The Most Goals Scored in a Football Match wasn’t 10, 20, or maybe even 50 goals. A single game produced an incredible 149 goals!
My decades of following football pale in comparison to AS Adema’s 149-0 victory over SO l’Emyrne in 2002. No football tipster could ever predict that. This match holds the world record for the highest score in a football game. Here’s the twist – the losing team scored all those goals against themselves as a protest.
Arbroath held the previous record when they crushed Bon Accord 36-0 in 1885. Their ruthless performance included 15 goals in the first half alone.
Australia’s 31-0 win against American Samoa stands as the biggest loss in international football history. This 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification match saw Archie Thompson score 13 goals by himself.
Let me walk you through these record-breaking matches in this piece and show you how these unbelievable scorelines happened. The stories behind these games are just as remarkable as the scores themselves!
AS Adema 149–0 SO l’Emyrne
The record books of Scottish football mark September 12, 1885, as an unforgettable date. That rainy Saturday afternoon saw Arbroath Football Club set what became the longest-standing record for the highest ever football score in a competitive match. They crushed Bon Accord 36-0 in the Scottish Cup’s first round.
The Madagascar THB Champions League saw the most outlandish scoreline in football history on October 31, 2002. The Guinness Book of Records recognised it as the highest score in a football game ever recorded when AS Adema beat SO l’Emyrne by an astounding 149-0 margin. This remarkable match played out in the coastal town of Toamasina and changed our view of sporting protests forever.
AS Adema 149–0 SO l’Emyrne match background
A tale of intense rivalry and unfairness lies behind this bizarre scoreline. The game was part of a four-team round-robin playoff tournament that would crown Madagascar’s national champion. SO l’Emyrne (SOE), the reigning champions, had shown excellent form that season. They even reached the second stage of the African Champions League despite Madagascar’s domestic unrest.
SOE faced DSA Antananarivo in their second-to-last match, hoping to keep their title. The defending champions’ hopes crashed when the referee awarded a controversial late penalty to DSA Antananarivo while SOE led 2-1 in the final minutes. The equaliser knocked SOE out of the title race and handed the championship to their rivals, AS Adema.
This decision left SOE’s players and coach Ratsimandresy Ratsarazaka fuming. SOE arrived at the stadium still angry about the unfair call that cost them their title defence when they faced the new champions, AS Adema, in their final match.
AS Adema 149–0 SO l’Emyrne score breakdown
The next events were unlike anything seen in professional football. SOE players started scoring own goals right from the kickoff to protest the referee’s earlier decision. AS Adema’s players could only watch in amazement as their opponents kept kicking the ball into their own net.
The speed of these own goals defies belief – roughly one every 36 seconds throughout the 90-minute match. SOE’s goalkeeper joined the protest by standing still while his teammates continued their extraordinary show of dissent.
The crowd grew angry as the scoreline became more absurd. Many fans gathered at the ticket booths and demanded their money back. The referee could have stopped the match, but let it continue until its bizarre end.
The final whistle blew with the scoreboard showing an incredible 149-0 – every goal deliberately scored by SOE players against themselves. This demolished the previous record for the most goals ever scored in a football match, set by Arbroath’s 36-0 win over Bon Accord in 1885.
AS Adema 149–0 SO l’Emyrne aftermath and bans
The Malagasy Football Federation (FMF) acted quickly. Coach Ratsarazaka got a three-year suspension and couldn’t visit any stadiums during that time for orchestrating the protest.
Four SOE players faced tough penalties:
- Manitranirina Andrianiaina (SOE captain)
- Mamisoa Razafindrakoto (Madagascar national team captain)
- Nicolas Rakotoarimanana
- Dominique Rakotonandrasana (goalkeeper)
These players couldn’t play until the 2002 season ended and were banned from visiting stadiums. The rest of both teams got warnings about harsher punishments for future offences.
The referee who let the match continue escaped punishment because officials decided the situation was beyond his control. Madagascar’s sports ministry took drastic action by dissolving the entire Football Federation, though they later rebuilt it.
The banned players caught a break. Sources say their suspensions ended early because the national team needed them. “They came back after missing just two games,” one observer noted.
The disciplinary committee explained their stance: “The players must respect the ethics of football no matter what, but we must also understand that they were absolutely fed up. It’s the only way they found to show it”.
SOE paid a heavy price. The FMF cancelled all their 2002 season results. The club shut down in 2006, though nobody officially linked this to the infamous match.
