Football is a heartbeat for cities, a reason for weekend gatherings, and the spark for countless childhood dreams.

With billions watching, playing, and following the sport, football is easily the most loved game on the planet. Yet, even the most ardent fans might be unaware of some of its most fascinating stories.

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Let’s delve into 12 surprising facts that might just change the way you view the beautiful game.

#1 Barcelona has always lost to Dundee United

They have come face to face only 4 times and Dundee United have won every time. A 100%-win record against the European giants!

#2 The Most Viewed Sport in the World!

The 2018 World Cup final match between Russia and Croatia had 1.12 billion viewers. The entire tournament had grabbed 3.572 billion viewers worldwide.

#3 The longest match time in football is a whopping 35 hours!

A football match played in Scotland in 2016 lasted 35 hours. This was a charity match played to raise funds for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity.

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#4 31-0 is the largest victory match played in International Cricket

2002 FIFA World Cup qualification match played between Australia and American Samoan is the biggest victory for Australia. Australia’s Archie Thompson scored a record breaking 13 goals!

#5 The Oldest Football Club in the World is Sheffield FC

Founded in October 1857, Sheffield FC is recognised by both FIFA and FA, marking the oldest football club in the world.

#6 Jose Mourinho’s team went uneaten for 9 years on home grounds!

Manager Jose Mourinho’s team never suffered a loss for 9 years in his home grounds! That is a total of 150 matches.

#7 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta recognised Women’s Football

1996 marked the inaugural appearance of women’s football in Olympics. United States hosted the event and the tournament featured 8 national teams. The hosts bagged the gold medal, silver was won by China and bronze by Norway. Brazil ended in the 4th place.

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#8 70% of the Footballs are made in Pakistan

Sialkot in Pakistan is the largest manufacturer of footballs in the world. Roughly 60,000 people work in the industry.

#9 Robert Earnshaw Scored a Hat-Trick in Every League

Throughout history, he is the only player to have scored a hat-trick in the Premier League, the League Cup, FA Cup, all three divisions of the English Football League – Championship, League One, League Two and for his country, Wales at an international level.

#10 The Only Father & Son Duo to Play for a National Football Team in the Same Match

Eidur Gudjohnsen was 17 and his father, Arnor Gudjohnsen was 34 when they played for the Iceland Football Team. Although Eidur came on as a substitute for his father in the second half, they never really played matched together.

#11 The World Cup has been Stolen – Twice!

In 1966, the first theft occurred before the tournament in England and was later recovered by a dog named Pickles! The second theft happened in 1983 in Rio de Janeiro and till date, the trophy has never been recovered!

#12 India Qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup

India had qualified for the world cup in Brazil but the All India Football Federation prioritised Olympics as it was considered to be more prestigious. Other reasons cited were insufficient practice time and disagreements over team selection.

There’s more to football than goals and glory. It’s full of stories that don’t make the headlines but stay with you once you hear them.

Which one surprised you the most? Drop your favourite in the comments or share a fact we might have missed.

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