Soccer’s Untouchable Records: When Goalscorers Reached Historic Heights
Despite the modern era’s dazzling displays of goalscoring prowess from stars like Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland, some of soccer’s most astonishing records remain remarkably intact, testaments to feats achieved decades ago. These benchmarks represent not just skill, but moments of pure, overwhelming dominance on the pitch. Here’s a look at the players who have etched their names into the history books with unbelievable single-game goal hauls.
The Unrivaled High: Stefan Dembicki’s 16-Goal Masterclass
Currently, Stefan Dembicki holds the record for the most goals scored by a single player in a professional match – an astonishing 16 for RC Lens in their 32–0 victory over Auby Asturies in the 1942 Coupe de France. This performance stands as a nearly unbelievable outlier, a demonstration of scoring power rarely, if ever, seen since.
While Dembicki’s record reigns supreme, other remarkable performances deserve recognition. Hacène Lalmas and Malika-e-Noor both found the net 14 times in single games in Algeria and Pakistan, respectively. Yanick Djouzi Manzizila also achieved a remarkable feat, scoring 21 goals in a single match for Congo United, though it wasn’t a professional contest.
Women’s Football: Shokhan Salihi’s Historic Performance
In the realm of women’s football, Shokhan Salihi holds the record for the most goals scored in a single match, bagging 15 of Al Hilal’s 18 unanswered goals in the 2022–23 Saudi Women’s Premier League against Sama. This dominant display underscores the growing talent and competitive spirit within the women’s game.
Premier League Quintuples: A Rare Feat
The Premier League has witnessed the magic of a quintuple – five goals in a single game – on five occasions. Andy Cole was the first to achieve this feat in 1995, scoring five of Manchester United’s nine goals against Ipswich Town. Alan Shearer followed suit four years later, leading Newcastle United to an 8–0 rout of Sheffield Wednesday.
The next striker to bag a quintuple was Jermain Defoe in 2009, with five goals for Tottenham against Wigan. Dimitar Berbatov then smashed five goals for Blackburn in November 2010. Most recently, Sergio Agüero almost single-handedly secured a 6–1 victory for Manchester City against Newcastle in 2015.
Champions League Glory: Messi, Adriano, and Haaland Join the Five-Goal Club
The Champions League has also seen its share of prolific performances. Lionel Messi became the first player to score five goals in a single game in March 2012, during Barcelona’s 7-1 hammering of Bayer Leverkusen. In October 2014, Luiz Adriano joined the exclusive club, scoring five for Shakhtar Donetsk in a 7-0 win over BATE Borisov.
More recently, in March 2023, Erling Haaland added his name to the list, netting five goals against RB Leipzig in just under an hour. Four players also achieved the feat during the era of the old European Cup: Gerd Müller, Paul Van Himst, Claudio Sulser, and Søren Lerby.
Europa League and Other League Records
Aritz Aduriz holds the record for the most goals scored in a Europa League game, netting all five of Athletic Club’s goals in a 5–3 victory over Genk in 2016. In the UEFA Cup’s previous format, eight players scored five goals in a single game, including Fabrizio Ravanelli and Marco van Basten.
The record for the most goals in a The League game is shared by Agustín Sauto Arana (“Bata”) and László Kubala, both scoring seven goals. Arana achieved this first in 1931, while Kubala equaled the record in 1952.
In Serie A, Silvio Piola and Omar Sívori share the record for most goals in a single match, each scoring six. Miroslav Klose was the most recent player to score five in Italy’s top flight, doing so in 2013.
The Bundesliga record belongs to Dieter Müller, who scored six goals in a single game in 1977. While Robert Lewandowski’s five-goal substitute appearance against Wolfsburg was remarkable, it fell short of Müller’s benchmark. Gerd Müller also scored five goals in a single Bundesliga game on four separate occasions.
Finally, in Ligue 1, André Abegglen and Jean Nicolas both scored seven goals in single games, within three years of each other in the 1930s.
These records, spanning different eras and leagues, highlight the extraordinary potential of individual goalscorers and serve as enduring reminders of some of the most spectacular moments in soccer history.
