Football is a world filled with unexpected moments, record-breaking achievements, and odd statistics. 

Sometimes, reality can be just as fascinating as fiction. 

We’ve compiled a list of the best examples of where football reality is better than fiction. From Dundee United’s perfect record against Barcelona to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s parallel lives, let's take a closer look at football facts that sound unbelievable but are entirely true.

Sergio Ramos's Spanish Record

Despite his reputation for aggressiveness, Sergio Ramos has never received a red card while playing for the Spain National Team in 180 appearances for his country, contrasting with his 29 red cards accumulated at the club level. 

Messi's Puskas Award Hunt

Lionel Messi has been nominated seven times for the Puskas Award - the award to the male or female who has scored the “most beautiful” in a calendar year -  but has yet to secure the accolade.

Has the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner missed the boat in achieving perhaps the only accolade that he hasn’t yet won? 

Mia Hamm's Goalkeeping Feat

Female legend Mia Hamm remains the only outfield player, whether male or female, to play as a goalkeeper during a FIFA World Cup or FIFA Women's World Cup.

Neymar's La Liga Recognition

Before joining Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar won the La Liga Player of the Month Award before his teammate Lionel Messi.

While the award itself didn’t exist until September 2013, it’s bizarre that Messi won the award after three years.

Lineker's Clean Record

English football legend Gary Lineker achieved a rare feat by never receiving a yellow or red card throughout his entire career. 

The only caveat to the record is that yellow cards were not introduced in English football until the 1980s, towards the later stages of Lineker’s career.

One stat that has been forgotten in recent years, however, is that Lineker scored four goals for England on two occasions.

Lahm's Foul-Free Streak

Former German international Philipp Lahm went an impressive 13 months without committing a single foul, showcasing his defensive precision and sportsmanship.

While this is impressive for any player, it’s particularly baffling for a defensive player like Lahm who occupied the right-back and central-defensive-midfielder role during this time. 

Ronaldo and Messi's Parallel Lives

This one’s kinda spooky… 

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, born 869 days apart, share an interesting connection in their personal lives. 

Their eldest sons, Cristiano Jr. and Thiago, were also born 869 days apart. 

A future GOAT rivalry on the cards? We hope so.

Hazard's Chelsea Milestone

Eden Hazard was the last Chelsea player to win the Premier League Player of the Month Award in September 2018. 

The last Blues defender to pick up the award was David Luiz, over a decade before Hazard.

Walcott's Champions League Surprise

Surprisingly, Theo Walcott has more Champions League goals than Miroslav Klose and Ronaldo Nazario, two of the all-time top goalscorers in FIFA World Cup history.

Suárez, Zlatan, and Ronaldo's Full-Minute Mastery

Luis Suárez, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only players to have scored a goal in every minute of a game, from the 1st to the 90th minute.

This one is less of a surprise given the calibre of strikers that we’re talking about here.

Icardi’s obsession with the number one

Mauro Icardi might have the weirdest goalscoring record in history, having scored 11 or 111 goals at every club he’s played for.

Dundee United's Perfect Record Against Barcelona

We had to end it with an English football classic.

In a surprising turn of events, Dundee United holds the unique distinction of being the only European team with a 100% win record against Barcelona.

There’s no doubt that it’ll be on Barcelona’s board to get revenge

It’s safe to say that the beauty of the game lies in its unpredictability. These examples of intriguing football factors remind us that reality in football can be just as captivating as any fiction.