The heaviest defeat ever recorded in football history

The heaviest defeat ever recorded in football history

Eric Munene • 13:00 - 21.05.2024

The story behind most lopsided match in history

On October 31, 2002, AS Adema achieved an unprecedented victory with a world record margin of 149 goals to none.

However, the remarkable aspect of this match was that Adema’s players were not responsible for scoring any of those goals.

This historic event occurred during the final round of Madagascar’s THB Champions League tournament, which featured three teams competing in a round-robin format.

Stade Olympique de L’Emyrne Antananarivo (SOE), the reigning champions, had been eliminated in their previous match due to a controversial last-minute penalty decision.

This outcome effectively declared Adema the new champions with one match still to be played.

With nothing to lose, SOE chose to use the match against Adema as a platform to protest their elimination from the tournament. From the kickoff, they deliberately directed the ball into their own net.

As Adema’s players looked on in disbelief, SOE continued to score own goals from each subsequent kickoff, resulting in the astonishing final scoreline of 149–0.

This margin was duly recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest ever in a football match.

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Following this highly unusual match, the Fédération Malagasy de Football took disciplinary action. The manager of SOE was suspended for three years, and four players from the team also received suspensions.

Stade Olympique's decision to score own goals was a bold statement, a form of silent protest against perceived injustices.

It was a desperate plea for attention, a stark reminder of the power dynamics at play within the world of football.

While the match itself may have ended in humiliation for Stade Olympique, their actions sparked a conversation about the role of referees, the integrity of the game, and the lengths to which teams would go to make their voices heard.

The events of that day in Madagascar remain etched in football history as a reminder of the sport’s capacity for unexpected and extraordinary moments, as well as the importance of fair play and sporting integrity.

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