Soccer is a discipline that spans hundreds of years, and has taken different forms throughout its history. Albeit the commonly known version of the sport first named “association football” is yet to turn 160 years old, its impact in our society is ubiquitous, taking over the planet and amassing the passion of over 265 million men and women who play the sport, according to FIFA.
When mentioning soccer, some of the greatest-ever players to grace the pitch immediately come to mind: Pelé, Sun Wen, Lionel Messi, Michelle Akers, Johan Cruyff and Birgit Prinz flood our minds with some of the best sporting moments most of us have ever seen. Without forgetting the emotions these players made and continue to make us feel, their achievements will also be inevitably written through cold, hard statistics.
But, not even the all-time greats have their names written on every page of the record books. Coming up, a list of soccer’s top 25 most challenging active records to break, spanning several decades, continents and confederations. Some of the following could be reestablished in our lifetime, but whether that happens or not is meaningless.
*Statistics compiled from the official Guinness Book of World Records website.
25. Highest margin of victory in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer was founded in 1993 and has seen its fair share of historical players, such as David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo. It has also seen plenty of memorable achievements, such as most MLS Cups won (Los Angeles Galaxy) and most MLS goals scored in history (Chris Wondolowski, 171). But there is one record that is unlikely to be broken, and that is the highest margin of victory in MLS history: seven goals, achieved by LA Galaxy (Beating FC Dallas 8-1 in 1998), by Chicago Fire (Beating Kansas City 7-0 in 2001) and by New York Red Bulls (Beating NYCFC 7-0 in 2016). A seven goal margin win has been done, but will an eight goal margin win ever happen?
24. Largest soccer stadium
We’ve all heard the stories of Maracaná during the 1950 FIFA World Cup Final, where attendance is rumored to have been around 220,000 people. We have all seen the pictures of regional rivalries around the world where fans climb on top of trees or buildings to watch games. But, the largest soccer stadium in the world is currently the Rungnado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, which sits 150,000. This is difficult to reach since most modern-day stadiums are built smaller, with fan amenities sitting higher than capacity atop the requirements needed.
23. Youngest debut goalscorer in the National Women’s Soccer League
Not to be confused with the youngest-ever goalscorer in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), who is Ellie Carpenter (18 years and 21 days), Trinity Rodman holds the record for the youngest goalscorer to score on her NWSL debut. Rodman is famous former basketball player Dennis Rodman’s daughter, but her talent speaks for itself, choosing to go professional straight out of high school instead of taking the usual college route. Rodman, a prolific striker for the Washington Spirit, scored on April 10, 2021 in the NWSL Challenge Cup.
22. Oldest international soccer player
A Concacaf FIFA World Cup Qualifier between the US Virgin Islands (USVI) and Saint Kitts and Nevis in 2004 would probably rank high in the places where you’d least expect a historic soccer moment to occur, but that is exactly what happened when MacDonald Taylor Sr took the pitch for the USVI aged 46 years and 217 days. Taylor Sr played for one of the lowest-ranked teams in the FIFA Men’s Ranking, but still managed to write himself into soccer lore.
21. Longest soccer goalless streak
The seemingly endless pub debate of the worst team in soccer history might never be truly decided, but what can be decided is the longest goalless streak ever in the sport. The unfortunate record, which is unlikely to be reached again, belongs to Russian outfit FC Tom Tomsk. The Siberian team competes in the Russian Premier League, and amassed a 1,115 minutes without scoring between July 23 to November 20, 2011. Currently playing in the Russian second division, that drought is the equivalent of not finding the back of the net in over 12 consecutive matches.
20. Most soccer appearances for the same club
One-club players are difficult to find nowadays, with Francesco Totti being one of the latest greats to only don the jersey of a single soccer outfit. Totti played 25 years for AS Roma, a time during which he managed to reach slightly under 800 matches for La Loba. As impressive as that is, former Brazilian goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni managed to beat that record by playing 1,197 games for Sao Paulo between 1993 and 2015, also establishing the record of most wins for a single soccer club, with 606.
19. Most starts for a Premier League soccer player
Premier League and greatness are synonyms. Historic players such as David Beckham, Didier Drogba, Tony Adams, Alan Shearer and many more are remembered as some of the most talented and successful to ever grace an English pitch. And even though they might even be some of world soccer’s greatest, they don’t hold the record for most starts for a Premier League soccer player, which belongs to Gareth Barry. Having played for Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton, and finishing his career with West Brom, Barry managed an impressive 604 starts between 1998 and 2017.
