Top 10 Hidden Football Facts You Probably Don’t Know About

Often commemorated as one of the most prominent sports throughout the world, football enjoys a viewership of millions. With millions of football aficionados worldwide, spine-tingling rivalries and eminent football tournaments, football has managed to garner a massive following around the globe that transcends beyond the field.

From achieving gender equality to providing fame to the deserving young talent, the game of football has proved to be a game changer in the past few decades. While millions of ardent fans around the world closely monitor the game and their favourite stalwarts of the game, a majority of them are unaware about the undiscovered hooks of football that decide the fate of their favourite teams battling on the field.

While most of the fans know about the rules of football, the game of football also carries a legacy of intriguing and fascinating facts that most of the ardent followers aren’t even aware of.

In this article we will take a look at the top ten fascinating facts that dominate the world of football and that you probably don’t know about yet.

1. The “originators” of Football 

While football is widely considered to be a western game that is prominently played in the United States, the roots of the game lie in China. About 3,000 years ago, China had the dominant sport, ‘Cuju’, which was identical to football. According to the International Football Association, the modern game of football has been originally derived from China’s ‘Cuju’ after undergoing several transformations.

2. The Fastest Goal Record

Popularly referred to as the “Brazilian Flair”, Ricardo Oliveria established a world record for scoring the world’s fastest goal in just 2.8 seconds. With prominent football players, including Pele, Neymar, Kaka, Oliveria and many more, Brazil is considered to be a powerhouse of football stalwarts.

Born in São Paulo, Ricardo Oliveria represented Brazil at the international level from 2004 to 2016. Often considered to be one of the most formidable attackers in the history of football, Ricardo Oliveria scored a trailblazing goal against Rio Negro in a matter of 2.08 seconds on December 26, 1998, solidifying his name in the Guinness Book of World Records.

 

3. The “Uniform Code” in Football  

Contrary to the current rules and regulations of football, the goalkeepers adorned the same uniform as the outfield players until 1913. Since the inception of the game, all players of a team used to wear the same team uniform until the Football Association in England made it mandatory for the goalkeepers of a team to wear different color jerseys which would assist the on-field players to spot them easily without any confusion or dilemma.

The historical move by the Football Association in England was appreciated by both critics and players, especially in the crowded penalty areas.

4. The Unfortunate Celebration 

The moments of jubilation after scoring a goal serve as a legacy of the game of football that has been followed since its inception. However, the legacy turned out with a bizarre twist for the Nigerian-born Chelsea player, Celestine Babayaro. Babayaro suffered a major leg injury while commemorating his debut goal at the pre-season match.

As a consequence, Celestine Babayaro was compelled to miss the entire tournament and suffered a temporary career setback for a few months till he recovered completely. The unfortunate twist served as a reminder for the football players to stay grounded and not get too excited about smashing goals.

5. The Racism Breakthrough 

Similar to other western sports, the game of football has also witnessed a struggling period that was largely plagued by societal issues including gender inequality and racism. Although football gained the status of a professional game in 1888 with the establishment of the Football League in England, it was only in 1896 that the game included players from the black race.

Legendary football player Arthur Wharton is revered as the first black player who represented Stalybridge Rovers in 1896.

6. The “Football” has Remained Unchanged 

Although since its inception the game of football has witnessed a series of transformational changes in rules, regulations, player positions and uniform, the measurements of football used in high-stake tournaments has remained the same.

The footballs manufactured for international tournaments and local league matches still have a circumference between 68 cm and 79 cm, after all these decades of glorifying triumphs.

7. The Ultimate Manufactures of Football 

While there are numerous leading manufacturers of football throughout the world, Pakistan surprisingly dominates the manufacturing industry of football. Pakistan as a country constitutes over 60 percent of football manufactures making it the production powerhouse of Football.

Apart from the numerous leading manufacturers of football, Pakistan’s Bahlol International has gained immense praise and recognition at an international level with their high-quality football production units.

8. The Largest Football Tournament 

While there are numerous leading manufacturers of football throughout the world, Pakistan surprisingly dominates the manufacturing industry of football. Pakistan as a country constitutes over 60 percent of football manufacturers, making it the production powerhouse of football.

Apart from the numerous leading manufacturers of football, Pakistan’s Bahlol International has gained immense praise and recognition at an international level with their high-quality football production units.

9. The Highest Number of Goals Scored by a Player 

In most cases, goals scored in the game of football are considered to be a cornerstone, while boiling down to a player’s contribution towards their team in a football match. While football aficionados religiously follow legendary footballers of the modern era, including Ronaldo Christina, Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez and many more, they often overlook the rich historical past of the game that carries numerous stalwarts who have significantly contributed to shaping up the game.

The French football player, Stephan Stanis scored a total of 16 goals in a single match in the wartime French Cup game in 1942, making him the record holder for scoring the highest number of goals in a single match. Stephan’s record still stands tall in the annals of football and hasn’t been surpassed by any footballer till date.

10. The “Football or Soccer?” Debate 

The debate over the names “Football” and “Soccer” has been going on for decades, leaving a majority of the viewers in a state of dilemma and confusion.

While the rest of the world predominantly relies on the name “football”, the North American population prefers to recognize the game of football as soccer in order to avoid the confusion between other formats of football, including American football or Canadian football. Regardless of the name used to refer to the sport, it enjoys an unparalleled, rich and ever-growing viewership throughout the world.