Yearender: Top 10 football records broken in 2021

Bengaluru, Dec. 29: The year 2021 was an extraordinary year especially in the world of football and there were numerous record-breaking moments during this year.

As the year winds up, we take a walk down memory lane and take a look at some of the major records broken in 2021:

1. Most goals for a single club

Lionel Messi broke Pele's most goals for a single club this year before moving to PSG in the summer. He scored an astonishing 672 goals for FC Barcelona breaking Pele’s long-standing record of 646 goals for Santos.

2. Most career goals by a player

Another of Pele's records was broken this year, however, this time by another superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese sensation has scored 802 goals so far, surpassing Pele's 769 goals in official football matches.

3. Youngest player in Euro History

Polish youngster Kacper Kozlowski at the age of 17 years and 246 days became the youngest player to appear in the Euros, surpassing Jude Bellingham who also made the record just six days earlier as 17 years 349 days old.

4. Record British transfer

Jack Grealish's £100m move to Manchester City from Aston Villa became the highest transfer fee for a British player, surpassing Real Madrid's £90m for Gareth Bale in 2013.

5. Most goals in a calendar year in Bundesliga

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski scaled new heights this year setting a new standard for the most goals scored within a single calendar year in Germany. He scored the most goals in 2021, 69 in 55 appearances. But also edged past Gerd Muller’s 49-year-old record of most Bundesliga goals in a single season.

6. Most goals by an African player in Premier League

Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah now holds the record for most goals by an African in Premier League history. He has exceeded Didier Drogba’s record of 104 goals, now standing at 107 (at the time of writing).

7. Most goals by a South American player

Messi has broken Pele's another goalscoring record in 2021 with him netting now 80 goals in Argentine colours recording the most goals scored by a South American in the history of the sport. He topped Pele's 77 goals for Brazil.

8. Most goals at Euros

Ronaldo became the all-time record goalscorer at the Euros with his five goals in the summer raising his strikes to 14 above Michel Platini's 10.

9. Longest unbeaten run on the International stage

Italy were crowned the Euro 2020 winners and in the process, they broke several records, most notably by managing the longest unbeaten run on the international stage with 37. The previous records were held by Spain and Brazil with 35 games.

10. Most Ballon d'Or

Lionel Messi became the first player ever to win his seventh Ballon d’Or thanks to a record-breaking year for club and country, where he helped Argentina to win the Copa America.