7 World Soccer Records That Will Be Near Impossible to Break
Records are made to be broken, or so the old saying goes anyway. While that often rings true, there are occasional feats of brilliance that set benchmarks so high, it becomes near impossible to better them.
Here, we take a look at seven footballing records, that despite the efforts of many of the world's best, will prove near impossible to overhaul in the years to come.
Fastest Premier League Goal
Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur) - 9.9 seconds
Image by Toby Cudworth
Our first look at history takes us back to December 2000, when Tottenham Hotspur defender Ledley King notched the fastest goal in Premier League history.
Picking up a stray ball in the Bradford City half following kick off, the England international waltzed towards the edge of the penalty area, before rifling a deflected effort past Matt Clarke in the Bantams goal.
The goal was clocked at just 9.9 seconds, with efforts from Alan Shearer and Christian Eriksen the nearest challengers to a record that has now lasted over 17 years.
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Record Attendance
Brazil vs Uruguay (1950 World Cup Final) 173,850
Image by Toby Cudworth
The conclusion of the most unique World Cup in history took place at the iconic Maracanã Stadium, as hosts Brazil hosted Uruguay in the deciding match of the 1950 tournament.
Support throughout the tournament for Brazil had been nothing short of phenomenal, with the favorites playing in front of huge partisan crowds. Their showdown against Uruguay in the final group game would ultimately decide the destiny of the Jules Rimet trophy, with the home side coming into the game in imperious form.
A staggering 173,850 spectators crammed in to witness the Samba kings coronation, though Uruguay's Alcides Ghiggia clearly didn't receive the memo, as he scored the goal to complete a stunning comeback for La Celeste in front of the largest crowd ever seen.
Longest Unbeaten Run
Steaua Bucharest (1986-89) 104 games
Image by Toby Cudworth
We've seen some fairly impressive unbeaten runs over the years, ranging from AC Milan's unbeaten run of 58 games between 1991 and 1993, to Arsenal's Invincibles in the 2003/04 Premier League season.
Astoundingly, their impressive periods of sustained form pale into insignificance against the all conquering Steaua Bucharest side of the late 1980's. The Romanian heavyweights marked their territory on both the domestic and European scene, winning countless titles in an era of relentless dominance.
In total, they went unbeaten in 104 games in Romania's Liga 1, with Steaua failing to taste defeat between June 1986 and September 1989 en route to scooping up a quadruple of league crowns.
Record Number of Goals in a Single Season
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 73 goals
LLUIS GENE/GettyImages
Quite possibly the greatest footballer to ever walk the planet, Argentina's Lionel Messi at times seems like he's in a world of his own.
There are no adequate superlatives to describe Messi's unbelievable ability, with any attempt likely to undermine his unwavering talent. In order to grasp just how good he is, you only need to look towards a swathe of impressive statistics.
More specifically in the context of this list, we refer to his outstanding season back in 2011/12. Making 60 appearances over the course of the season, Barcelona's talisman notched an incredible 73 goals, easily surpassing a ratio of better than one goal per game.
Such greatness has never been seen before, and may never be replicated again.
Record Aggregate Win
Benfica vs Stade Dudelange (1965-66) 18-0
Image by Toby Cudworth
European competition can occasionally pit together some significant forces against aspiring minnows, as qualification for the showpiece events of the year get underway.
These clashes don't often go the way of the underdog, though none have been as one sided as Portuguese giants Benfica's clash against Luxembourg's Stade Dudelange during the 1965/66 season.
Contested over two legs, Benfica showed a ruthless side never seen before, easing to 10-0 and 8-0 wins to wrap up a thoroughly comprehensive 18-0 aggregate win. Such a margin has not been since, and is unlikely to be seen again in the modern game.
Record Points Haul While Suffering Relegation From the Premier League
West Ham United (2002/03) 42 points
Ross Kinnaird/GettyImages
The Premier League has seen some epic relegation tussles over the years, with this season's scrap at the bottom of the table shaping up to be another titanic slug fest.
One of the most memorable battles culminated in a final day showdown between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United. Both teams headed into the final day's fixtures locked on 41 points; a record haul for any side facing the prospect of relegation.
Bolton would see off Middlesbrough at the Reebok Stadium, meaning the Hammers 2-2 draw at Birmingham would consign them to the Championship, toppling them out of the top flight with an astonishing 42 points.
Shortest Number of Games to Reach 300 La Liga Goals
Cristiano Ronaldo (2009-2018) 286 games
Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/GettyImages
Having seen his great adversary already feature on this list, it seems fitting that the last word goes to the mercurial Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese superstar is widely regarded as a true legend of the game, with his scoring prowess in Spain's La Liga truly staggering. His arrival at Real Madrid in 2009 from Manchester United not only got tongues wagging, but set in motion one of the greatest club careers ever seen.
In just nine seasons, Ronaldo has stormed past the 300 league goals barrier - doing so in just 286 games. Surely another record that will stand the test of time.
