Fans have named football facts that sound extremely fake but are actually true.The discussion was started by Twitter user @ChaaliiyKay and has attracted thousands of comments.You can view some of the best answers below. All facts have been verified to make sure they are true.Philip Lahm didn't concede a foul in the Bundesliga for 13 monthsBetween September 2014 and October 2015, Philipp Lahm wasn't penalised for a foul once.Lahm also never received a red card as a professional footballer. Remarkable for a defender who played over 750 times in his career.Theo Walcott has more Champions League goals than many legendary playersWalcott scored 15 Champions League goals during his time at Arsenal.That's more than Ronaldo Nazario (14), Zinedine Zidane (14), Michael Owen (14), David Villa (14) and Carlos Tevez (13).Jose Mourinho went nine years without losing a home game in the leagueMourinho's incredible record started with Porto in March 16, 2002.His unbeaten streak at home in the league lasted for 151 games until his Real Madrid side were beaten 1-0 by Sporting Gijon.Swindon Town is the only league football club in England or Scotland that doesn't contain any letters that appear in the word mackerel This is probably the best random fact we've ever heard.Dundee United have beaten Barcelona in all four of their competitive gamesThe two sides met twice in 1966, with Dundee United winning those games 2-1 and 2-0.They met twice again 21 years later, with the Scottish outfit winning 1-0 and 2-1.Gary Lineker never received a yellow or red card during his careerLineker was never given a card by a referee in the 647 games he played as a professional footballer. The Englishman was given the FIFA Fair Play Trophy in 1990 for that achievement.Mario Balotelli’s only Premier League assist was for Sergio Aguero’s title-winning goal vs QPRIf you are only going to get one assist in the Premier League, make sure it comes for the most dramatic goal in its history. Well played, Mario.

Just eight managers have won the Champions League after doing so as a player, with Sonia Bompastor the most recent – and the only woman – to achieve the feat.She led Lyon to victory in the women's tournament last year, beating Barcelona 3-1 in a thrilling Champions League Final.Who are the remaining seven? GiveMeSport runs through every manager to win the Champions League after achieving European glory as a player.

Kaka welcomed Lionel Messi to the exclusive ‘Triple Crown’ club after the legendary forward won the World Cup with Argentina.Messi, playing in what is presumed to have been the final World Cup of his illustrious career, inspired Argentina to glory in Qatar with a series of breathtaking performances throughout the tournament.This was the crowning moment of Messi’s career. It’s the achievement which, for many, puts him firmly alongside the late Pele and Diego Maradona on the pantheon of all-time greats.

Marco Materazzi has confirmed what he said to Zinedine Zidane that sparked one of the most shocking incidents in World Cup history.During extra-time in the 2006 World Cup final, Zidane sensationally headbutted Materazzi in his last appearance in professional football.The France captain, who had enjoyed a magnificent tournament and almost single-handedly dragged his team through the knockout stages, was sent off in the 110th minute after losing his temper with the Italian defender.Because it was an off-the-ball incident, almost nobody spotted what had just occurred - including referee Horacio Elizondo."At one moment I saw Materazzi lying on the floor, about thirty or forty metres away, and so I stopped the game,” the Argentina match official said, per AS, in 2018. “Swiftly, through our intercoms, I asked my assistants what happened. Surprisingly, both of them replied to me, 'we saw absolutely nothing’.”However, Elizondo’s fourth official Luis Medina Cantelejo had seen what had just unfolded - and his account led to Zidane’s dismissal. Remember, the summer of 2006 was long before the days of VAR."Dreadful, Zidane's headbutt on Materazzi was dreadful... F***! Zidane headbutted Materazzi. When you see the video you will not believe me,” Cantelejo responded.Millions of football fans around the world found themselves in the same boat when the replays were shown.

Sports presenter Richard Keys has backed current Roma boss Jose Mourinho to return as Chelsea manager if current head-coach Graham Potter is sacked. Potter has only been in charge of the Blues since September 2022, but has come under intense scrutiny from fans and the media due to his side's poor results and performances in recent weeks. While it's been reported that Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has been impressed with the Englishman behind the scenes, with just one win since the turn of the year, Potter may still be on borrowed time. And with several world-class managers currently jobless, many have been discussing who Potter's potential successor could be.

Karim Benzema is the latest player to win a Ballon d’Or while playing for Real Madrid, but which clubs have the most Ballon d’Or award wins in football history?The prestigious individual accolade, awarded to the best footballer in each calendar year, was established by French news magazine France Football back in 1956.The Ballon d’Or has since been won by many of the greatest players in football history, including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Johan Cruyff, Ronaldo Nazario and Zinedine Zidane.

