Which Soccer Players Have Scored Most of Their Career Goals in a Solitary Game?
“Last month, Watford defender Ngakia found the net twice for Watford against Oxford to bring his total career goals to three from 116 senior club appearances,” wonders a curious fan. “Excluding footballers who scored only once, is there anyone with 100+ appearances achieved a greater proportion of their career goals in a single match?”
Another reader writes in with the tale of French defender Chalmé. “French right-back Chalmé played 362 professional matches during his career, primarily with Lille and Bordeaux,” Denis writes. “He scored four career goals, with three of them scored during a solitary match. He scored all three in Lille’s victory at AC Ajaccio in March 2004, recording the most unlikely of hat-tricks.”
That memorable hat-trick in Corsica were the only ones Chalmé managed in 179 games for Lille, while in 167 for Bordeaux, he scored once. Well, twice if you count his own goal in the 2010 Coupe de la Ligue final against Marseille. Netting three-quarters of his total goals in one game puts Chalmé ahead of Ngakia’s mark (66.7%), but there is a fly in the ointment.
Chalmé retired at his club in 2014 after a loan spell at Ajaccio, who likely remembered his short burst of form a ten years prior. He came back to football with fifth-tier side his local club, playing seven games in half a year – and netting once. That would drop Chalmé’s percentage of goals in one match down to 60%, but it feels harsh to count against him for a post-career stint at semi-professional level.
A quick mention, too, for another French full-back: the legendary Thuram. While the original question relates to club careers, plenty of you wrote in to point out that Thuram made 142 international caps and netted twice in the same match – the World Cup semi-final against the Croatian team. Look, when you’re hot, you’re hot.
The Insubordination Files: Continued
In last week’s Knowledge we looked at players who disobeyed their coaches. There are some more great stories, so we’re revisiting the Insubordination Files for a another review.
Spurs vs City, FA Cup semi-final, 1955-56
“The Spurs captain, Danny Blanchflower, made changes to the side during the cup match against Manchester City while they were losing 1-0,” writes John Tumbridge. “Moving Maurice Norman from defense to attack, Spurs still lost and the coach, Anderson [not that one], benched the captain for the next match and stripped him of the captaincy. Within a year Anderson left, Nicholson took over, the captain returned and the rest is history.”
England v Albania, World Cup qualifying, 1989
Adam Clark notes: “Paul Gascoigne netted his maiden international 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 great blend of annoyance, irony and paternal pride.”
Everton v Tottenham, FA Cup semi-final, 1994-95
“Everton’s last major trophy was the 1995 FA Cup, and it wouldn’t have been possible without a key figure,” begins Jim Hearson. “Coach Royle? Nah. Final scorer, Rideout? Close, but no. Keeper Neville Southall? Not him. That man was mercurial striker Amokachi, who substituted himself on during the match with Tottenham, netting two to earn the Toffees a place in the Wembley showpiece against United.”
Telling the tale to the BBC, Amokachi said: “Rideout got a knock and went down ... I just approached Willie Donachie and told him ‘The gaffer says you need me on’.” Royle was rightly angry at the time, but kinder at the end: “He came into the dressing room and embraced me, shook my hand and said: ‘Well done, son, but never try that again.’”
Sporting v Barcelona, Champions League group stage, 2008-09
“While playing for Guardiola’s Barça against Sporting Lisbon, Henry decided to change flanks. He soon netted to ensure Barça went in 1-0 up at the break. Guardiola’s reaction? He hooked Henry for disobeying orders.”
Free-kick flurries
“Being a Hammers supporter, I’m increasingly having to look at past seasons for positive memories,” laments a fan. “Upon reviewing, I noticed that Payet netted six set-pieces in the 18 cherished months that we enjoyed him. Just wondering if there is a more prolific set-piece expert in a comparable span?”
An example exists: Beckham scored 27 free-kicks in his spell with United, including eight over several months between 2000. His best period at the club covers the identical timeframe: from May 1999 to November 2000, Beckham scored 10 direct-free-kicks – including two brilliant strikes against the Hammers. Apologies.
For consolation, there’s a player currently on West Ham’s books who can outdo Payet’s record: Ward-Prowse. The set-piece maestro had two great runs with Southampton, scoring seven free kicks between 2019-2021 across two pandemic-interrupted campaigns. Ward-Prowse then added six more dead-ball beauties in a 10-month spell between 2022-2023.
Historical Trivia
“A Southend-supporting friend claims the club once played a league game at the national stadium? Is he joking?” queried a reader in 2012.
Ludicrously, he wasn’t. The team were among two clubs – Brentford being the other – to play against Clapton Orient in Division Three (South) at Wembley back in 1930, owing to ground improvement work at their home ground. Club records explain further:
Following a league match against Torquay United (which the O’s won), Torquay representatives objected to the perimeter fence being too close to the field. The Football League was requested to check the stadium and concluded that changes were needed before further matches could take place; suddenly the club found themselves homeless. Hard to believe, the national stadium was proposed and the Orient actually hosted two matches in that year against Brentford and Southend, winning 3-0 and 3-1 respectively. To this day the Orient is the only Football League side to have hosted matches at Wembley Stadium!
Since then of course, Tottenham joined Orient in becoming residents at the stadium, albeit in the Premier League. Lately, discussions about Arsenal upgrading the Emirates – and relocating to the Wembley while the construction occurs – has surfaced.
Your Input Needed
“Aubameyang netted four times and was red-carded in Gabon’s victory over Gambia recently,” writes Seb in Berlin. “Who else have seen red after netting a hat-trick or more?”
“During Austria’s huge win of the minnows, all starting attackers and midfielders who started scored or assisted,” asks another correspondent. “Is there another side managed this?”
“Of all of the players who have a monument at their club’s stadium of their ex-team, who played the fewest games for that club?” wonders a fan.
“Remarkably, Jon Dahl Tomasson is the first manager to be fired by {Sw