This game stands as not just the biggest loss in football history but one of sport’s strangest episodes. Unlike normal record scores from one team dominating another, this extraordinary result came from pure protest and anger – a unique form of sporting rebellion that put these teams in football history books for all the wrong reasons.
Arbroath 36–0 Bon Accord: historical context
Gayfield Park in Arbroath hosted this historic match, though Bon Accord originally had home advantage. They ended up switching the tie to Arbroath’s ground, a decision that sealed their fate.
The 7-year-old Arbroath FC had much more experience than their opponents. Bon Accord, just a year old in 1884, were complete beginners in competitive football. Some people wrongly say Bon Accord was actually Orion Cricket Club, which got the Scottish FA’s entry confirmation meant for Orion FC. The records show this wasn’t true – Orion FC didn’t even exist until October 1885, after this famous match.
The team’s name, “Bon Accord”, had deep roots. It was the watchword that kicked off Aberdeen Castle’s storming during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Back then, any Scottish team could join the Cup without prior experience – a rule that people definitely questioned after this one-sided game.
Things looked bad for Bon Accord from the start. They showed up without a proper football kit, a sign of the disaster ahead. Their goalkeeper, Jimmie Grant, was called in injured the day before, so right-half Andrew Lornie had to fill in.
Arbroath 36–0 Bon Accord match events
The match turned into a record-breaking demolition quickly. Arbroath racked up 15 goals by halftime. They added 21 more in the second half to reach the final 36-0 score.
The star was 18-year-old John Petrie, who scored an amazing 13 goals – a record in senior tournaments. This feat stood unmatched for 116 years until Archie Thompson matched it during Australia’s 31-0 win over American Samoa in 2001.
Arbroath’s other scorers were:
- Munro (7 goals)
- Robertson (6 goals)
- Crawford (6 goals)
- Marshall (2 goals)
- Tackett (2 goals)
The match had some great stories. Arbroath’s goalkeeper, Jim Milne Sr., never touched the ball during the game. He spent his time under a spectator’s umbrella, staying dry from the rain.
The score could have been even higher. Referee Dave Stormont later admitted to disallowing seven valid Arbroath goals. “My only regret was that I chalked off seven goals,” Stormont said years later. “While they may have looked doubtful from an offside point of view, so quickly did the Maroons carry the ball from midfield, and so close and rapid was their passing, that it was very doubtful whether they could be offside”. This means the real score might have been 43-0.
The Scottish Athletic Journal painted the picture: “The leather was landed between the posts 41 times, but five of the times were disallowed. Here and there, enthusiasts would be seen scoring sheet and pencil in hand, taking note of the goals as one would score runs at a cricket match”.
Arbroath 36–0 Bon Accord legacy and records
The craziest part? Just 20 miles away on that same afternoon, Dundee Harp hammered Aberdeen Rovers 35-0 in another Scottish Cup match.
The Dundee match referee first thought Harp had scored 37 goals, which would have beaten Arbroath’s total. But Harp’s secretary corrected him, saying they’d scored “only” 35 goals. The referee took his word and sent the 35-0 result to Scottish FA headquarters.
The story gets better. John O’Kane, who’d played for both teams, was part of Harp’s 35-0 win. Not knowing about Arbroath’s bigger victory, he got Harp officials to send a bragging telegram to Gayfield. Arbroath fired back with their own message showing their 36-0 score.
Both sides thought the other was kidding until O’Kane got back to Arbroath on the late train and learned the truth. He woke up early the next morning and ran 18 miles to Dundee to tell his teammates. Too late though – the scores were already in the books, and Arbroath had made football history.
Arbroath kept their form going. They beat Forfar Athletic 9-1, then Dundee East End 7-1, before Hibernian knocked them out 5-3 in round four. They’d scored 55 goals in that Scottish Cup run.
The 36-0 record stood for 117 years until AS Adema beat SO l’Emyrne 149-0 in 2002. Since that Madagascar game involved protest own-goals, Arbroath’s win remains the biggest margin in a fair professional match. Guinness World Records made this official.
Teams have tried to break the record. Romanian side Carpați Mârșa won 41-0 against Avântul Dârlos in December 2000, but it wasn’t a professional game. Ecuadorian third division team Pelileo SC’s 44-1 win over Indi Native in 2016 didn’t count either.
