Being one of the oldest and most well-known sports on the planet, it makes a lot of sense that a lot of misconceptions and myths would be strongly linked to the game by its fans. Over the years and as the game has grown in popularity across the world, more and more myths have become associated with it, sometimes to the point where many believe that the myths are actually facts.

For those that love the game and want to learn more about it, or simply just want to debunk some of the more common myths that are linked with the game, these are some of the most popular in the world right now.

Lionel Messi And Steroids

Lionel Messi is widely regarded as the greatest football player of all time, and it’s not hard to see why. With countless awards and a career that few other professional athletes have been able to replicate, Messi is a shining example of what the ultimate football player is meant to look like. His meteoric success has also given rise to the common belief that much of his performance of the field is anything but natural, and this his home club of Barcelona were responsible for giving him a cocktail of steroids to give his defining edge. But this has been debunked more than once, and it turns out that the player really is just that good on the field.

India And The 1950 World Cup

It’s one of the most well-known football myths in the world: India refused to participate in the 1950 World Cup due to the fact that they were not allowed to play barefoot. It’s been refuted a number of times, but it’s also easy to understand how the myth first started and how it developed into such a widespread belief.

The national football team of India was known across the world at the time for often playing their games without shoes, and when they were invited to play at the 1950 World Cup and they turned it down, it was believed to be due to the fact that the team was not able to play barefoot. The actual reasons that they turned down the chance to play were numerous and included the overall cost to travel as well as the distance from their home they would need to go.

Pele’s Goal Record

Pele is a true legend within the world of football, and for a long time held most of the records that few other players have been able to achieve throughout their careers, and is so well-known that his likeness has been found in all mediums of popular culture, from video games to online bingo in NZ.

But there’s one long-standing myth that has been associated with the player for decades: that he only earned his high goal record due to the fact that there were no offside rules available when he was playing. This couldn’t be further from the truth, however, as the offside rules were very much in existence at the time, and very much enforced by football authorities.