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.
Over the next few slides, we celebrate world football's most impressive records.
Lionel Messi: 73 Goals in a European Season
1 OF 5
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: Scoring in 21 Consecutive League Games
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Lionel Messi breaks records as easily as he weaves between defenders.
Sir Alex Ferguson: 49 Trophies
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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.
David Moyes has some big boots to fill.
Everton: Most Seasons in the Top Flight
4 OF 5
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.
Josef Bican: Greatest Goalscorer Ever
5 OF 5
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.
Most Expensive Player Transfer
Neymar's €222 million transfer fee from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 tops this list, which we predict will grow and grow and grow as television money goes even more bonkers and revenues continue to climb for the big clubs. For example, Manchester United just made £500 million in profit in a year for the first time in club history, and they aren’t even remotely, like, good at playing soccer.
Bale makes roughly €36.8 million per season in wages, which is about a million euros per goal scored. Keep getting them checks if they’ll give them to you, Neymar.
Most Goals In A Calendar Year
Obviously, this one belongs to Lionel Messi, who scored 91 mostly ridiculous goals in 2012 to surpass Gerd Müller’s record. He set the Barcelona club record for career goals that year; he scored five in a Champions League match (a record) against Bayer Leverkusen; he scored a particularly obnoxious hat trick against Brazil forgoals 49, 50, and 51.
Longest Unbeaten Run
Liverpool is attempting to match Arsenal’s Unbeatens of 2003-04, who rattled off 49 consecutive unbeaten games, including all 38 games of the Premier League season in 2003-04. The run actually spanned three seasons — the last two games of the 2002-03 season through the first 10 games of the 2004-2005 season.
The real crown belongs to Steaua Bucharest. In the 80s the Romanian club terrorized Divizia A with five unbeaten seasons in a row for a 104 game unbeaten streak. Yes, you read that right, one-hundred-and-four. If each game was exactly 90 minutes, Steaua Bucharest went six and a half full days of football unbeaten.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi has won the award a record seven times, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five. Three players have won the award three times each: Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten. With seven awards each, Dutch, German, Argentine, Portuguese and French players have won the most Ballons d'Or.
David Moyes has some big boots to fill.
Everton: Most Seasons in the Top Flight
4 OF 5
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.
Josef Bican: Greatest Goalscorer Ever
5 OF 5
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.
Most Expensive Player Transfer
Neymar's €222 million transfer fee from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 tops this list, which we predict will grow and grow and grow as television money goes even more bonkers and revenues continue to climb for the big clubs. For example, Manchester United just made £500 million in profit in a year for the first time in club history, and they aren’t even remotely, like, good at playing soccer.
Bale makes roughly €36.8 million per season in wages, which is about a million euros per goal scored. Keep getting them checks if they’ll give them to you, Neymar.
Most Goals In A Calendar Year
Obviously, this one belongs to Lionel Messi, who scored 91 mostly ridiculous goals in 2012 to surpass Gerd Müller’s record. He set the Barcelona club record for career goals that year; he scored five in a Champions League match (a record) against Bayer Leverkusen; he scored a particularly obnoxious hat trick against Brazil forgoals 49, 50, and 51.
Longest Unbeaten Run
Liverpool is attempting to match Arsenal’s Unbeatens of 2003-04, who rattled off 49 consecutive unbeaten games, including all 38 games of the Premier League season in 2003-04. The run actually spanned three seasons — the last two games of the 2002-03 season through the first 10 games of the 2004-2005 season.
The real crown belongs to Steaua Bucharest. In the 80s the Romanian club terrorized Divizia A with five unbeaten seasons in a row for a 104 game unbeaten streak. Yes, you read that right, one-hundred-and-four. If each game was exactly 90 minutes, Steaua Bucharest went six and a half full days of football unbeaten.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi has won the award a record seven times, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five. Three players have won the award three times each: Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten. With seven awards each, Dutch, German, Argentine, Portuguese and French players have won the most Ballons d'Or.
David Moyes has some big boots to fill.
Everton: Most Seasons in the Top Flight
4 OF 5
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.
Josef Bican: Greatest Goalscorer Ever
5 OF 5
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.
Most Expensive Player Transfer
Neymar's €222 million transfer fee from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 tops this list, which we predict will grow and grow and grow as television money goes even more bonkers and revenues continue to climb for the big clubs. For example, Manchester United just made £500 million in profit in a year for the first time in club history, and they aren’t even remotely, like, good at playing soccer.
Bale makes roughly €36.8 million per season in wages, which is about a million euros per goal scored. Keep getting them checks if they’ll give them to you, Neymar.
Most Goals In A Calendar Year
Obviously, this one belongs to Lionel Messi, who scored 91 mostly ridiculous goals in 2012 to surpass Gerd Müller’s record. He set the Barcelona club record for career goals that year; he scored five in a Champions League match (a record) against Bayer Leverkusen; he scored a particularly obnoxious hat trick against Brazil forgoals 49, 50, and 51.
Longest Unbeaten Run
Liverpool is attempting to match Arsenal’s Unbeatens of 2003-04, who rattled off 49 consecutive unbeaten games, including all 38 games of the Premier League season in 2003-04. The run actually spanned three seasons — the last two games of the 2002-03 season through the first 10 games of the 2004-2005 season.
The real crown belongs to Steaua Bucharest. In the 80s the Romanian club terrorized Divizia A with five unbeaten seasons in a row for a 104 game unbeaten streak. Yes, you read that right, one-hundred-and-four. If each game was exactly 90 minutes, Steaua Bucharest went six and a half full days of football unbeaten.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi has won the award a record seven times, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five. Three players have won the award three times each: Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten. With seven awards each, Dutch, German, Argentine, Portuguese and French players have won the most Ballons d'Or.
David Moyes has some big boots to fill.
Everton: Most Seasons in the Top Flight
4 OF 5
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.
Josef Bican: Greatest Goalscorer Ever
5 OF 5
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.
Most Expensive Player Transfer
Neymar's €222 million transfer fee from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 tops this list, which we predict will grow and grow and grow as television money goes even more bonkers and revenues continue to climb for the big clubs. For example, Manchester United just made £500 million in profit in a year for the first time in club history, and they aren’t even remotely, like, good at playing soccer.
Bale makes roughly €36.8 million per season in wages, which is about a million euros per goal scored. Keep getting them checks if they’ll give them to you, Neymar.
Most Goals In A Calendar Year
Obviously, this one belongs to Lionel Messi, who scored 91 mostly ridiculous goals in 2012 to surpass Gerd Müller’s record. He set the Barcelona club record for career goals that year; he scored five in a Champions League match (a record) against Bayer Leverkusen; he scored a particularly obnoxious hat trick against Brazil forgoals 49, 50, and 51.
Longest Unbeaten Run
Liverpool is attempting to match Arsenal’s Unbeatens of 2003-04, who rattled off 49 consecutive unbeaten games, including all 38 games of the Premier League season in 2003-04. The run actually spanned three seasons — the last two games of the 2002-03 season through the first 10 games of the 2004-2005 season.
The real crown belongs to Steaua Bucharest. In the 80s the Romanian club terrorized Divizia A with five unbeaten seasons in a row for a 104 game unbeaten streak. Yes, you read that right, one-hundred-and-four. If each game was exactly 90 minutes, Steaua Bucharest went six and a half full days of football unbeaten.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi has won the award a record seven times, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five. Three players have won the award three times each: Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten. With seven awards each, Dutch, German, Argentine, Portuguese and French players have won the most Ballons d'Or.
