A famous proverb reads: “records are made to be broken”, but some records may just be impossible to better. Rush Football, then, take a look at four European football records that may stand the test of time.
Most goals in a single calendar year – Lionel Messi
There is no surprise that Lionel Messi holds the European record for the most goals scored in a single calendar year. The Argentinian scored a phenomenal 91 goals during 2012 for both club and country, beating a record held for 40 years by legendary German striker Gerd Muller, who scored 85 goals in 1972. In recent years, the closest any player has come to beating that incredible record set by Lionel Messi is rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 69 goals during 2013.
Longest unbeaten league run – FC Steaua Bucharest
Between June 1986 and September 1989, Romanian side Steaua Bucharest went on a 104 game unbeaten league run. During this unbeaten period they won three consecutive league titles as well as a European Cup, beating Barcelona 2-0 on penalties in 1986. The second longest unbeaten run in history is held by Gibraltarian side Lincoln Red Imps FC, who managed 88 games unbeaten between 2009 and 2014.
Fastest goal ever scored – Gavin Stokes
It took Gavin Stokes of Maryhill FC in Scotland just 2.1 seconds to put his side 1-0 up against Clydebank. Shooting straight from kick off, Stokes caught the Clydebank goalkeeper off his line, with the ball flying into the top-left corner, setting the record for the quickest ever goal in European football. The previous record was held by Serbian player Vuk Bakic, who scored 2.2 seconds into a Serbian second division game.
Most consecutive wins in a domestic league – S.L. Benfica
Between April 1972 and April 1973, Portugal’s most successful side Benfica won a staggering 29 consecutive league games. The impressive run came to an end away to arch-rivals Porto, with the home side equalising in the 86th minute of the game that finished 2-2. In recent years the closest any team has come to beating Benfica’s record is Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb, who won 28 consecutive games between November 2006 and September 2007.
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