Did You Know This About Football?

How well do you know your football? Can you bet on it? Many fans pride themselves in their knowledge about the beautiful game, but how much do they really know? Do they know the potential winners they could achieve with Betfair’s best offer.

The World Cup Only Has 8 Winners

The World Cup was first held in 1930, which means that the competition is almost 100 years old. But with 21 editions, there are still only 8 winners of the competition. Brazil is the most prolific team in the World Cup, having won it 5 times. Meanwhile, France is the latest winner of the competition (hoisting the trophy in 2018), having won it for the first time 20 years previously.

Football Is Older Than We Think

For many, the origins of football are from 1869 in England. However, some historians have traced the sport all the way back to ancient China. While it might seem surprising, especially when you consider that China has never really been considered as a footballing nation, it seems that some variation of the sport was played as far back as the 400s BC. Known as Cuju at the time, it has also been discovered to have been played in some capacity in the ancient Greek, Roman, and Mayan empires.

Football’s Oldest Player is Kazuyoshi Miura

At 53 years of age, Kazuyoshi Miura is football’s oldest player. The Japanese international is still a player for Yokohama FC. Even more impressive is the fact that Miura is a center forward, which is a position that requires a lot of grit and stamina. Typically, keepers tend to have longer careers due to their position’s reduced demands, so Miura’s achievement is that much more impressive.

Cristiano Ronaldo Has Scored In Every Minute Of Football

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo needs no introduction. He is deemed by many to be the greatest footballer of all time, and while this is a debatable topic, his scoring records sure aren’t. For example, the Portuguese star is the only striker to have scored every minute between the 1st and 90th minute of football.

The Largest Stadium In The World Is In North Korea

When you consider records, North Korea isn’t usually the first nation that comes to mind. However, the totalitarian nation also has the largest football stadium in the world. The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, located in Pyongyang, North Korea, is believed to have the capacity to house 150,000 people. While the veracity of these claims is difficult to determine and some sources claim the stadium can only seat 114,000, this will still make it the largest stadium in the world.

The Highest Attendance At A Football Game Was Almost 200,000

The match between Brazil and Uruguay was a star-studded game, and the attendance was befitting of the spectacle. In the 1950 showpiece, an estimated 199,854 came to see the game held in the Maracana stadium in Brazil.

So, how well did you do? Did you know this about football?