Records are meant to be broken. It is a famous saying, but whoever said it has perhaps not been privy to these football records. Certain records are meant to stand the test of time, immortalised in their glory and accomplishment.
These are records that would require superhuman efforts to break, the kind that regular players would even shudder to think of. Here's a list of 10 such records that will never be broken.
10. Most Goals by a Goalkeeper
Goalkeepers are mostly one-dimensional players. They have one, and only one job on the field – at least only one that invites deep scrutiny – keep the ball out of the net. It is a tremendous task in itself, but what happens when a goalkeeper adds another dimension to his play; a flair for goal scoring? Well, ladies and gentlemen, the answer is simple: Rogerio Ceni.
Ceni was a Brazilian goalkeeper who plied his trade for Sao Paulo. He was an excellent goalkeeper and even represented his country at two World Cups. He was also extraordinarily good at set-pieces.
In a career spanning two-and-a-half decades, Ceni scored 131 goals. That is more than 60 goals more than the second most goal-rich keeper in history, Jose Luis Chilavert. To put this extraordinary feat into perspective, Ryan Giggs, an attacking player, has scored only 111 goals in the same period that Ceni started taking set pieces for his team.
Following his retirement, Ceni became the manager of Sao Paulo. His record might still burgeon, but irrespective of his future exploits, his record as the best scoring goalkeeper will surely stand the test of time.
9. Most goals scored
Most football fans mistakenly attribute this record to Pele, but Pele is not even second on this list. The record is held by a lesser-known player named Josef Bican.
The football calendar back then was more relaxed, thus enabling the longevity of players' careers. It is almost impossible for players to survive a 1000 games in the modern era.
Even if they did come close to 1000 games, like Giggs and Paolo Maldini, it would be impossible to maintain Bican's scoring rate, which was an unbelievable 1.6 goals per game.
8. 5 European Cups in a row
From 1955 to 1960, Real Madrid went on a rampage, destroying teams en route to their five consecutive European Cups. It is from this their obsession with the Champions League stems.
During those five years, Madrid enjoyed a stranglehold over European football unlike any other and set them on their path to become the greatest European side ever.
The European Cup's modern equivalent, the Champions League, has yet to be defended even once. Forget five times; teams can't even manage to win it twice continuously. Even distinctly powerful teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have failed.
This record is immortal and will never be broken.