15 Football Facts That Will Surprise You

However, there’s something you might not expect. Today, you'll discover some surprising football facts!
Here we go!
1. Goalkeepers couldn’t touch the ball with their hands
At the beginning of football history, goalkeepers were not allowed to touch the ball with their hands. They could only use their legs until 1863. After that year, the rule changed, allowing goalkeepers to use their hands - but only inside their penalty area.
2. A natural disaster influenced a footballer’s career
In 2010, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption disrupted air travel across Europe. As a result, Robert Lewandowski’s trip to England was canceled, preventing him from joining Blackburn Rovers.
3. Football clubs use virtual money
Some football clubs have started using a crypto payment solution to pay wages and transfer players. The first professional footballer bought with Bitcoin was David Barral, a Spanish player. The deal was fully conducted in Bitcoin and sponsored by Criptan.
4. The first football match broadcast on air
The first-ever live football match broadcast was in 1937. It featured Arsenal playing against their reserve team. This groundbreaking event paved the way for the modern football broadcasts we enjoy today.
5. Barcelona is not always superior
Although FC Barcelona is one of the most successful football clubs in history, it has lost all four of its matches against the Scottish club Dundee United.
6. The phenomenon of Pelé
During his professional career, Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pelé’s real name) scored 1,283 goals. He remains the youngest player to participate in, score in, and win a World Cup final.
7. Football is over 2,300 years old
There is evidence that a game resembling football was played in the Chinese city of Linzi around 2,300 years ago. It was used for military training. Despite this, China currently ranks low in FIFA's world rankings. However, the oldest professional football teams, Liverpool and Newcastle United, were founded in 1892 in the UK.
8. The fastest goal ever scored
Nawaf Shaker Fayrouz Al-Abed set a world record for the fastest goal ever scored, finding the net just 1.7 seconds after kick-off. This event took place in 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
9. Football is the most popular sport
Football has an estimated 4.1 billion fans, making it the most popular sport globally. Additionally, over 250 million people across more than 200 countries play football either professionally or recreationally.
10. Height doesn’t matter in football
Football welcomes players of all heights. The tallest professional footballer is Danish goalkeeper Simon Kristian Bloch Jørgensen, standing at 210 cm. Meanwhile, the shortest is Polish midfielder Marcin Garuch, who is 153 cm tall.
11. The ball has a name
The official FIFA World Cup match ball has been called Telstar since 1970. It has an iconic 32-panel black-and-white design. Now it’s used in multiple international tournaments.
12. Football was played in space
In 2014, astronauts aboard the International Space Station played a game of football to celebrate the FIFA World Cup. The match was a historic moment, showing that football can be played even in zero gravity.
13. Footballs from Pakistan
Pakistan produces over 40 million footballs, many of which are used in international tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup.
14. The fastest football player
Irish forward Shane Long holds the record for the fastest sprint during a football match with a speed of 35 km/h.
15. The stolen World Cup
The FIFA World Cup trophy has been stolen twice - once in 1966 and again in 1983. The first time, it was recovered by a dog named Pickles, who found it wrapped in newspaper in a London garden. The second time, it was stolen in Brazil and has never been recovered.