

Many records have been set up in the course of football history by many different people. 

None of them hold as many records as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are both seemingly always trying to one-up one another. 

Currently leading this battle is Messi, with a staggering 41 World Guiness Records, whereas Ronaldo has “only” 40.

Messi, for example, holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards, the most FIFA World Cup Man of the Match awards and has set up a record for the most goals scored in one calendar year – with 91 goals scored in 2012.

Ronaldo also holds plenty of noticeable records such as most men’s international caps with 229 as of 2026, all-time top scorer in the UEFA Champions League and most international goals scored.

These talented men have been able to achieve greatness, so one can only wonder who will achieve what next, and who will beat the next record or set up a new one in this sport that never fails to amaze or surprise.

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