Football Statistics 2023: Players, Matches, and Teams

Football, otherwise known as soccer in the US, is the most popular competitive game globally and the most prominent sports industry. Even people who haven’t sat through a single match can name at least a few legendary stars.


We have compiled the most fascinating football statistics for 2022. We’ll cover everything from the industry’s market worth to some of the most impressive athletes’ achievements.
Even if you’re a devout football fan, chances are you’ll learn a few things that you never knew before.

Exciting Football Stats (Editor’s Picks)

  • The football market will expand at a CAGR of 3.78% until 2025.
  • The English Premier League accumulated a £5.7 billion revenue in the 2018/19 season.
  • In the 2018/19 season, Manchester United sold approximately 3.25 million shirts.
  • The fastest ever red card was raised two seconds into the match.
  • A foul on Neymar takes place every 20 minutes 39 seconds on average.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 760 goals in his career.
  • The 2002 Adema – l’Emyrne match ended with a score of 149-0.
  • 8.1% of all Premier League goals happen within the first 10 minutes.

Football Data — Industry Size and Revenues

1. The football market will expand at a CAGR of 3.78% by 2025.

(Mordor Intelligence)

While the football industry is vast, its growth is relatively slow compared to up-and-coming sectors, in sports or otherwise, estimate football (soccer) stats.

However, football is a more mature industry, which could explain the steady growth. Additionally, the rise of sports video games has likely impacted the CAGR.

2. In the 2018/19 season, Championship League clubs had a revenue of €785 million.

(Statista)

Of all the leagues in the UK, the Championship has the most considerable revenue by far. Meanwhile, the First and Second League’s revenues were €191 and €91 million, respectively.

The football stats for UK leagues show that revenues have been growing year-over-year. For example, the Championship’s income for the previous two seasons was €720 million and €745 million.

3. In the 2019/20 season, over half of Premier League clubs revenue was earned by broadcasting.

(Deloitte)

The bulk of money that Premier League games make comes primarily from broadcasting. According to the stats, football matches in this league’s 2019/20 season earned £2,340 million that way.

In contrast, matchday revenue for Premier League games was comparatively low — £599 million for the season. Commercial revenue, on the other hand, amounted to £1,563 million.

4. The English Premier League had revenue of £5.7 billion in the 2018/19 season.

(BeSoccer)

English Premier League is the biggest football event in the world, both in popularity and revenue. 

According to recent English football stats, PL’s revenue in 2018/19 was approximately £5.7 billion. To compare, La Liga, the second-biggest football division in the world, had £3.8 billion.

5. The market size for women’s football in 2018/19 was €28.9 billion.

(Statista)

Women’s football is still largely under the shadow of the men’s division. Despite that, it has been enjoying steady growth in recent years.

Women’s football statistics for 2018/19 reveal a market size of €28.9 billion. It might appear humble compared to men’s football, but keep in mind that it was worth only around €13.6 billion in the 2006/07 season.

6. The fantasy sports industry will be worth £35.2 billion by 2027.

(Allied Market Research)

Fantasy sports are a popular pastime for many people. In fact, it’s currently a multi-billion-pound industry. The whole sector is estimated to grow to £35.2 billion by 2027. 

Fantasy football stats show a CAGR of 13.9% in the 2021-2027 period. FF market size in 2027 will only be surpassed by fantasy cricket.

7. In the 2018/19 season, Manchester United sold around 3.25 million shirts.

(Statista)

Manchester United is one of the most popular teams in the world. As such, it’s no wonder that the team sells shirts by the truckload. According to football shirt sales statistics, in 2018/19, about 3.25 million Man Utd merchandise flew off store shelves.

The only club that compares in this respect is Real Madrid. It sold approximately 3.12 million shirts for the same period.

8. The 92 Premier League and Football League clubs brought £6.2 billion in revenue in the 2018/19 season.

(Deloitte)

The 92 clubs in the Football and Premier leagues contributed £6.2 billion in 2018/19 — a record sum. They also paid HMRC £2.3 billion in taxes. That’s significant growth from 2017/18’s £2.1 billion, according to England football stats.

