Impressive Records In World Football

Football is an extraordinary sport populated by remarkable athletes.

In every single match they are capable of producing memorable moments.

However, there are some moments that elevate beyond the ordinary and pass into the realm of the immortal. These are the players, goals and achievements that are so unique they are guaranteed to be remembered forever.

Here are some impressive records in world football

 

In 2011/12 Lionel Messi scored a truly incredible 73 goals, making him the highest goalscorer in a single European campaign.

The record had previous been held by Gerd Muller. The Germany striker scored 67 times for Bayern Munich in the 1972-73 campaign, a feat that many assumed would never be bettered.

Messi broke the record in typical style, scoring a hat-trick in a home tie with Malaga.

 

Lionel Messi breaks records as easily as he weaves between defenders.

Last season, he achieved another remarkable feat as he scored in 21 consecutive La Liga games.

According to the official Barcelona website, Messi broke the record set by Teodor Peterek, who scored in 16 consecutive league matches between 1937 and 1938.

To achieve such a high level of consistency in the modern game is phenomenal.

 

Sir Alex Ferguson retired this summer as the most successful manager in football history.

His tally of 49 trophies dwarfs the surrounding competition. His closest rival, the legendary Jock Stein, won just 27 major titles.

Ferguson's haul includes a Champions League winners' medal and an incredible 13 Premier League titles. Perhaps most impressively he won 10 trophies in Scotland with lowly Aberdeen, shattering the duopoly of Celtic and Rangers.

 

Since the English football league's inception in 1888, Everton have spent just four seasons in the second tier.

The Toffees were one of the league's founding members and have gone on to be almost ever-present. It's a remarkable achievement and one that speaks volumes about the club's careful management and intelligent planning.

New manager Roberto Martinez will be hoping to continue Everton's proud tradition of stability next season.

 

Who is the greatest goalscorer of all time? You might be surprised to discover it's not Pele, Gerd Muller nor Lionel Messi. 

The man recognised by the International Federation of Football Historians as the greatest goalscorer ever is Hungarian hit man Josef Bican.

Bican was the top goalscorer in his domestic league an unbelievable 12 times and once scored 57 goals in a single season.

 

The most goals scored in a specified period is 1,279 by Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Brazil) (b. 23 Oct 1940), known as Pelé, from 7 Sep 1956 to 1 Oct 1977 in 1,363 games. His best year was 1959 with 126, and the Milésimo (1000th) came from a penalty for his club Santos at the Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, on 19 Nov 1969 when playing his 909th first-class match. He later added two more goals in special appearances.

Artur Friedenreich (Brazil, 1892-1969) scored an undocumented 1,329 goals in a 26 year first-class football career, between 1909 and 1935.
The greatest number of goals scored in British first-class football is 550 (410 in Scottish League matches) by James McGrory of Glasgow Celtic (1922-38). The most scored in League matches is 434, for West Bromwich Albion, Fulham, Leicester City and Shrewsbury Town, by George Arthur Rowley (b. 21 Apr 1926) between 1946 and April 1965. Rowley also scored 32 goals in the FA Cup and one for England `B'.