Interesting Soccer Facts

Interesting Soccer Facts

You can find many interesting soccer facts if you take a look at the game
over the years. Here are a few things you may not know about soccer:
Soccer players run an average of six miles during every game.

*Soccer is the most popular sport in the world.

*Over one billion fans watch World Cup Soccer on television.

*Every year except for two (1930 and 1950) European Teams have
reached every World Cup final.

*India withdrew from the World Cup in 1950 because they weren’t
allowed to play barefoot.

*Soccer facts reveal that only the United States and Canada actually
call soccer “soccer.”

*Over 40 million watched on television as the U.S. Women’s Team
won the World Cup in 1999.

*Also in 1999, Over 35,000 fans competed in the largest soccer
tournament ever in Bangkok.

*There are 1000 activity changes in every soccer match.

*The first soccer games may have originated in China.

*The first black soccer player was Arthur Wharton in the 1800s.

*Historical Soccer facts indicate The World's First Football Club was
the English Sheffield Football Club, founded in 1857 by Colonel Nathaniel
Cresswick and Major William Priest, two British Army officers.

*Pele was the first to call soccer “the beautiful game.”

*The Soccer World Cup is played every four years.

*The fewest number of fans to watch a World Cup soccer game was
the 300 in Uruguay in 1930.

*The most soccer fans to watch a World Cup soccer games were
119,850 in Brazil in 1950.

*The very first game of basketball was played with a soccer ball.

*The most World Cups have been won by Brazil--5.

*In 1954 Turkey knocked out Spain from during a World Cup qualifier by drawing straws. Blindfolded Italian boy Luigi Franco Gemma picked the straws to decide the winner.

*In 1957 with only 30 minutes remaining, Charlton Athletic game back from a 5-1 deficit to defeat Huddersfield Town 7-6.

*In 1968, Penarol of Urugauy conceded only five goals in 18 games on the way to an unbeaten season.

*In 1996 George Weah paid for his teammates uniforms and expenses so that Liberia could enter the African Nations Cup.

*In 1997 Nigerian international Celestine Babayaro broke his leg while celebrating a goal in his Chelsea debut during a preseason game.

*In 1998 English referee Martin Sylvester sent himself off after punching a player during a game in the Andover and District Sunday League.

*In the 1938 World Cup semifinal, Guiseppe Meazza of Italy's shorts fell down as he was taking a penalty shot. He held his shorts up and calmly scored past Brazil's Valter.

*In the 1970s legendary coaches Jock Stein and Brian Clough both had 44 day stints at Leeds United.

*Jean Langenus of Belgium wore a suit jacket, golfing plus fours and a red striped tie when he refereed the 1930 World Cup final.

*Luigi Riva once broke the arm of a spectator with one of his powerful shots.

*Madagascan team Stade Olympique L'Emryne scored 149 own goals against champions AS Adema in 2002. They repeatedly scored own goals in protest of a refereeing decision in their previous game.

*Michael Laudrup appeared for Real Madrid in a 5-0 win over Barcelona and also Barcelona when they beat Real Madrid 5-0.

*Non flying Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp's fear of flying caused him to miss many international and European games for Arsenal.

*Sir Alex Ferguson was fired by St. Mirren in 1978 for swearing at a lady.

*Sir Stanley Matthews never received a booking in his 33 year long career.

*Under Herbert Chapman, The Arsenal changed their name to simply Arsenal in order to appear at the top of the alphabetical list of old Division One clubs.

*The first televised game was an Arsenal practice match at the Highbury ground in 1937.


*20 red cards were shown during a 1993 game between Sportivo Ameliano and General Caballero in Paraguay.

*ASEC Abidjan of Cote D'Ivoire went unbeaten for 108 games between 1989 and 1994.

*Carlos Caszely of Chile was the first player red carded in a World Cup tournament on June 14, 1974.

*European Teams have reached the final of every World Cup except in 1930 and 1950.

*Goalkeeper Arthur Wharton was the first black professional soccer player. He was born in Ghana (then Gold Coast) and played for English League team Rotherham United in 1889.