Fans have named football facts that sound extremely fake but are actually true.The discussion was started by Twitter user @ChaaliiyKay and has attracted thousands of comments.You can view some of the best answers below. All facts have been verified to make sure they are true.Philip Lahm didn't concede a foul in the Bundesliga for 13 monthsBetween September 2014 and October 2015, Philipp Lahm wasn't penalised for a foul once.Lahm also never received a red card as a professional footballer. Remarkable for a defender who played over 750 times in his career.Theo Walcott has more Champions League goals than many legendary playersWalcott scored 15 Champions League goals during his time at Arsenal.That's more than Ronaldo Nazario (14), Zinedine Zidane (14), Michael Owen (14), David Villa (14) and Carlos Tevez (13).Jose Mourinho went nine years without losing a home game in the leagueMourinho's incredible record started with Porto in March 16, 2002.His unbeaten streak at home in the league lasted for 151 games until his Real Madrid side were beaten 1-0 by Sporting Gijon.Swindon Town is the only league football club in England or Scotland that doesn't contain any letters that appear in the word mackerel This is probably the best random fact we've ever heard.Dundee United have beaten Barcelona in all four of their competitive gamesThe two sides met twice in 1966, with Dundee United winning those games 2-1 and 2-0.They met twice again 21 years later, with the Scottish outfit winning 1-0 and 2-1.Gary Lineker never received a yellow or red card during his careerLineker was never given a card by a referee in the 647 games he played as a professional footballer. The Englishman was given the FIFA Fair Play Trophy in 1990 for that achievement.Mario Balotelli’s only Premier League assist was for Sergio Aguero’s title-winning goal vs QPRIf you are only going to get one assist in the Premier League, make sure it comes for the most dramatic goal in its history. Well played, Mario.

In 2015, Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrated scoring a goal for Paris Saint-Germain against Caen by removing his shirt to reveal his torso covered in new tattoos.It was only the second minute of the match but Zlatan made a point about removing his jersey.Even though the Swedish striker knew he would receive a yellow card from the referee, he did it anyway.With his arms outstretched, Ibrahimovic held his shirt in his left hand while displaying his body to all four corners of the Parc des Princes.Zlatan was booked, which meant he would miss PSG’s fixture against AS Monaco two weeks later through suspension.

It’s no secret that Zlatan Ibrahimovic had an exceptionally high opinion of himself during his illustrious playing career.The Swedish striker, who has retired aged 41, is famous for blowing his own trumpet at every opportunity - although it’s hard not to feel that he puts on an act at times.Surely nobody could be *that* arrogant, even if he is one of the best forwards of his generation.Aside from being incredibly self-confident, Zlatan is also physically imposing.He’s 6ft 5in tall, ripped to shreds and has a black belt in taekwondo.It’s hardly a surprise, then, that not many people have stood up to Ibra down the years.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney are at the centre of a media storm right now in the wake of the former's controversial interview with Piers Morgan.When it was suggested to Ronaldo that Rooney might have criticised him earlier in his season for his behaviour at Manchester United out of jealousy, the Portuguese star replied: “Probably, because he finished his career in his 30s.“I’m still playing at a high level, I’m not going to say that I’m looking better than him, which is true.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrated his 41st birthday on Monday.Most footballers that reach his age have already spent the past few years either in a dugout, studio or beach somewhere.But as Zlatan himself is always quick to remind the world: he’s far from your average footballer.Earlier this year the legendary Swedish forward said that he wanted to continue playing football until “someone better” than him comes along."I want to play as long as I can," Ibrahimovic told UEFA.com, per ESPN. "The reality is I'll play until I see that someone is better than me, so I'm still playing. The future is yet to be written."REGGIO NELL'EMILIA, ITALY - MAY 22: Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC Milan celebrates with a cigar after their side finished the season as Serie A champions during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo and AC Milan at Mapei Stadium - Citta' del Tricolore on May 22, 2022 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Chris Ricco/Getty Images)Zlatan went on to win the Serie A title with AC Milan before signing a one-year contract extension in the summer - despite the fact he was recovering from a serious knee injury.The veteran striker is yet to appear this season but is expected to return to action in the New Year.As it’s Ibra’s birthday, let’s cast our minds back to when he named his dream five-a-side team in 2015."I need no defenders, only attackers," Zlatan told UEFA, suggesting that every one would have to take turns in goal.