18. Most Africa Cup of Nations wins
The most recent Africa Cup of Nations was taken home by Senegal, who beat Egypt in the final via a penalty shootout. But before the times of Sadio Mané, Edouard Mendy and Mohamed Salah, there were the times of Mohamed Zidan and Mohamed Aboutrika, amongst many other Pharaoh greats. That is why Egypt is the all-time leader in Africa Cup of Nation wins, with seven trophies, the last of which was obtained in 2010. Cameroon follows in the list with five titles, but with Salah among their ranks for at least two more tournaments, it seems hard to imagine another team catching up to Egypt.
17. Closest final table in a professional soccer league
A close league finish between the top teams in their respective competitions isn’t unknown or unheard of but the 1965-66 Moroccan Championship established a mind-boggling record. First place Wydad Athletic Club won the league and only eight points separated them for the bottom of the table Maghreb Athletic Tetouan, which finished 14th. Even though the points system in Morocco back then would mean a win equals three points, a draw two and a defeat one, it’s astonishing to think how close a league ended between its best and worst teams.
16. Most professional soccer teams played for by an individual
There are other globetrotters that aren’t from Harlem, and they aren’t necessarily basketball players. There are footballers who, for one reason or another, manage to find themselves a new club faster than one changes a pair of socks. The total opposite of a one-club legend, there is one individual that has played for the most professional soccer teams in history: Sebastián Abreu.
The Uruguayan striker, mostly remembered from his Panenka style penalty in the 2010 FIFA World Cup against Ghana in the quarterfinals, has played for a record-setting 32 teams in his career. Abreu has plied his trade in countries like Mexico, Chile, Jerusalem and Brazil.
15. Fastest hat-trick in a Bundesliga soccer match
There is hardly a better description for “impact substitution” than Robert Lewandowski’s performance against Wolfsburg in 2015. The Polish striker was brought onto the pitch with Bayern Munchen trailing 1-0, and remedied the situation immediately, scoring three times in the first 3 minutes and 22 seconds, a current world record. Lewandowski then scored two more goals in the match, to grant Bayern a memorable 5-1 win.
14. Oldest player in a FIFA World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo playing in this year’s FIFA World Cup will already be an astonishing feat, as the 37-year old is still in prime physical shape, but imagine how the world would react if he partook in the 2026 tournament. Well, no need to imagine when it comes to Essam El Hadary, the Egyptian goalkeeper that played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup at 45 years and 161 days old.
El Hadary’s world record is difficult to be reached again, and since he also holds the record for being the oldest player at an Africa Cup of Nations finals tournament, we can safely say the Egyptian shot-stopper is a living legend.
13. Most international football (soccer) matches managed by a coach
Bora Milutinovic is no longer an active manager but his legacy is far-reaching, managing a record-setting 287 international games between 1983 and 2009, a span that included eight national sides and five FIFA World Cups. Milutinovic has taken charge of Mexico, Costa Rica, the United States, Nigeria, China, Honduras and Jamaica.
12. Longest soccer unbeaten Premier League run
Arsenal might not be challenging for the Premier League title nowadays, but things were different at the turn of the century. Between May 7, 2003 and October 16, 2004, the Gunners amassed an impressive 49 games unbeaten. The team made up by legends such as Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira went on to lift the 2003/04 Premier League title.
11. Most international soccer caps by an individual
Reaching a country’s national team is a feat in and of itself, but doing so at only 16 years of age is truly remarkable. That’s what Kristine Lilly did in 1987, and what started a historic national team career with the United States that finished with a record-setting 352 international matches. Lilly scored 130 goals with the Stars and Stripes and won two FIFA World Cups.
10. Youngest winner of the FIFA World Cup
Pelé is unanimously recognized as one of the best soccer players of all times, having a brilliant career and winning three FIFA World Cups. However, the first one might be the most special since it set the record for the youngest-ever tournament winner. When Brazil beat Sweden 5-2 on June 29, 1958, Pelé was only 17 years and 249 days old, scoring a double en route to winning Seleçao’s first-ever world title.
9. Greatest position increase for a Premier League soccer team in consecutive seasons
It started with the Great Escape and ended with one of the most unbelievable and incredible tales in the history of soccer. When Leicester City won the 2015/16 Premier League, they didn’t only raise one of soccer’s most coveted titles, they established the world record for the greatest position change for a Premier League team in consecutive seasons. How did this happen?
