2014 in numbers (FIFA) Wednesday 31 December 2014 Share As 2014 draws to a close, FIFA looks over some of the year’s most eye-catching football stats. 3.43 million was the total attendance for the 64 matches at Brazil 2014, the highest recorded at any FIFA World Cup™ since USA 1994. The average crowd of 53,592 was also the highest in two decades. A further 5,154,386 turned out at FIFA Fan Fests in Brazil during the World Cup, while FIFAs Global Stadium - FIFAs social, online and mobile hub - attracted an overall attendance of over 1 billion. 963 appearances, 13 English championships and two UEFA Champions League titles were the incredible tallies on which Ryan Giggs ended his playing career in May. The Manchester United legends final haul of league titles is superior to that of every English club save for Liverpool and United themselves. 369 Barcelona goals was the 87-year-old club record broken in March by Lionel Messi. The Argentinian surpassed Paulino Alcantara’s long-standing benchmark with a hat-trick - his 25th for Barça - in a 7-0 thrashing of Osasuna. 300 caps was the amazing milestone reached by Christie Rampone in October as she led USA to victory at the CONCACAF Womens Championship. The evergreen 39-year-old, who already held the world record among active players, became just the second person - after former team-mate Kristine Lilly - to reach the triple-century. 171 goals, an average of 2.67 per game, established Brazil 2014 the joint-highest-scoring World Cup of all time, level with France 1998. 83 metres was the incredible distance from which Moritz Stoppelkamp scored a record-breaking Bundesliga goal in September. The Paderborn midfielder found the net from just outside his own penalty area, smashing by ten metres Giorgos Tzavellass previous record. 57 goals, 58 assists and 90 victories, all USA records, were the figures with which Landon Donovan ended his 157-game international career in October. Only ten men – and one American, 164-times-capped Cobi Jones – have played more internationals. Donovan then went on to round off his professional career in style two months later by winning a record sixth Major League Soccer title. The US icon bowed out having helped LA Galaxy lift the MLS Cup for an unprecedented fifth time. 50 international goals was the milestone reached by Zlatan Ibrahimovic in September, and with it came the Sweden national teams scoring record. The Paris Saint-Germain striker claimed both goals in the Swedes 2-0 friendly win over Estonia and the second of those took him past Sven Rydells benchmark of 49, which had stood since 1932. 39 years without a competitive home defeat was the Brazil run that Germany brought to a spectacular end in July. The eventual world champions won 7-1, becoming just the second team to score seven times against Brazil - and the first since 1934. It was the biggest-ever margin of victory in a World Cup semi-final, and Germany became just the second team to score seven in a knockout match at the global finals. 34 matches and eight years without a home defeat - the longest such streak in world football - was the run that came to an end for Spain in November with a 1-0 loss to Germany. Toni Krooss 89th-minute winner also inflicted Vicente del Bosques first-ever defeat on home soil as national coach. More worrying for Spain was that this was their fifth loss in 12 matches during 2014, establishing this as their worst year since 1991. 33 years without a competitive home defeat was the remarkable run that came to an end for Nigeria in September with a 3-2 loss to Congo. The Super Eagles had not been beaten in a meaningful match on their own patch since Algeria emerged from Lagos with a 2-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying win in 1981. 23 hat-tricks was the La Liga record set by Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this month. The 29-year-olds third goal in Real Madrids 3-0 win over Celta Vigo, which took him past Alfredo Di Stefano and Telmo Zarra - both of whom had scored 22 trebles - was Ronaldos 200th in the Spanish top flight. Only Di Stefano and Raul had previously reached the double century-mark for Los Merengues. 21 El Clásico goals was the new record set by Lionel Messi in March. Alfredo Di Stefano’s benchmark of 18 was eclipsed in style, with Messi notching a hat-trick in a thrilling 4-3 win for Barcelona at the Bernabeu - becoming the first Barça player to score a treble at the home of their great rivals. 16 World Cup goals was the new all-time record set by Miroslav Klose during Brazil 2014. The veteran striker not only eclipsed a Seleção legend, Ronaldo, but did so in Germanys thumping 7-1 win over the hosts. Kloses goal in that unforgettable semi-final was his 19th at a major championship and this too set a new record for a European player, with countryman Gerd Muller the man surpassed. 14 goals were conceded by Brazil at this years World Cup, ensuring that they became the first hosts to end with the tournaments worst defensive record. A Seleção, who also lost successive home matches for the first time since 1940 - and by an aggregate score of 10-1 - had never previously conceded more than 11 at the world finals. 10 Spanish titles was the landmark reached in dramatic style by Atletico Madrid in May. Atletico’s triumph, which left them third on the all-time list behind Real Madrid (32 titles) and Barcelona (22), ended a run of nine successive championships for the countrys traditional big two. 10 European Cups was the coveted milestone reached by Real Madrid in in Lisbon just weeks later. The competitions record champions had looked destined for defeat until Sergio Ramos scored the latest goal ever seen in its final in the 93rd minute, edging out Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s famous winner for Manchester United in 1999. The triumph was particularly sweet for Carlo Ancelotti, who became just the second coach – after Liverpool legend Bob Paisley – to win the trophy on three different occasions. 3 consecutive World Cups have ended up in European hands, setting a new record, after Germanys triumph in July. For the second edition in succession, it took an extra time goal to decide the Final, with Mario Gotzes 113th-minute winner securing a fourth world title for the Germans, who became the first team from the Old Continent to triumph in the Americas. 2 years after the clubs foundation, Western Sydney Wanderers were crowned champions of Asia in November - becoming the first Australian team to win the AFC Champions League. It was a backs-to-the-wall triumph, with the Wanderers registering just nine efforts on goal over the two legs to the 39 of opponents Al Hilal. 2 major records were secured by two Lionel Messi hat-tricks within the space of five days in November. The first came in a 5-1 win over Sevilla, when the Barcelona star surpassed Telmo Zarras 59-year-old La Liga scoring record with his 251st, 252nd and 253rd goals in the Spanish top flight. That was quickly followed by Messi becoming the UEFA Champions Leagues all-time top scorer, surpassing Real Madrid icon Raul. Having claimed the Liga record with his 30th career hat-trick, it was treble number 31 that earned Messi Champions League top spot on 74 goals overall - a tally he has since increased to 75. 1 year after being promoted, Gamba Osaka were crowned J.League champions earlier this month, becoming just the second newly-promoted team - after Kashiwa Reysol in 2011 - to claim the Japanese title. They then went on to complete a clean sweep of domestic honours by beating Montedio Yamagata Emperors Cup final, establishing themselves as their countrys first treble-winners since Kashima Antlers 14 years ago.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:36:15 +0000
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