Luciano Spalletti has enjoyed a long and successful career in football.Spalletti enjoyed a decent career as a professional footballer where he played in Italy's lower leagues for a number of clubs including Entella, Spezia and Empoli.He retired from football in 1993 and promptly turned to management.Spalletti has gone on to coach a number of Italy's top teams, including Roma and Inter Milan, while he has also managed Udinese, Sampdoria and Zenit St Petersburg.Now 63, he is currently manager of Napoli. He guided the Italian club to a 3rd place finish and Champions League qualification in the 2021/22 season.Spalletti has managed so many world-class players while he has come up against plenty more.The Napoli manager is a keen collector of football shirts and he's now shown his incredible collection in an interview with DAZN. We're not joking - his collection may well be unbeatable. View it below...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has provided a freakish update as he recovers from ACL surgery ahead of the new season.The legendary forward revealed he played the last part of the 2021/22 season without an ACL in his knee in order to help AC Milan over the line, as they clinched the Serie A title.Despite suffering the injury aged 40, Ibrahimovic has signed a contract to the end of the 2022/23 season and will resume his career upon recovering from his current setback.Many predicted Ibrahimovic's iconic career at football's highest level was over when a similar injury brought to an end his tenure at Manchester United.But after moving to LA Galaxy in 2017, Ibrahimovic showed the world he still very much had it and returned to Milan in 2020, providing Stefano Pioli's youthful side with a ruthless finishing ability and crucial edge of experience in attack.He continues to prove that his longevity is extraordinary, having bagged 36 goals in 64 appearances since returning to the Rossoneri. Injuries have finally begun to slow Ibrahimovic down and prove that he is actually human after all, but his latest recovery images have once again thrown that fact into doubt.Ibrahimovic has been sharing details of his recovery process on social media since the end of the season. At the end of May, he revealed that he had regularly been having his knee drained of fluid and shared a video of the procedure. You can view it below - but be warned, it might be best to skip ahead if you're a little squeamish!

Twitter user @RandomFtblFacts has been asking fans to send them random football facts and have been reposting the best ones to their account.Facts about the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Eric Cantona have all featured.We've named some of the best random football facts that have been posted so far below...Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played professional football in 4 different decades - @TheVirgilEraZlatan made his debut for in the 1990s with Malmo FF. Now 40, he is still going strong at AC Milan.Jamie Vardy joined the Premier League at age 27 but still has more Premier League goals than Cristiano Ronaldo, Cantona and Mo Salah - @PrimeEbimbeThat's a testament to how good Jamie Vardy is. His 133 goals is more than Ronaldo (102), Salah (120) and Cantona (70).Philipp Lahm went 13 months without committing a foul - @utvnoahLahm was a defender but didn't commit a foul for just over a year. Ridiculous.LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Philipp Lahm of Bayern Muenchen celebrates victory after the UEFA Champions League final match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Muenchen at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2013 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)Eidur Gudjohnsen made his debut for Iceland as a sub vs Estonia in 1996, the person he replaced was his father, Arnor. - @avfcIewisA day that the Gudjohnsen family will never forget.Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for six clubs that have won the UCL but he has never won one himself. - @derrygomes67Another crazy Zlatan stat. Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and Manchester United have all won at least one Champions League, but not when Zlatan played for them.Olivier Giroud’s scorpion kick for Arsenal won the FIFA Puskas Award but not Premier League goal of the month. - @ChrisHorton94Giroud's unreal scorpion kick against Crystal Palace in January 2017 won the Puskas Award in 2017. Andy Carroll's scissor kick for West Ham won the Premier League Goal of the Month.

Cesc Fabregas has extended his illustrious career by penning a two-year deal with Serie B outfit Como 1907, while also agreeing to purchase a stake in the club.The midfielder will go down as one of the best in the 21st Century for his stunning exploits with Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and of course the Spanish national team, whom he lifted the World Cup and European Championships with.But following a spell with AS Monaco in Ligue 1, Fabregas has now confirmed he'll play his football in the Italian second tier this season with Como, whose CEO is none other than Chelsea hero Dennis Wise.Not only will Fabregas be playing football in the beautiful region of Italy, he has also agreed to part own the side, with one eye evidently on life after playing.It marks an extraordinary turnaround for the Italian outfit, who were reformed as a Serie D outfit in 2017 following bankruptcy and only returned to the professional tiers of football in 2019.So, not only has Fabregas played in a host of incredible places around the world - London, Barcelona, Monaco and now Como - but he's setting up a more permanent stall in Lombardy, too. Anyone that's seen images of the stunning views of Lake Como will be incredibly envious of the 35-year-old.While many footballers opt to go down the more conventional routes of coaching and management or failing that punditry and media, there is actually a growing list of players who are choosing to invest in clubs around the world.

Lionel Messi moved a step closer to becoming the most decorated player in football history after winning the Trophée des Champions with Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.The legendary Argentine forward, who turned 35 in June, has now won two trophies with PSG after securing the Ligue 1 title last season.But how many trophies has Messi now won during his illustrious career - and where does he sit on the all-time list?One thing’s for sure: it would be a shock at this point if Messi doesn’t go on to become football’s most decorated player before he retires.The man widely regarded as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) is on course to end his career with more trophies than any other player in history - and that feels fitting, doesn’t it?