Paul Scholes has been named in many footballers’ dream XIs over the years, but which players would get into his Ultimate XI?The Manchester United legend is widely regarded as one of the most gifted English footballers of all time.Winner of 11 Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups and two Champions Leagues, Scholes is also one of the most decorated footballers of his generation.

Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher have named the top three footballers of all time - and both included Zinedine Zidane.Keane was the guest on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football and was asked to name his top three pundits, films, music artists/bands and so on.It provided viewers with more of an insight into Keane the man, rather than Keane the TV personality.One of the questions posed to both Keane and Carragher was who are the greatest three footballers of all time?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrated his 41st birthday on Monday.Most footballers that reach his age have already spent the past few years either in a dugout, studio or beach somewhere.But as Zlatan himself is always quick to remind the world: he’s far from your average footballer.Earlier this year the legendary Swedish forward said that he wanted to continue playing football until “someone better” than him comes along."I want to play as long as I can," Ibrahimovic told UEFA.com, per ESPN. "The reality is I'll play until I see that someone is better than me, so I'm still playing. The future is yet to be written."REGGIO NELL'EMILIA, ITALY - MAY 22: Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC Milan celebrates with a cigar after their side finished the season as Serie A champions during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo and AC Milan at Mapei Stadium - Citta' del Tricolore on May 22, 2022 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Chris Ricco/Getty Images)Zlatan went on to win the Serie A title with AC Milan before signing a one-year contract extension in the summer - despite the fact he was recovering from a serious knee injury.The veteran striker is yet to appear this season but is expected to return to action in the New Year.As it’s Ibra’s birthday, let’s cast our minds back to when he named his dream five-a-side team in 2015."I need no defenders, only attackers," Zlatan told UEFA, suggesting that every one would have to take turns in goal.

When it comes to the world of football, there are few bigger names than that of Zinedine Zidane.The French superstar made the game look obscenely easy and is responsible for some of the most memorable performances in history.Be it in the colours of Real Madrid, Juventus or France, the mercurial Zidane was capable of making the magnificent look mundane and turning any game on its head with a flick of his boot.He cruised to the Ballon d'Or title in 1998 thanks to his crucial role in France's triumphant World Cup campaign that year.Further major trophies would follow as Les Bleus went on to win the European Championships in 2000, again with an inspired Zidane leading the charge.In club football, he won the Champions League and was a domestic champion in both La Liga and Serie A. Zidane made a staggering 633 appearances in total for his various clubs, bagging 122 goals and 130 assists.FRANKFURT, GERMANY - JULY 01: Zinedine Zidane #10 (C) of France is surrounded by Brazilian players during the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Quarter-final match between Brazil and France at the Stadium Frankfurt on July 1, 2006 in Frankfurt, Germany. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)In short, the man was in a class of his own.However, there were times, although very rare, when Zidane's palpable magic would malfunction.His infamous World Cup final head butt will live long in the memory of football fans as one of the greatest brain fades the game has ever seen.Now, thanks to footage doing the rounds on Twitter, we can revel in yet another moment that Zidane proved he was just as human as the rest of us as he completely stacked it while celebrating a goal.As he wheeled away from the net in joy, Zidane attempted to hurdle the advertising hoarding but simply didn't get the height required with his jump.

Twitter user @RandomFtblFacts has been asking fans to send them random football facts and have been reposting the best ones to their account.Facts about the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Eric Cantona have all featured.We've named some of the best random football facts that have been posted so far below...Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played professional football in 4 different decades - @TheVirgilEraZlatan made his debut for in the 1990s with Malmo FF. Now 40, he is still going strong at AC Milan.Jamie Vardy joined the Premier League at age 27 but still has more Premier League goals than Cristiano Ronaldo, Cantona and Mo Salah - @PrimeEbimbeThat's a testament to how good Jamie Vardy is. His 133 goals is more than Ronaldo (102), Salah (120) and Cantona (70).Philipp Lahm went 13 months without committing a foul - @utvnoahLahm was a defender but didn't commit a foul for just over a year. Ridiculous.LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Philipp Lahm of Bayern Muenchen celebrates victory after the UEFA Champions League final match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Muenchen at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2013 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)Eidur Gudjohnsen made his debut for Iceland as a sub vs Estonia in 1996, the person he replaced was his father, Arnor. - @avfcIewisA day that the Gudjohnsen family will never forget.Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for six clubs that have won the UCL but he has never won one himself. - @derrygomes67Another crazy Zlatan stat. Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and Manchester United have all won at least one Champions League, but not when Zlatan played for them.Olivier Giroud’s scorpion kick for Arsenal won the FIFA Puskas Award but not Premier League goal of the month. - @ChrisHorton94Giroud's unreal scorpion kick against Crystal Palace in January 2017 won the Puskas Award in 2017. Andy Carroll's scissor kick for West Ham won the Premier League Goal of the Month.