In addition, the big five of the European leagues fared well that season overall. They earned £15 billion, a 9% marked increase compared to the season before. 

However, the aggregate operating profits for the Premier League actually slumped by 5% to £824m. All the same, 2018/19 managed to be the third most lucrative season in the league’s history.

Football Player Statistics

9. The average Premier League player earns £3 million a year.

(PFSA)

The average PL player enjoys an annual salary of £3 million, which amounts to around £60,000 a week.

But that’s not the case with other leagues. The financial football stats show Championship players earn a little above £4,000 a week or about £200,000 annually.

10. Josef Bican scored 805 goals during his career.

(Goal.com)

Josef Bican, the Austrian-Czech striker active in the 1930s, stands as one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time. Even to this day, he boasts some of the most impressive footballer stats, with jaw-dropping 805 goals throughout this career.

What’s more, some of his teammates have suggested he had scored far more goals — somewhere around 5,000. 

11. Pelé had a 0.92 strike rate per game.

(Goal.com)

Pelé is nothing short of a living football legend, as he won the World Cup three times with Brazil.

In terms of strike rate, Pelé also has among the best football stats around. Out of the 831 games, he netted roughly 770 goals, making up a strike rate of 0.92.

12. The fastest red card ever was raised two seconds into the match.

(Sport Bible)

Most red cards are raised well into the second half of the match. But there are always exceptions, and few are as extreme as Lee Todd’s.

Even after over 20 years, the Cross Farm Park Celtic striker remains unchallenged on what may have been the most absurd of all player stats in football. On 31 October 2000, Lee got a red card a mere two seconds into the game.

The card was flashed because Lee cursed as a reaction to the referee blowing the whistle right next to his ear. He was out of the game faster than any other player on record.

13. Gerardo Bedoya got 46 red cards in his football career.

(Sportskeeda)

When it comes to football player stats, Gerardo Bedoya puts any other players to shame in terms of red cards received. To this day, he remains undisputed, and even Ramos fails to come close with his 26 red cards so far.

14. Neymar suffers a foul every 20 minutes 39 seconds on average.

(CIES Football Observatory)

Neymar is like a magnet for rough play. With an average foul time of 20’39”, he firmly leads the world football player rankings in that respect.

Neymar’s foul rate is high for several reasons. Neymar is an outstanding dribbler and a known provocateur on the field. He uses all those aspects to improve his odds of kicking a rival player out whenever possible. 

15. In the 2019/20 season, Alisson Becker had an 80.36% save percentage.

(Sportstar)

Alisson’s success as a goalkeeper is shown above all in the Premier League’s 2019/20 season. According to football player ratings, his save percentage in 2019/20 was over 80%. 

16. Van der Sar’s clean sheets have been 266 since 2000.

(GiveMeSport)

Edwin van der Sar has one of the cleanest sheets in goalkeeping history. According to international football stats, from 2000 to the end of his career, his sheet score was 266.

17. Richard Dunne scored a total of ten own goals in his career.

(Colossus)

The dubious honour of having the most own goals in the Premier League goes to the defender Richard Dunne. He isn’t the player with the most goals scored in a football match to his own team’s net, though. That would be Jamie Carragher, with two very sour instances in 1999.

18. Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 760 goals.

(TalkSport)

Many consider Cristiano Ronaldo the best football player the world has ever known as the numbers speak for themselves. With 760 netted goals, Ronaldo is approaching the highest score in the football career of any player.

19. With 451 goals, Lionel Messi is the most prolific goal scorer in La Liga.

(ESPN)

Messi also has his share of records. For one, he’s the highest ever football score for a single club, and with 451 goals, he’s the best scorer in La Liga. Also, he has 35 hat tricks to his name, which is more than any other player in the Spanish top flight.

As if that isn’t enough, Messi has also scored the most goals for one club in a single calendar year — 91 goals for Barcelona. He has also won the Ballon d’Or 6 times, surpassing any other player.

Football Statistics 2022 Players, Matches, and Teams

Football Match Stats

20. With an 8-4 score, the 2016 Borussia Dortmund-Legia Warszawa match had the most scores in UEFA history.

(UEFA)

The 2016 match between Borussia Dortmund and Legia Warszawa was a real ride. In fact, the game resulted in the highest football score in UEFA history.