Scottish Parliament member Andrew Welsh honoured this achievement in 2000 with a motion celebrating the scoreline – a fitting tribute to one of football’s most incredible records.
Australia 31–0 American Samoa
Australia crushed American Samoa 31-0 on April 11, 2001, at the International Sports Stadium in Coffs Harbour, Australia. This 31-0 victory during a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier stands as the largest victory in an international football match and shows one of sports history’s biggest mismatches.
Australia 31–0 American Samoa pre-match expectations
The teams couldn’t have been more different before the game started. Australia ranked 75th in FIFA World Rankings, while American Samoa sat at 203rd—last among all FIFA members. Everyone expected the hosts to win big.
American Samoa’s troubles started weeks before the match. FIFA ruled that players needed valid US passports. This rule knocked out 19 of American Samoa’s 20 players. Coach Tunoa Lui rushed to put together a new team.
Things got worse when Lui checked his under-20 squad. Most players couldn’t play because of school exams. The team headed to Australia with just 16 players, including two 15-year-olds. The team’s average age was 18. Some players had never played a full 90-minute game.
The Australian side wanted to prove a point about the qualification system. Coach Frank Farina backed Australia’s move to FIFA’s stronger Asian qualifying region instead of staying in Oceania. The Socceroos had just beaten Tonga 22-0 two days earlier, setting what was then a record for most goals in an international match.
Australia 31–0 American Samoa: key players and goals
Australia led 16-0 at halftime. Goals came fast – about one every two minutes after the first ten minutes of play.
Archie Thompson, a 22-year-old forward with New Zealand and Papua New Guinean roots, stole the show. He scored an amazing 13 goals, matching John Petrie’s 1885 record against Bon Accord. Thompson’s goals alone would have set a new World Cup qualification scoring record.
David Zdrilic scored 8 goals, which would have broken records in any previous match. Con Boutsianis (3), Aurelio Vidmar (2), Tony Popovic (2), Simon Colosimo (2), and Fausto De Amicis (1) added to the score.
American Samoan goalkeeper Nicky Salapu earned praise in the next day’s papers. At 20, he was the team’s only regular first-team player. Pati Feagiai took American Samoa’s only shot on goal in the 86th minute, saved by Australian keeper Michael Petkovic.
Thompson felt uneasy about the big win: “The American Samoa team were absolute beginners. It didn’t feel right to walk all over them like we did, but we had to respect them by trying our best”.
Australia 31–0 American Samoa impact on rankings
The match broke several world records:
- Largest victory margin in international football
- Most goals in a World Cup qualification match
- Most goals by one player in an international match (Thompson’s 13)
The match haunted Salapu for years. Dutch coach Thomas Rongen, who later coached the team, said: “This guy’s got major demons. The 31-0 score drives him. People know him as ‘the guy that gave up 31 goals.’ He carries incredible scars”.
Salapu got his redemption ten years later. He helped American Samoa win their first international match in 2011, beating Tonga 2-1. This win inspired a documentary and the Hollywood film Next Goal Wins.
The result strengthened Australia’s case for changing the qualification system. Critics accused Farina of racism for not telling his team to slow down. He defended his decision: “You never tell professional footballers to take their foot off the pedal. That cheats everyone – players and fans alike”.
The match changed football. Australia joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2006, leaving Oceania for more competitive matches.
American Samoa climbed to 192nd in the FIFA rankings twenty years after the game. They won two more matches after beating Tonga. Yet they still face the same basic challenges that led to this historic mismatch.
Portsmouth 7–4 Reading
The Premier League has seen many high-scoring games, but nothing comes close to the incredible battle between Portsmouth and Reading on September 29, 2007. This 11-goal spectacle at Fratton Park created a record that still stands as the highest-scoring match in Premier League history.
Portsmouth 7–4 Reading Premier League context
Both teams came into the match confident after winning their previous games. Portsmouth had beaten Blackburn Rovers 1-0 away, and Reading had overcome Wigan Athletic 2-1. The 2006-07 season brought success to both clubs – Reading finished eighth in their Premier League debut, just one point and one position above Portsmouth.
Portsmouth hadn’t lost at Fratton Park that season, while Reading still searched for its first away win. Portsmouth’s first-choice striker, Nwankwo Kanu, couldn’t play due to injury, so Benjani Mwaruwari stepped in. This change would shape the game’s destiny.