Michael Owen was a fantastic footballer in his pomp.While the Englishman's punditry in the present day is often questionable, it must not be forgotten just how good of a player he was.In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Owen was one of the most feared strikers in world football.As a youngster at Liverpool, he had defenders quivering in fear with his pace and clinical finishing.Owen scored 157 goals in 296 games for the Reds and even scooped the coveted Ballon d'Or award in 2001 while on the team's payroll.The 42-year-old also thrived on the international stage, bagging 40 goals in 89 appearances for England - including a memorable hat-trick against Germany in a World Cup qualifier.Yeah, Owen's playing career was pretty darn good, especially when you remember he enjoyed a successful year at Real Madrid too.MADRID, SPAIN - OCTOBER 23: Michael Owen of Real Madrid celebrates his goal during the La Liga match between Real Madrid v Valencia at the Bernabau stadium on October 23, 2004 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)When you have the honour of representing Los Blancos, England, Liverpool and Manchester United, you're going to be able to name a stellar XI made up of former teammates.And that's exactly what Owen did back in 2017.He was asked to name the best XI of footballers he's played alongside during a feed show with Steve Bower.Owen also named the greatest XI of players he played against.Needless to say, both teams are god-tier level...

‘Goooooooalaccio!’If this immediately brings back memories of lazy weekend mornings watching Italian football on Channel 4 then you’ve come to the right place.If that doesn’t ring any bells but ‘GOAL LAZIO!’ does, then you’re also in the right place - although today is the day you realise you’ve been getting the line wrong all these years. Fear not, it’s a common mistake we’ve all made!For those of you still left scratching your heads, we’re referring to Football Italia - a much-loved 90s show dedicated to showing Italian football when Serie A was home to most of the world’s best players.The programme was hosted by the legendary James Richardson who, sat outside a cafe with a delicious looking dessert, would go through various Italian newspapers and discuss the week’s biggest talking points.

Aurelien Tchouameni has completed his move from AS Monaco to Real Madrid.The Spanish club officially announced the deal on Saturday afternoon, the talented midfielder signing a six-year contract with the Champions League holders.According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Tchouameni will cost Real Madrid €100 million in total, €80 million plus €20 million in add-ons.

Scoring goals looks rather straightforward, but it's actually the hardest job to do on a football pitch.If it were easy, top strikers wouldn't be so jaw-droppingly invaluable and command such insane transfer fees.That means when a good goal is scored, we all know about it. And the best goals are hung up in football's collective mental museum. What constitutes a 'good goal' changes for everyone, though. The strikers among us will appreciate the scruffy, poacher's tap-in and the work that goes with that, while others will prefer those speculative efforts that turn into unforgettable, long range net rippers. And that's without even mentioning volleys, set pieces, bicycle kicks, mazy runs from deep - you get the idea.And while we've probably all got our favourites for some reason or another, livefootballtickets.com has been putting together research to find out which goals make up that hall of fame through the public vote.You know a goal is an all-time classic when it bangs on YouTube. Using that idea, livefootballtickets.com has created data to compile a list of the 15 most viewed goals on YouTube, correct as of the time of writing.Seriously, there are some absolutely ferocious goals in here. From forgotten Premier League strikes and peak La Liga wizardry, to goals on the international stage and more, here are the 15 most popular goals on YouTube.

There is a very good reason behind the fact that football is known as the 'beautiful game'.Be it Cristiano Ronaldo terrorising defences, Lionel Messi gliding across the pitch and leaving goalkeepers helpless, or Zinedine Zidane's nonchalant wizardry, when played well, football is just unbeatable.While it may be a team game, the result of any game can often hinge on the performance of an individual who, on their day, has chosen to take a match by the scruff of the neck and haul their teammates to victory.So, with that in mind, we thought we would have a go at ranking some of the greatest individual performances of all time.From Ronaldinho to Michael Owen, Gareth bale to Petr Cech, these individuals truly went above and beyond in the pursuit of glory both for themselves, and their teams. 15. Michael Owen vs Germany – 2001England's Michael Owen-inspired victory over Germany in the early 2000's was one of the most memorable in the nation's modern history.Having fallen behind in a crucial World Cup qualifier, Owen rallied to smash an unforgettable hat trick as England secured a rollicking 5-1 win.

In an age of endless and sometimes needless football boot innovations, sometimes a simple nostalgia pop is all us fans need to be happy.Sock boots this, no laces that, whatever happened to the standard fold over tongue? After all, it was that era of football boots that were worn for some of the game's most iconic goals.Well, adidas have come to their senses and given us exactly what we want and need, announcing a limited re-release of their iconic Predator Mania, in its traditional black, red and white colourway.