6 Incredible Football Stats You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

From Messi scoring 91 goals in a calendar year to Mark Hughes playing two matches for his club and country on the same day, some records and stats will make you question everything about the beautiful game. 

Here are 6 incredible football stats you’ve probably never heard of. 

1. Jose Mourinho Never Lost a Home Game in 9 Years

Jose Mourinho might have won the inaugural Europa UEFA Conference League trophy with Roma in 2022, but many will agree that the current Jose doesn’t look like the Special One anymore. The original Jose who gave us box office moments and whose Chelsea team only conceded 15 goals on their way to clinching the 2004/05 premier league title to set an all-time record. 

Jose Mourinho also set another incredible record in the same decade, going 9 years without losing a single home game while managing Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid. Indeed, he was the Special One. 

2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo Have Scored in Every Minute of a Football Match

Cristiano Ronaldo always gets one over his doubters, even when everybody thinks he’s finished. And that has earned him a place among football’s legendary players. 

From getting nicknamed Mr. Champions League to becoming the male player with the highest international goals, Cristiano has broken records everywhere he’s been. 

One of his most astonishing stats is scoring in every minute of a football match, a record he only shares with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Not even legendary players like Pele and Diego Maradona could achieve this feat. 

3. Rogerio Ceni Scored Over 100 Goals as a Goalkeeper. 131 to Be Precise! 

No! That can’t be real.
But indeed, it is. 

Rogerio Ceni is considered one of the best Brazilian goalkeepers of all time. And that’s not just because of his diligent work between the sticks. He’s also recognized as the most prolific goal-scoring goalkeeper, with 131 goals.

Ceni spent much of his professional career at Sao Paulo, winning 20 major titles in his home country while breaking multiple records along the way. Most of his goals were penalties and free kicks, with only one scored from open play. Now, that’s a better record than many current and past strikers. 

4. Timo Werner Has More Champions League Goals than the Brazilian Ronaldo

Can you believe that? 

This isn’t even a disrespect to Timo Werner. The German striker is a great player, always entertaining the fans with his blistering pace that earned him the “Turbo Timo” nickname from the German media. But even with his searing pace, everybody knows Timo will never match the footballing legacy of the Brazilian Ronaldo.

Surprisingly, Timo Werner has more Champions League goals than the Brazilian icon, having netted 17 times in the European competition for Chelsea and RB Leipzig. Ronaldo Nazario only managed 14 Champions League goals throughout his impressive career. 

As if that isn’t surprising enough, R9 never won the Champions League trophy during his playing days, a feat Timo recently achieved with Chelsea before returning to RB Leipzig. 

5. Mark Hughes Once Played Two Games for Two Different Teams on the Same Day

Oh! No. How’s this even possible?
Many remember Mark Hughes from his time in the Premier League as Stoke City’s head coach. But long before his managerial career, Mark was a brilliant player who featured for the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Blackburn Rovers. 

One of his most outstanding records as a player was featuring in two matches in one day. And that was 1987 when he pulled off what many would call impossible.

As a Welsh player who had just signed for Bayern Munich, Hughes faced a huge dilemma when his country was coming up against Czechoslovakia in a Euro qualifying game with plenty at stake. 

Therefore, Bayern Munich manager Uli Hoeness came up with a master plan that would see Mark play for Wales in the 1 pm kick-off before flying back to Germany to feature for Bayern Munich in an all-important cup game against rivals Borussia Monchengladbach. 

Hughes played the full 90 minutes in the 2-0 defeat to Czechoslovakia before featuring for Bayern Munich as a second-half substitute in the famous win over their arch-rivals. 

6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic Has Played for 6 Champions League Winning Teams, But He’s Never Lifted the Trophy

The Champions League is the most coveted trophy in club football. Unfortunately, not many legendary players can boast of lifting the prestigious trophy.
And that includes a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who, despite being the self-proclaimed ‘god of football,’ can’t seem to summon his powers when it matters the most.

Interestingly, the Swedish international has played for 6 teams that have lifted the trophy with big ears, including Ajax, Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Barcelona, and Manchester United. 

At this point, we can safely assume the Swede will never lay his hand on the prestigious trophy, which is quite a shame considering his remarkable achievements at the club and international level. 

Conclusion

There are incredible stats behind football, yet quite a few people seem to know them. From Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s unlucky experiences in the Champions League to Rogerio Ceni’s record of scoring the highest number of goals as a goalkeeper, these ridiculous stats would make for an excellent debate with your soccer-loving buddies at home.