Portsmouth 7–4 Reading match expresses
Benjani opened the scoring just six minutes in, converting John Utaka’s cross from close range. He doubled Portsmouth’s lead with a brilliant solo effort in the 37th minute. Reading’s goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann pulled off an amazing save to stop Glen Johnson from scoring what looked like a certain goal.
Stephen Hunt headed one back for Reading right before half-time after Liam Rosenior’s shot seemed to cross the line. The 2-1 scoreline barely hinted at the drama that would unfold.
David James rushed out of his goal three minutes after the break, letting Dave Kitson score into an empty net from 20 yards to make it 2-2. Hermann Hreidarsson put Portsmouth back in front with a header from Sylvain Distin’s cross in the 55th minute.
James made up for his mistake by saving Nicky Shorey’s penalty after Papa Bouba Diop handled the ball. Benjani then completed his hat-trick in 70 minutes by rounding Hahnemann after Sulley Muntari’s perfect pass.
The final 20 minutes brought an incredible six more goals:
- Niko Kranjcar extended Portsmouth’s lead to 5-2 (75′)
- Shane Long pulled one back to make it 5-3 (79′)
- Sean Davis scored through a deflection off Ivar Ingimarsson (81′)
- Muntari converted from the penalty spot in added time (90+2′)
- Shorey grabbed Reading’s fourth with a deflected shot (90+4′)
Portsmouth 7–4 Reading fan reactions
The 20,102 fans at Fratton Park watched history unfold before them. Portsmouth’s supporters sang their hearts out as their team kept finding the net.
Portsmouth’s coach Joe Jordan reflected: “Nobody could have predicted a 7-4 score at 2-2, but the better team won today”. Reading’s manager Steve Coppell put it perfectly: “You could spend forever trying to make sense of a game like this”.
The match left an indelible mark on football fans everywhere. Coppell added: “Our strikers looked unstoppable going forward, but neither defence will be happy. We need to tighten up at the back, though I’d love to win a game like this. Neutral fans must have loved every minute”.
This remains the only 11-goal game in Premier League history. Just 30 matches have seen nine or more goals scored. Some games have come close with 10 goals, like Arsenal’s 7-3 win over Newcastle (2012) and Manchester United’s 8-2 victory against Arsenal (2011), but Portsmouth and Reading’s record still stands.
Borussia Dortmund 8–4 Legia Warsaw
Champions League history changed forever at the Westfalenstadion on November 22, 2016. Borussia Dortmund and Legia Warsaw delivered an offensive masterclass that broke records everywhere. The German side won an incredible 12-goal thriller 8-4, which became the highest-scoring match in Champions League history.
Borussia Dortmund 8–4 Legia Warsaw Champions League setting
Dortmund sat comfortably at the top of Group F during Matchday 5 of the 2016-17 campaign. They had already qualified and previously beaten Legia Warsaw 6-0 in Poland. Nobody at the BVB Stadion Dortmund could have predicted the evening’s events.
Marco Reus and Nuri Sahin made their first starts after recovering from long injuries. Reus wore the captain’s armband that night. This lineup change would set up one of football’s most spectacular offensive shows.
Borussia Dortmund 8–4 Legia Warsaw goal timeline
Aleksandar Prijovic shocked everyone with Legia’s opening goal in the 10th minute. Dortmund’s answer wrote its own piece of history – Shinji Kagawa scored twice in just 76 seconds, the fastest brace the Champions League had ever seen. Nuri Sahin added another goal right after.
The game exploded with seven goals in just 17 first-half minutes. Five goals came in the first 25 minutes – something never seen before in the Champions League. The scoreboard showed an incredible 5-2 at halftime, matching the competition’s record for most goals in a first half.
Goals kept flowing after the break. Reus found the net again, Legia scored back, and Felix Passlack added another before Jakub Rzezniczak’s own goal. Reus completed his hat-trick as the game ended.
Borussia Dortmund 8–4 Legia Warsaw Records broken
This remarkable game shattered several Champions League records:
- The first 12-goal match was Monaco’s 8-3 win against Deportivo La Coruña in 2003
- Eight different players scored in one match for the first time
- Dortmund scored 14 goals against Legia across both matches – the most against one opponent in a Champions League campaign
- Group F scored 15 goals that matchday – matching the competition’s record
Dortmund managed to keep its spot at the top of Group F, leading Real Madrid by two points. This offensive masterpiece lives on in football folklore as one of the most thrilling displays of attacking football ever seen.