21. The Adema-l’Emyrne match in 2002 had a score of 149-0.

(Footchampion)

At first glance, a score of 149-0 sounds unbelievable. But it’s the score for both most goals and own goals ever.

The story behind the THB Champions League debacle is complicated, but it boils down to a conflict. A very debated referee decision led l’Emyrne to score goal after goal in their door in a sign of protest. Consequently, the result was the most goals in a football match ever recorded.

22. 75% of goals happen at the first and last five minutes of both halves.

(Global Futbol Training)

Looking at matches throughout the years and leagues, we notice a pattern. Namely, goals mostly land at a select few times. More precisely, 75% occur at the first and last five minutes of every half. 

According to football game stats, they’re even more likely to happen in the final five minutes of the closing half. 

23. 11.95% of football matches end with a score of 1-1.

(WinDrawWin.com)

Football league stats and individual game data reveal that 1-1 appears to be the most common result. Similarly, games end with a 1-0 outcome in 11.44% of the time. On the other hand, 0-0 is the final score in only 8.3% of the games.

24. 8.1% of goals scored in Premier League games happen in the first ten minutes.

(Gambling.com)

Football goal times statistics show that scoring in the first ten minutes is comparatively rare. That makes it the most unlikely development in the entire game. On the other hand, most goal scores, 16.8%, are netted in the 81-90 minute mark. 

25. 12% of football matches have nine corners.

(FootyStats)

Matches have nine corners 12% of the time. According to football corner stats, the second most common number of corners is eight, occurring in 11% of the games.

On the other end of the spectrum, 17, 18, or 19 corners per game are among the most unlikely scenarios for a football match, with only a 1% chance.

26. Over one billion people watched the 2018 FIFA World Cup final.

(FIFA)

FIFA is one of the most prominent sports associations in the world. At its tournament peaks, it attracts genuinely staggering amounts of attention.

For example, the 2018 FIFA World Cup final attracted around 1.12 billion viewers in total. While it wasn’t the highest-scoring football match ever, it may well have been the most viewed.

27. 23.95% of football games end in a draw.

(UK Gambling Sites)

Draws appear to be relatively common in football. Namely, just a little under 24% of all games end with such a result. We should note that these football stats were taken from English league games.  

Other leagues reveal very similar numbers. For instance, La Liga has a draw average of about 23.7%. Meanwhile, the Bundesliga’s average is approximately 24%. 

Overall, the big five have a draw average of around 25.8%. Interestingly, some results are much more likely to happen. So, 1-1 occurs more than 2-2 — 12.4% and 4.9%, respectively — while 0-0 has an 8.5% chance of being the final score which makes sports betting extremely fun for 71.79% of male respondents and 35.24% of females in the UK, according to a recent survey.

Football Team Stats and Other Fascinating Data

28. Manchester City has an average of 7.27 corners per game.

(Pinnacle)

Of all the Premier League teams, Manchester City seems to have the most corners per game. According to the available data, this team has around seven corners on average every game and kept up this figure in recent years. 

Looking further at these corner statistics, football teams like Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley have the fewest average corners per match — 4.20 and 4.18, respectively.

29. The average salary for first-team Liverpool players is £5.54 million per year.

(Statista, Statista)

The first-team lineup for Liverpool enjoys an impressive salary of about £5.54 million annually.

Liverpool’s players aren’t the best-paid, however. For example, UK football stats reveal Manchester United players earn approximately £6.13 million annually.

30. Since 2000, Barcelona has scored 2,730 goals over 1,193 games.

(GiveMeSport)

Counting from 2000, Barcelona seems to be the team with the most goals scored. In the last 20 years, this team has had over 2,700 goals throughout 1,190 games.

But Barcelona doesn’t have the most goals in football by far. Real Madrid is close behind with 2,633 goals in 1,162 games. Bayern Munich is the third-best in this regard, with 2,496 netted goals in 1,060 matches.

