5 Records That Could Be Broken in World Football This Season
Records are made to be broken, they say. In football that certainly applies: transfer records, goals, points, cards and anything else you care to statistically measure can be beaten or broken in one way or another.
During the 2011-12 season, we saw Barcelona forward Leo Messi break the world record for scoring the highest number of goals during a season, netting an astonishing 73 shots.
Here are five records that we could see broken in the world's game during the upcoming campaign.
Most Goals in a Season
1 of 5We might as well start where we left off: What are the chances that the same record will be broken again?
Leo Messi scored 73 times in 60 games and 50 times in 38 games in Spain's top flight. Both were records.
Let's face it, there are only two players on the planet at the moment who could possibly do it: Messi himself, and another who plays for his club's biggest rival.
Could either of them manage to score 74?
World Transfer Record
2 of 5That other man, of course, is Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently holds the title of world's most expensive footballer.
Real paid £80 million to Manchester United to take the forward to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2009. He has since rewarded them with a never-ending flow of spectacular goals and energetic performances.
It may seem as if the fee is too high to ever be broken...but that's what was said about Denilson's £21 million move in 1998.
And then Christian Vieri's £32 million transfer a year later.
And then Zinedine Zidane, the world's first over-£50 million transfer in 2001.
With Brazilian Neymar still on the market, amongst others, and several cash-rich clubs obviously willing to spend to bring in quality to their squads, there is every chance that this particular record could be broken during the next season.
Highest Points Tally to Be Relegated in the Premier League
3 of 5Since the English Premier League switched to a 20-team format in 1995, the "40-point marker" has been the target of clubs threatened with relegation. Surpassing that marker would, in most seasons, see the team safe for another year.
In fact, three teams have been relegated from England's top flight with 40 or more points since then: Sunderland '97 (40), Bolton '98 (40) and West Ham '03 (42).
With the quality on show in the league this year and the increasing number of teams that are capable of beating those around them, don't be surprised to see a team relegated this year with a record haul of points.
Number of European Cups/Champions Leagues Won
4 of 5Real Madrid are the current record holder for wins in the European Cup/Champions League, with nine victories.
AC Milan come close, with seven. No other team has more than five (Liverpool).
The current Spanish La Liga champions have not been successful in this competition since 2002, while rival Barcelona has picked up three since then.
This year Real have the squad, the manager and the confidence borne of last season's overhaul of Barcelona to go the full distance and win the trophy for a record 10th time.
Number of Transfer Rumours in One Window...
5 of 5We finish with a tongue-in-cheek effort to serve as a small reminder that with all the pressure and expectations that will come over the remainder of the season, clubs' fortunes will not necessarily be decided within the next three days!
With transfer windows around Europe due to close by the end of August, media outlets are frantic, publishing the latest gossip and transfer rumours.
Half will have no basis in fact, plenty more will never come to fruition and the odd few actual deals will be done with no hint of media involvement or knowledge at all.
Of course, if Chelsea keeps adding to its attacking ranks, most papers might get one right sooner or later.
