Football Fun Facts

 Football, also known as soccer, is a sport that is loved by millions of people all around the world. Whether you are a die-hard fan, or just enjoy playing it with friends, there’s no denying that football is an explosive  and strong game. With so much history and culture behind it, there are many of interesting and fun facts to be learner about this much loved sport.

 Here are 25 of the most interesting facts about football:

1.Football has been played for over 2,000 years. It was first played in ancient Greece and Rome.

2.The modern-day game of football was first codified in England in the mid-19th century.

3.The first international football match was played between Scotland and England in 1872.

4.The first World Cup was held in 1930 and was won by Uruguay.

5.The FIFA World Cup is held every four years and is the most watched sporting event in the world.

6.The largest attendance for a football match was recorded in 1950, when 199,854 people watched Brazil and Uruguay play.

7.The fastest goal in a football match was scored by Hakan Sukur of Turkey, who found the back of the net just 11 seconds into a match.

8.The most goals scored in a single match by a player is 10, a record set by Lionel Messi in 2012.

9.The oldest football club in the world is Sheffield FC, which was founded in England in 1857.

10.The first professional football player was James Prinsep, who played for Dartford in England in the late 19th century.

11.The highest transfer fee ever paid for a footballer is 222 million euros, which was paid by Paris Saint-Germain for Neymar in 2017.

12.The first African nation to win the World Cup was Cameroon in 1990.

13.The first women’s World Cup was held in 1991 and was won by the United States.

14.The first African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals was Cameroon in 1990.

15.The first South American team to win the World Cup outside of South America was Brazil in 1958 in Sweden.

16.The most goals scored by a team in a single World Cup match is 10, which was achieved by Hungary against El Salvador in 1982.

17.The most goals scored by a team in a single World Cup tournament is 27, a record set by Hungary in 1954.

18.The most goals scored by a player in a single World Cup tournament is 13, a record set by Just Fontaine of France in 1958.

19.The youngest player to ever play in a World Cup match was Norman Whiteside of Northern Ireland, who was just 17 years old in 1982.

20.The oldest player to ever play in a World Cup match is Roger Milla of Cameroon, who was 42 years old in 1994.

21.The first World Cup hat-trick was scored by Guillermo Stabile of Argentina in 1930.

22.The first red card in a World Cup match was shown to Peruvian player Alberto Terry in 1930.

23.The first yellow card in a World Cup match was shown to Argentine player Ricardo Infante in 1970.

24.The first own goal in a World Cup match was scored by Mexico's Mario Perez in 1930.

25.The most World Cups  won by a team is 5, a record held by Brazil.

These fun facts about football show just how rich and diverse the sport is. From its