Association football is the world’s most popular sport. The game attracts over billions of fans every year, and on the field of play is where magic, history, and records are made for eternity. From the dazzling skills to spectacular goals scored to daring saves, and well…, the beauty of the majestic game, there are a few players who managed to immortalize their achievements in the Guinness World Records. Here are ten football players who have either broken or set a new world record — not only on the pitch, but in history.
Related media: 12 Players That Have Guiness World Records
#1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Born: February 5, 1985 in Funchal, Portugal; Nationality: Portuguese 🇵🇹
Position: Forward; Active years: 2002 to date.
Ronaldo holds more Guinness World Records than any other player on Earth and in this list. He holds the most international goals scored than anyone else, most UEFA Champions League goals than anyone else, more Spanish La Liga penalties than anyone else. He’s Penaldo, y’all. His record-breaking achievements is even seen off the pitch. He’s the most liked and followed person on Facebook and Instagram. And even in 2015, he nearly set the record for most selfies taken under just three minutes.
Which records did we miss about Ronaldo?
#2. Leo Messi
Name: Lionel Andrés Messi
Born: June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina; Nationality: Argentine 🇦🇷
Position: Forward; Active years: 2003 to date.
Anything Ronaldo does, Messi can do. But unlike Ronaldo, his records are only on the pitch. Messi holds the record for most goals scored in a calendar year — a staggering 91 goals scored in 2012. He is the most prolific goals scorer, has more assists in La Liga history than anyone else, and has played more games for a single club than anyone else. Undisputedly, he has won more Ballon d’Or’s than anyone else, ever. Do you believe that he can do it again?
Which records did we miss about Messi?
#3. Robert Lewandowski
Name: Robert Lewandowski
Born: August 21, 1988 In Warsaw, Poland; Nationality: Polish 🇵🇱
Position: Striker; Active years: 2009 to date.
This man has records no one can ever break. Of course, in 2015, Lewandowski scored five goals in just nine minutes for FC Bayern München in the German Bundesliga. The most impressive part was that he came on as a substitute. That feat alone smashed four other Guinness World Records, simultaneously. That’s a reckon (pun intended). This made him the best goals scoring performance off the bench in Bundesliga history; the fastest three, four, and five goal hauls in the history of the Bundesliga.
“I do not know if ever a player will succeed in what I achieved,” he told Guinness World Records.
Least we forget, he has the longest uninterrupted scoring streak in the Bundesliga — an 11 game run in 2019. He shares this record with Argentine Gabriel Batistuta and Englishman Jamie Vardy, who did so for Fiorentina and Leicester City, respectively.
Which records did we miss about Lewandowski?
#4. Sadio Mané
Name: Sadio Mané
Born: April 10, 1992 in Banbali, Senegal; Nationality: Senegalese 🇸🇳
Position: Midfielder; Active years: 2011 to date.
On May 16, 2015 — while playing for Southhampton — Mané broke a Guinness World Record previously held by Englishman Robbie Fouler for 21 years. He scored the fastest hat-trick goal in the history of the English Premier League (EPL), within 176 seconds (2 minutes 56 seconds). This secured a 6-1 victory over Aston Villa.
“In Senegal they will be happy for me. I have many fans there,” Mané told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) after that game.
#5. Iker Casillas
Name: Iker Casillas Fernández
Born: May 20, 1981 in Móstoles, Spain; Nationality: Spanish 🇪🇸
Position: Goalkeeper; Active years: 1999 to 2020.
Not every record is set by players on the pitch. Goalkeepers too set records, not for their saves, but for their goals scored. Huh? Speaking of goalies, then Casillas is bar none one of the best. He holds the record for most goals scored from the halfway line — 11 times in 60 seconds during a televised challenge in China back in 2011. Who says keepers can’t score? But for his saves, undoubtedly, he holds the most clean sheets in international football history than anyone else so far.
Which records did we miss about Casillas?
#6. Tim Howard
Name: Timothy Matthew Howard
Born: March 6, 1979 in North Brunswick, New Jersey, United States; Nationality: American 🇺🇸
Position: Goalkeeper; Active years: 1997 to 2019.
More goalkeepers are coming up. In the 2014 FIFA World Cup round of 16 match between the United States and Belgium, American goalkeeper Tim Howard managed to stop the Belgian attack from hitting the net. He made 16 saves on that fateful day. By comparison, the EPL’s top saves in a single game is just 14. This record is shared between the trio of Spanish David De Gea, Dutch Tim Krul, and Italian Vito Mannone.
#7. Ederson
Name: Ederson Santana de Moraes
Born: August 17, 1993 in Osasco, Brazil; Nationality: Brazilian 🇧🇷
Position: Goalkeeper; Active years: 2011 to date.
How far can you kick a drop ball? If you want to set a record, you’d have to beat Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson. In 2018, he managed to launch the ball at the Etihad Campus a whopping 75.35 meters (82.4 yards) away from his poles. Now if that doesn’t sound like a record worthy of breaking, it sounds good on a résumé.
#8. Martín Palermo
Name: Martín Palermo
Born: November 7, 1973 in la Plata, Argentina; Nationality: Argentine 🇦🇷
Position: Striker; Active years: 1992 to 2011.
You’d surely love the last record on your resume, but for this one, you’ll pray not. In 1999, while playing in a Copa America match against Colombia, Palermo unfortunately missed a penalty — not once, nor twice, but three times in that single game. This has ever been the most penalties missed by a single player in a single game. He hit the crossbar twice before his last was saved. What an awful way to set a record. However, he has an impressive record, but more on that later.
#9. Jone Samuelsen
Name: Jone Samuelsen
Born: July 6, 1984 in Stavanger, Norway; Nationality: Norwegian 🇳🇴
Position: Midfielder; Active years: 2005 to date.
These are names you’re not used to hearing in football. And, of course, they do have impressive achievements worth mentioning. Who do you think has scored the longest goal with the head? Back in 2011, Samuelsen scored an unbelievable goal from 58.13 meters (63.57 yards) for his team Odd Grenlin against Tremsa in the Norwegian league. He was literally in his own half, even kicking the ball that far seems like a headache.
“It’s quite something. I’ve done something I’m never going to do again,” he told the BBC.
This record was previously held by Argentine Martin Palermo, achieved this feat at a record distance of 40.23 meters (44 yards). He’s just not lucky enough to hold on to good deeds.
#10. Iñaki Williams
Name: Iñaki Williams Arthuer
Born: June 15, 1994 in Bilbao, Spain; Nationality: Ghanaian 🇬🇭 Spanish 🇪🇸
Position: Forward; Active years: 2012 to date.
Last but not least, how many times can you feature for your team? If you think that’s not worthy of a Guinness World Record, hold that thought. Iñaki Williams holds the record for most consecutive appearances in football history. He played in 203 consecutive games for Athletico Bilbao from April 20, 2016, through October 01, 2021 — that’s nearly five and a half years in a row. Impressive!
What’s even more?
Here are a few players who didn’t make the list, but they’re worth mentioning. Nicklas Bendtner scored the fastest EPL goal as a substitute (right after six seconds). Dele Alli holds the record for most nutmeg under 30 seconds. Wayne Rooney and Tim Cahill have both appeared on FIFA’s cover than anyone else, consecutively. And English goalkeeper David Seaman holds the record for highest save in football history.
Who do you think we missed? Let us know in the comments.
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Written by: Nana Kwadwo, Thu, Dec 30, 2021.