The Foxes finished the 2014/15 season 14th, barely escaping relegation in a team that featured Esteban Cambiasso’s last-ever season as a professional soccer player. Then, a squad with the likes of N’Golo Kanté, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez pulled off an incredible upset and one of the most memorable fairy tales in recent sporting history, winning the title with Claudio Ranieri as manager.
8. Most league points scored by a soccer team in a European top division
It’s hard to imagine a better league season in a European top division than when Manchester City edged Liverpool to the 2017/18 Premier League title by scoring an impressive 100 points, but Celtic had already done so a year before the Cityzens.
The Bhoys won the 2016/17 Scottish Premier League with 106 points, after winning 34 games and tying only four. Celtic’s incredible domestic dominance was highlighted by the fact that they finished 30 points ahead of second-placed Aberdeen.
7. Most goals in a single FIFA World Cup
There are plenty of high-level soccer players gracing the pitch during FIFA World Cups, but not even goalscorers like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ronaldo and Miroslav Klose before them even came close to Just Fontaine’s 1958 tournament.
The French striker scored a whopping and record-setting 13 goals in Sweden: Three against Paraguay, two against Yugoslavia, one against Scotland, two against Northern Ireland, one against Brazil and four against West Germany. Players that have come close to reaching Fontaine’s record are Sandor Kocsis with 11 (1954), Gerd Muller with 10 (1970), and Eusébio with 9 (1966).
However, there is another legendary player that holds the world record for most goals scored in FIFA World Cup finals: Brazil’s Marta, with 17, which she added to her personal tally from 2003 to 2019, in spite of never winning soccer’s top prize.
6. Largest attendance at a FIFA World Cup match
As mentioned previously, soccer stadiums being remodeled or built from scratch are usually designed with fan comfort in mind, not so much with high capacity as a prime objective, but it wasn’t always like this. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest-ever attendance at a FIFA World Cup match was the 1950 final between Brazil and Uruguay at the Maracaná. The official attendance was 173,850, but there have always been rumored numbers of around 220,000 people inside the stadium.
Just to have a modern comparison, the Lusail Iconic Stadium that will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup final has a capacity of only 80,000, almost 100,000 less than the attendance registered in 1950.
5. Most goals scored by a soccer goalkeeper
We’ve already visited Rogerio Ceni’s legacy at Sao Paulo, where he played nearly 1,200 games, but the former Brazilian goalkeeper makes his way back on our list with the record of most goals scored by a goalkeeper (129), most free kick goals by a goalkeeper (59) and most penalty kick goals by a goalkeeper (69). The aforementioned statistics are already impressive for an outfield player, which only highlights how difficult it will be for anyone to ever reach Ceni’s goal tally.
4. Most regular season goals scored by a player in the National Women’s Soccer League
The National Women’s Soccer League has grown to be one of the world’s best leagues, featuring many of the world’s greatest players. Christine Sinclair, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and many more have graced the pitch of the NWSL, but there is one player that stands atop all of them: Samantha Kerr. The Australian striker, who nowadays plays for Chelsea, holds the world record for most regular season NWSL goals (77) and most goals scored in a single NWSL season (18). Although Lynn Williams (57 goals) is relatively close to Kerr’s tally, the Kansas City Current striker is out for the season and will take a while to get back to her top form.
3. Oldest player in a FIFA Women’s World Cup
We already reviewed Marta’s impressive career with Brazil, but there is another legend whose records are truly mind-boggling: Formiga. The current Sao Paulo midfielder holds the record for being the oldest player to feature at a FIFA Women’s World Cup (2019) with 41 years and 112 days and the record for being the oldest goalscorer at a FIFA Women’s World Cup (2015) with 37 years. However, there is another Formiga accolade that will likely never be reached or even approached: the most appearances in a FIFA Women’s World Cup, with a total of seven different tournament appearances. Formiga’s first World Cup was back in 1995 and her most recent was in 2019.
2. Most goals by an individual in a FIFA Women's World Cup match
Continuing on the FIFA Women’s World Cup record tour, there are two United States players that are responsible for scoring the most goals by an individual in a single FIFA Women’s World Cup match: Michelle Akers and Alex Morgan, with five. Akers scored hers against Chinese Taipei in the 1991 tournament, while Morgan did so against Thailand in 2019.
1. Most decades playing professional soccer
We’ve already reviewed Formiga’s impressive seven FIFA Women’s World Cups, but there is a player that has spent the most decades playing professional soccer. Kazuyoshi Miura, the Japanese sensation, first played for Santos FC in Brazil in 1986 and continues to play professionally nowadays for Suzuka Point Getters. Five decades in such a demanding sport both physically and mentally is likely to never be seen again.