31. Sir Alex Ferguson oversaw 2,155 games and won 50 trophies.

(Colossus, TransferMarkt)

Sir Alex Ferguson is undoubtedly one of the longest-running managers. He has overseen over 2,100 games in his career, as football manager stats show.

So far, the legendary manager has 50 trophies to his name, among which are two World’s Best Club Coach awards, two Champion League trophies, and one FIFA Club World Cup Winner.

32. 22% of football injuries are concussions.

(ScienceDaily)

Over a fifth of hurt football players suffer from a concussion, as evinced by the football statistics on the matter. The most common cause is heading the ball.

33. Kick It Out received 53% more reports of racism in the 2019/2020 season than the previous year.

(BBC)

Racial discrimination in football doesn’t get too much coverage from the media. However, it happens on a regular basis and seems to have gotten more common recently.

When it comes to racism in football statistics, Kick It Out is a good source. Sadly, this organisation has reported 71% of players have seen teammates racially harassed on social media.

What’s more, sexual discrimination and abuse rose even more by a dreadful 95%.

34. 98.2% of all football matches have minimal risks of transferring COVID-19.

(Consultancy.UK)

Football participation statistics from the UK show that approximately 98.2% of football games are safe from COVID-19 contamination. That is because the distance between players is usually farther than 200cm.

However, some factors can still increase the chance of transferring the virus, and it’s advisable to be cautious.

35. Referees in La Liga are paid £5,200 per match.

(Goal.com)

European football stats show us that referees in La Liga earn the most per game.

The Champion League, however, pays some elite-level refs £5,500 for every game they oversee. Furthermore, they also enjoy a set basic income to supplement their per-match earnings.

In contrast, Germany and France’s top referees only get approximately half of these sums.

Football Statistics 2022 Players, Matches, and Teams

Football Statistics — Conclusion

Football is a sport beloved by millions of people around the globe. Every year the industry grows even bigger, despite having proven to be the most popular and high-earning sports sector a long time ago.

Hopefully, the football statistics we’ve gone through offered you some curious and insightful new data. We covered everything from player highlights to some remarkable moments in football history.

If you are thinking of betting on football matches, you can find the most common scores, the best players and teams, and other helpful information. Furthermore, we gathered some current stats on the size and revenues of the industry to keep you updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which football stat site is best?

The array of websites showing football stats complicates the task of objectively determining the best one. A few stand out as generally popular, well-rated, and beneficial for particular purposes.

For example, Transfermarkt.com is a terrific source for finding various information on teams and players. SoccerSTATS, on the other hand, is very easy to navigate. Meanwhile, if you want to check live scores and tables, Whoscored.com would be a good choice.

How are statistics used in football?

Statistics in football serve multiple purposes. For instance, people who like betting on sports can use up-to-date figures to make more informed bets. They also provide better overall insight and analysis of the game.

Data helps determine which are the best players and teams and the frequencies of goals and fouls, which among other factors, impacts salaries and popularity in the industry.

What percentage of football matches are draws?

According to the data, around 23.95% of English league games end in a draw. Similarly, La Liga has a draw average of about 23.7% and the big five — of 25.8%.

A 1-1 in the big five will happen 12.4% of the time. On the other hand, 2-2 occurs in only 4.9% of the cases.

What are the most important stats in football?

There are tons of stats to consider when talking about football. However, some seem to be better indicators of success than others. Here are a few of them:

●  Shots on targets
●  Passes (accuracy)
●  Passes (success)
●  Ball possession
●  Goalkeeper saves
●  Duels won
●  Free-kicks
●  Cards

These stats won’t give you the perfect knowledge of whether a player will perform well or not but will still give you an advantage.

What is the most popular football score?

Despite public perception, 0-0 isn’t the most common score in football. The data suggest that 1-1 is actually the most popular one, with 11.95% of the time. On the other hand, 0-0 happens only in 8.3% of all games.

Which is the richest football player in the world?

Lionel Messi is currently the richest football player in the world. He earned a whopping £120 million in 2019. Cristiano Ronaldo is not too far behind with £109 million that same year.

These two footballers are the only two to earn over £100 million in 2019. Neymar, the third-richest player, earned approximately £87 million, according to the football statistics.

Sources: