What Soccer Players Have Scored The Majority of Their Professional Goals in a Single Match?
Recently, Jeremy Ngakia found the net twice for Watford against Oxford United to take his career goals total to three from 116 professional matches,” wonders Peter Skilton. “Excluding players who scored only once, has anybody with 100+ appearances achieved a higher percentage of their total goals in a single match?”
Denis Boone submits with the story of Matthieu Chalmé. “French right-back Matthieu Chalmé played 362 professional matches during his career, mostly for Bordeaux and Lille,” Denis writes. “He scored four career goals, with three of them coming in a solitary match. Chalmé netted all three goals in Lille’s 3-0 win at Ajaccio in 2004, achieving the most unlikely of three-goal hauls.”
Those three well-taken goals in Corsica were the only ones he scored in 179 games for Lille, while in 167 matches with Bordeaux, he found the net one time. Actually, twice including his own goal in the 2010 Coupe de la Ligue final against Marseille. Scoring 75% of his career goals in one game puts Chalmé ahead of Ngakia’s percentage (two-thirds), but there’s a complication.
Chalmé retired at his club in 2014 after a temporary move at the Corsican club, who likely remembered his short burst of form a decade earlier. He did return to the game with amateur team his local club, featuring seven times in six months – and netting once. This reduces his ratio of goals scored in a single game down to three-fifths, but it feels harsh to count against him for a post-career stint at semi-professional level.
A quick mention, too, for a different French defender: the legendary Thuram. Although the query relates to professional club play, many readers emailed in to point out that Thuram made 142 France appearances and scored two goals in the identical game – the 1998 World Cup semi-final against Croatia. Sometimes, form is everything.
The Insubordination Files: Continued
Previously in this series we examined players who defied their managers’ instructions. There are some more fantastic examples, so let’s reopen the Disobedience Records for a second look.
Spurs vs City, FA Cup semi-final, the 1950s
Tottenham’s skipper, Blanchflower, made changes to the team during the FA Cup semi-final against City while they were a goal down,” recalls a correspondent. “Switching Norman from centre-half to up front, Spurs still lost and the manager, Anderson [no relation], dropped Blanchflower for the following game and stripped him of the captaincy. Within a year Anderson was out, Bill Nicholson became manager, the captain returned and the rest is history.”
England v Albania, World Cup 1990 qualifier, April 1989
Adam Clark notes: “Gazza scored his first England goal in this victory at the national stadium after playing ‘all over the pitch’, according to coach Robson. The post-game comments are marvellous – a wonderful mixture of annoyance, sarcasm and paternal pride.”
Everton v Tottenham, FA Cup semi-final, the 1990s
“Everton’s last major trophy was the 1995 Cup, and it wouldn’t have been possible without one man,” writes Jim Hearson. “Manager Joe Royle? Nah. Final scorer, Paul Rideout? Almost. Keeper Neville Southall? Nope. That man was unpredictable forward Amokachi, who came on uninvited during the semi-final against Spurs, netting two to earn the Toffees a spot in the final against United.”
Telling the tale to the BBC, the striker said: “Rideout was injured and fell ... I just approached the assistant and told him ‘The gaffer says you need me on’.” The manager was understandably furious at the time, but kinder at the final whistle: “He came into the locker room and hugged me, shook my hand and said: ‘Well done, son, but never try that again.’”
Sporting vs Barça, Champions League group stage, 2008
“While playing for Guardiola’s Barça against Sporting Lisbon, Thierry Henry took it upon himself to change flanks. He quickly scored to ensure Barça went in 1-0 up at the break. The coach’s response? He substituted Henry for ignoring his instructions.”
Free-kick flurries
“Being a Hammers supporter, I’m increasingly having to look at previous years for some enjoyment,” weeps a fan. “Upon reviewing, I noticed that Dimitri Payet netted six set-pieces in the precious year and a half that we had him. I’m curious if there is a more productive set-piece expert in a comparable span?”
One comes to mind: David Beckham netted 27 direct kicks in his time at Manchester United, including eight in as many months between 2000. His best period at Old Trafford covers the identical timeframe: from May 1999 to November 2000, Beckham netted ten set-pieces – including two raspers against the Hammers. Sorry, Liam.
For consolation, there’s a footballer currently on West Ham’s books who can better Payet’s statistics: Ward-Prowse. The dead-ball specialist had two great runs with Southampton, scoring seven free kicks between November 2019 and February 2021 across two Covid-affected seasons. Ward-Prowse then added six more dead-ball beauties in a ten-month period between 2022-2023.
Knowledge archive
“A friend who follows Southend claims the team once played a league game at Wembley? Is he having me on?” asked Stuart Jacks in April 2012.
Surprisingly, he wasn’t. The team were one of two teams – Brentford being the other – to face Clapton Orient in the third tier at the stadium back in 1930, owing to stadium renovations at their home ground. Their official website explain further:
After a game against Torquay (which the O’s won), Torquay representatives complained about the boundary fence being too near to the field. The Football League was requested to check the stadium and agreed that changes were needed before further matches could be held; abruptly the Orient found themselves homeless. Hard to believe, Wembley was suggested and the O’s actually hosted two matches in 1930 against Brentford and Southend, securing two victories. Even now the Orient is the only Football League side to have played home games at Wembley Stadium!
Since then of course, Tottenham followed Orient in becoming residents at Wembley, albeit in the top flight. Lately, talk of the Gunners upgrading the Emirates – and relocating to the national stadium while the work is carried out – has surfaced.
Your Input Needed
“Aubameyang scored four goals and was sent off in Gabon’s victory over Gambia last week,” notes a reader. “Who else have seen red after scoring at least three goals?”
“During Austria’s huge win of the minnows, every outfield player who began the game scored or assisted,” queries another correspondent. “Has any other team managed this?”
“Of all of the players who have a monument outside the ground of their ex-team, who made the least amount of appearances for that team?” asks Masai Graham.
“Remarkably, Jon Dahl Tomasson is the first manager to be fired by {Sw
