Interesting Facts About Soccer
Happiness is watching your favorite soccer player scoring a goal. Soccer became the most popular sport in the world due to its unique gameplay, its players’ breathtaking performances, and soccer clubs’ unbreakable records. Soccer is also called football in many countries outside the United States and Australia. 250 million players play soccer in more than 200 countries, which makes it the most popular sport in the world. Read on to uncover interesting facts about soccer including famous soccer players, pitches, balls, shoes, history, popular football clubs, and many more. Also, take our latest enjoyable quiz on ‘surprising facts about soccer’ to test your sports knowledge.
Mind-blowing things you should know about soccer
- Soccer was introduced in Newgate Prison in London by prisoners at the beginning of 1800 as a punishment for stealing.
- A soccer ball contains 32 panels and each panel symbolizes one of the 32 countries in Europe.
- The USSA was known as the first American professional soccer league. They participated from 1919. They received $0.35 every time they scored.
- Wicker baskets were the first-ever soccer nets. The soccer balls were made from (inflated) stomach tissue from executed prisoners.
- Soccer fields are known as pitches. Slope and pitch have the same meaning in soccer.
- Did you know? Earlier, the World Cup was made of paper mache.
- A lightning bolt wiped the entire soccer team during the match in 1998.
- Soccer was banned in Mississippi until 1991.
- Until 1984, professional soccer players were not permitted to participate in the Olympics.
- Women players participated in the Olympics in 1996.
- The origin of soccer is still unclear however the earliest version of soccer can be traced back to 3000 years ago.
- Soccer was introduced when many clubs formed the Football Association around 150 years ago in England.
- In China, the first soccer balls were created with clothing and filled with rubble. In Europe, soccer balls were made of inflated pig bladders in the Middle Ages. At present, footballs are made of layers of synthetic leather, and inside are made with butyl or latex.
- The soccer field is rectangular and between 100 and 130 years long and 50 to 100 yards wide.
- The international soccer game lasts for 90 minutes.
- The oldest professional football club was Sheffield FC. This club was founded in 1857.
- The first English Premier League aka EPL was introduced on February 20, 1992.
- Christiana Ronaldo holds the record of one of the greatest players of his generation.
- Soccer made its debut on television in 1937, telecasting the practice match of Arsenal in England.
- Oleg Salenko from Russia is well known for scoring the most goals in a single World Cup match.
- The United States holds the record for winning the first women’s Soccer World Cup.