Top 10 Highest Scoring Soccer Game in History

Picture a football match where the scoreboard moves like a slot machine, it will be hard a thing to do right? As the game of soccer is widely known for the low-scoring, intense matches in which finding a winner is unpredictable till the 90th minute. However, in the history of soccer, the world has seen several matches in which the scoreline looks like both teams involved are playing another sport.

From International Friendlies, which looked like a cheat code is activated for the team that is continuously scoring, to a modern European clash where both teams forgot how to defend, these are soccer’s most jaw-dropping, goal-crazy moments. Scroll down for the top 10 highest scoring soccer game, each one a story that’ll leave you stunned!

List of Highest Scoring Football Game

The table below consists of the top 10 highest scoring soccer game that have entertained or given a message to the world in their own unique way. This list contains matches from the late 19th century to the early 21st century. Some games were part of a protest to draw the attention of people, while others happened due to the difference in squad strength. Here are the 10 highest scoring game in soccer.

Which are the Highest Scoring Game in Soccer History?

If you are interested in knowing what happened in the above-listed 10 highest scoring football games, this segment is for you. This section of our article will help you revisit the game in the present time and give brief information about what events happened in the 10 highest scoring soccer game.

10. Preston North End 26-0 Hyde United

In 1885, one of the best English clubs at that time, Preston North End FC, registered a record-breaking 26 – 0 victory over Hyde United F.C. in the first round of the FA Cup clash at the Deepdale Stadium. Preston North End had won two English League titles and an FA Cup trophy in the 1880s.

The Lilywhites established three records with that win over Hyde, scoring the most goals in a single game and enjoying the biggest home win and highest scoring game in soccer as well.

9. Bayern Munich 27-0 FC Rottach-Egern

Bayern Munich defeated FC Rottach-Egern, 27-0, during a preseason friendly which happened in the year 2023. Although, Rottach-Egern was able to limit the damage in the second half to only nine goals, despite the scoreline being an incredible 18-0 at the end of the first half.

With Marcel Sabitzer, Mathys Tel, and the young prodigy Jamal Musiala each scoring five goals, while Serge Gnabry scored a hat-trick in the pre-season game played at Bayern Munich’s training camp. Two completely different teams were started by head coach Thomas Tuchel in both halves. It’s important to remember that Bayern Munich defeated Rottach-Egern 23-0 in 2019 as well and is one of the highest scoring football game in history. Additionally, another game was played between the same team, which ended in favour of FC Bayern Munich.

8. Villareal 27-0 Navata

First, we have the most recent game on the list of high goal scoring match, which dates back to 2009. Even though it was just a friendly clash, the difference in the scoreline is still amusing and shows the gap in the squad quality between professional top-tier and semi-professional sides.

La Liga giants Villareal, who lifted the UEFA Europa League in the 2020-21 season, defeated Navata (a local club from the Catalonia region) with a huge margin of 27 goals without conceding a single goal in response in a pre-season friendly.

7. Australia 31-0 American Samoa

Now going back in time to the beginning of the 21st century in the year 2001, to our next high-scoring soccer fixture. In 2001, the Australian men’s soccer team hosted American Samoa by a record margin of 31 goals to nil in the Oceania 2002 World Cup qualification match. With the victory, the Socceroos set the world record for the biggest win in an International soccer game.

However, Australia failed to qualify for the World Cup after losing to Uruguay in the Play-offs. This game between Australia and American Samoa is the highest scoring international soccer game in history. Additionally, this match is also considered one highest scoring international soccer game in the Asia region.

6. Dundee Harp 35-0 Aberdeen Rovers

In 1885, Dundee Harp played in the first round of the Scottish Cup against Aberdeen Rovers, where they shockingly beat Aberdeen Rovers 35-0. Although the referee recorded 37 goals, Dundee Harp’s secretary suggested that their might be a miscount may have occurred as he had recorded only 35.

The match official acknowledged that it was difficult for him to keep accurate details during such a flurry of goals. And accepted the lower tally and officially recorded 35-0 as the score. The second highest scoring soccer game in Scottish FA Cup history.

5. Arbroath 36-0 Bon Accord

In, September 1885, Scottish club Arbroath beat the newly formed club Bon Accord by a record for the largest margin, scoring 36 goals in a competitive fixture, a record that still stands tall after 138 years of history. This game was held in the first round of the Scottish FA Cup at the Den of Arbroath, the Gayfield ground.

Nicknamed ‘The Red Lichties’, they netted 24 goals in the first half and extended the scoreline by adding 20 in the latter half, however, seven goals were cancelled due to an offside call. Presently, Arbroath are competing in the third division of the Scottish Football system. The highest scoring soccer game in Scottish FA Cup history.

4. Vanuatu 46-0 Micronesia

The Pacific Ocean region has various tiny island nations and overseas territories that regularly play soccer fixtures with limited resources, funds and players, while many of them are semi-professionals. In the 2015 edition of the Pacific Games, the men’s football tournament was regarded as the most prestigious tournament.

Vanuatu scored 46 goals against fellow Western Pacific Ocean nation Micronesia, who fielded their Under-23s squad and crashed out of the tournament. Micronesia is among the weakest national soccer teams in the world in the group stage match. This match is also considered one of the highest scoring international soccer game.

3. Police Machine FC 67-0 Bubayaro FC

Our next highest scoring soccer match is from Nigeria, Africa. It was in the lower division play-off match and the birth of qualification to the Nationwide League division (3rd division) was on the line. When Police Machine FC, a club based in Lokoja, Kogi State in Nigeria, scored a thumping 67 goals against Bubayaro in 2013.

Not only it, things got more controversial later, as the investigation conducted by The Nigerian Football Federation revealed that ‘a fraudulent conspiracy among the teams’ deemed it a scandal for match-fixing and banned all the players and the team.

2. Plateau United Founders 79-0 Akurba

Another bizarre story of a high-scoring soccer game from Nigeria, that happened at the same time when Police Machine FC played Bubayaro FC. The stakes were similar as all four teams, including Plateau United Founder, Akurba, were fighting for a promotion to the Professional third tier of the Nigerian soccer pyramid. This game followed a similar pattern as Akurba conceded 72 goals in the second half, among which many were own goals.

Again, the consequences were also the same, considering that all the teams were involved in the scandal of match-fixing and faced bans; to date, it remains the most notorious scandal in soccer history and highest scoring soccer game in the Nigerian league.

1. AS Adema 149-0 Stade Olympique de l’Emyrne

Let’s revisit the clash between AS Adema and Stade Olympique de l’Emyrne in the Madagascar top division on 31st October 2002. The defending Malagasy champions Stade Olympique de l’Emyrne (SOE) had already lost their hope of retaining their title with As Adema after winning their previous game against SO Emyrne in four-team robin Play-off fixtures. What happened after, was just pure drama which madet this particular fixture the highest scoring soccer game in the history of this sport.

The moment the game kicked off, the Stade Olympique players started smashing goals in their own net and scored a staggering 149 own goals in 90 minutes an average of a couple of goals every minute to demonstrate their protest against the Match officials as a result the game ended on an unreal scoreline of 149-0 with AS Adema walking out as winners. Interestingly, this game holds the Guinness World Record for ‘Most own goals scored in a football (soccer) match by a team.’ This Madagascar soccer game remains the highest-scoring soccer game in history.