Highest Scoring Matches in Football History

Arbroath’s 36-0 win over Bon Accord held this record for the longest time. The match took place in the first round of the 1885-86 Scottish Cup, when a newly-formed Bon Accord pitted against an experienced side, Arbroath. The first half ended 15-0, while an incredible 21 more goals were scored in the second half. 

This record was broken in 2002 by AS Adema and SO Emyrne (149-0). The match took place in the Madagascan top flight, the THB Champions League. SO Emyrne had won the title the season prior, but 2002 was AS Adema’s year. The club had already wrapped up the title after a draw for SO Emyrne in their penultimate match due to a controversial penalty late on in the match. 

The club and players were not happy and decided to protest in the final game of the season.  From kick-off, SO Emyrne players started passing the ball into their own net and scored 149 own goals. The silly stunt cost the manager and four players their jobs, while they were also handed three-year bans from football. 

Despite the circumstances and situation, the match is forever listed in the Guinness World Records. 

The Champions League has produced some very memorable high-scoring matches over the years. But Borussia Dortmund vs Legia Warszawa (8-4) takes the top spot for most goals in a single UEFA Champions League match. On 22 November 2016, BVB hosted the Polish club as Aleksandar Prijovic gave Legia a tenth-minute lead, but the visitors were not in front again once Shinji Kagawa's quickfire double had turned the game on its head. 

The scoreline was 5-2 after 32 minutes. Marco Reus was also on the mark twice and there were also three more goals in the closing ten minutes.

On 29 September 2007, Portsmouth and Reading FC made the record for the highest-scoring English Premier League match in history. Eleven goals were scored in the match, leaving a final scoreline of 7–4 in Portsmouth's favour. There were nine different scorers on the day, including an own goal for both sides. There were six goals during the last twenty minutes of the match, including two scored in injury-time. 

The record was previously held by a 5-4 match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. 

During the 2016-17 Serie A season, Matchday 35 saw ten goals scored at the Olimpico di Roma when Lazio hosted Sampdoria in a huge game. Keita Balde opened the scoring on the day, and Ciro Immobile doubled the lead in the 19th minute with a penalty. The first half ended 5-1, with Stefan de Vrij scoring right before the half-time whistle. 

Ciro Immobile scored again in the second half, while Fabio Quagliarella scored in the 90th minute to take the scoreline to 7-3. 

In February 1931, Athletic Club thrashed Barcelona by the scoreline of 12-1. It is the only match in Spanish top-flight history to be won by an 11-goal margin. Bata scored seven goals in the match, a record that still stands to this day. After the big win, Bilbao went on to win a successive league championship. 

On the opening matchday of the 1935-36 Ligue 1 season, title holders Sochaux hosted newly promoted side Valenciennes. Sochaux player-manager André Abegglen opened the scoring in the 4th minute and scored a total of seven goals on the day. In addition to his seven goals, wingers Leslie Miller (two) and Roger Courtois (three) joined the party to take the scoreline to 12-1. Ignace Kowalczyk scored the only goal on the day for Valenciennes. 

The German Bundesliga is the league known for high-scoring matches. On 29 April 1978, the final match day of the 1977–78 Bundesliga season, Borussia Mönchengladbach faced Borussia Dortmund with the possibility of lifting the championship. 

Borussia Mönchengladbach would have to win by a margin well in excess of ten goals. The match finished 12–0, which remains the largest margin of victory and tied with four other matches for the biggest win in Bundesliga history. 

In spite of the 12–0 victory, Mönchengladbach missed out on the league title since FC Köln beat FC St. Pauli 5–0 in Hamburg and became champions, thanks to their slightly better goal difference.