What are some lesser-known facts about football?
Here are some interesting and lesser-known facts about football that might be considered "cold facts":
The first football match: The first-ever recorded football match took place on December 19, 1863, between London clubs Barnes and Richmond. The match ended in a 0-0 draw.
The world's oldest football club: Sheffield FC, founded in 1857, is recognized as the world's oldest football club still in existence.
The origin of the penalty kick: The penalty kick was introduced in 1891 by Irish goalkeeper and football administrator William McCrum as a way to punish deliberate fouls in the penalty area.
Record for the fastest red card: The fastest red card in a football match was given to Lee Todd of Cross Farm Park Celtic in just two seconds for using offensive language after the starting whistle in 2000.
The longest football match: The longest football match in history lasted 108 hours and 2 minutes. It was played from May 26 to May 30, 2016, in Worthing, England, and involved 36 players in total, raising money for a local charity.
The highest-scoring match: The highest-scoring football match in recorded history was a game between AS Adema and SO l'Emyrne in Madagascar in 2002. SO l'Emyrne intentionally lost the match 149-0 as a protest against a perceived unfair refereeing decision in a previous game.
The first FIFA World Cup: The inaugural FIFA World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay. Only 13 teams participated, and the host nation emerged as the winner.
The highest altitude football match: The highest altitude football match ever played took place at 18,799 feet (5,732 meters) above sea level on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 2017. The match was organized to raise awareness about gender inequality in sports.
The first live televised football match: The first live televised football match was a friendly between Arsenal and Arsenal Reserves at Highbury Stadium in London on September 16, 1937.
The first use of yellow and red cards: Yellow and red cards were first used in the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico as a way to communicate disciplinary actions more clearly to players and spectators.
These are just a few of the many interesting and lesser-known facts about football. The sport has a rich history and continues to evolve, creating new records and fascinating stories along the way.