Comparison Table
| Match | Year | Event | Final Score | Notable Player | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arbroath vs Bon Accord | 1885 | Scottish Cup | 36-0 | John Petrie (13 goals) | Held the record for the highest competitive score for 117 years; the referee admitted to disallowing 7 valid goals |
| Australia vs American Samoa | 2001 | FIFA World Cup Qualifier | 31-0 | Archie Thompson (13 goals) | Held the record for highest competitive score for 117 years; the referee admitted to disallowing 7 valid goals |
| AS Adema vs SO l’Emyrne | 2002 | Madagascar THB Champions League | 149-0 | N/A | Held the record for the highest competitive score for 117 years; the referee admitted to disallowing 7 valid goals |
| Portsmouth vs Reading | 2007 | All goals were thought out, and own goals were scored in protest of the previous match’s refereeing decision | 7-4 | Benjani (hat-trick) | Highest scoring match in Premier League history; 11 goals total |
| Borussia Dortmund vs Legia Warsaw | 2016 | UEFA Champions League | 8-4 | Marco Reus (hat-trick) | Highest scoring match in Champions League history; 12 goals total |
Conclusion On The Most Goals Scored in a Football Match
Football amazes us with incredible scorelines that defy expectations. This piece explores some of the most astonishing goal tallies that ever spread, from the 149-0 protest match between AS Adema and SO l’Emyrne to the legitimate 36-0 thrashing Arbroath gave to Bon Accord in 1885.
These record-breaking matches tell unique stories beyond the numbers. Madagascar’s match happened because a team protested against unfair treatment. Arbroath’s victory came against complete football novices in competitive matches’ early days. Australia’s 31-0 win over American Samoa showed the big differences between international teams when circumstances line up badly.
Goal-fests happen at the sport’s highest levels too. Portsmouth and Reading’s 11-goal Premier League thriller and Dortmund’s 12-goal Champions League spectacle against Legia Warsaw prove that teams can break scoring records anywhere.
These matches stay in football’s history not just for their huge scorelines. They show the beautiful game’s most unpredictable and extraordinary moments. We might never see another 149-goal Madagascar match, but football shows us that records can fall and history happens any day.
Next time you see a match end 1-0 or 2-1, think about these rare games that expanded what seemed possible on a football pitch. This makes the sport so captivating – knowing that anything can happen in those 90 minutes.
The Most Goals Scored in a Football Match -Key Takeaways
Football history contains some truly shocking scorelines that reveal fascinating stories beyond just the numbers on the scoreboard.
• The highest score ever recorded was AS Adema’s 149-0 win in 2002, achieved through deliberate own goals as a protest against referee decisions
• Arbroath’s 36-0 victory over Bon Accord in 1885 remains the largest legitimate competitive win, with one player scoring 13 goals
• Australia’s 31-0 demolition of American Samoa highlights how passport issues and youth teams can create extreme international mismatches
• Even elite competitions produce goal-fests: Portsmouth beat Reading 7-4 in the Premier League’s highest-scoring match ever
• These extraordinary results often stem from unique circumstances like protests, administrative issues, or massive skill gaps rather than normal gameplay
These record-breaking matches demonstrate football’s unpredictable nature and remind us that even the most unlikely scorelines can become reality when circumstances align perfectly.
FAQs
Q1. What is the highest number of goals scored by a single player in an international match? The record for most goals scored by a single player in an international match is 13, jointly held by Archie Thompson of Australia (against American Samoa in 2001) and John Petrie of Arbroath (against Bon Accord in 1885).
Q2. Which match holds the record for the highest score in football history? The highest score in football history is AS Adema’s 149-0 victory over SO l’Emyrne in 2002. However, this was due to SO l’Emyrne deliberately scoring own goals as a protest against refereeing decisions.
Q3. What is the highest-scoring match in Premier League history? The highest-scoring match in Premier League history is Portsmouth’s 7-4 victory over Reading in 2007, with a total of 11 goals scored.
Q4. Which match holds the record for most goals in a Champions League game? The record for most goals in a Champions League match is held by Borussia Dortmund’s 8-4 victory over Legia Warsaw in 2016, with a total of 12 goals scored.
Q5. What is the largest margin of victory in an international football match? The largest margin of victory in an international football match is Australia’s 31-0 win over American Samoa in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier. This match also set records for most goals in a World Cup qualification match.