The biggest win in football history 149-0 was recorded in Madagascar in 2002, when AS Adema were officially credited with defeating Stade Olympique L’Emyrne (SOE) by an astonishing 149-0 scoreline. It remains one of the most extraordinary results ever recorded in football, although the circumstances behind the match make it very different from an ordinary football victory.
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Rather than AS Adema scoring 149 conventional goals, SOE deliberately put the ball into its own net throughout the match as a protest against refereeing decisions. That bizarre sequence produced a scoreline that has become synonymous with the biggest winning margin in football history.
Quick answer: What is the biggest win in football history?
AS Adema’s 149-0 victory over Stade Olympique L’Emyrne in 2002 is widely recognized as the biggest win in football history by winning margin.
Here are the key details:
| Record | Details |
|---|---|
| Biggest win | AS Adema 149-0 Stade Olympique L’Emyrne |
| Year | 2002 |
| Country | Madagascar |
| Competition | Madagascar National Championship |
| Winning margin | 149 goals |
| Nature of result | Deliberate own goals by SOE |
| Main reason | Protest against refereeing decisions |
The extraordinary 149-0 result is therefore not simply a story about one team being 149 goals better than another. It was the consequence of an unusual protest that turned a football match into one of the strangest events in the sport’s history.
AS Adema 149-0: What happened?
The famous match took place during Madagascar’s national championship in 2002.
AS Adema faced Stade Olympique L’Emyrne, commonly known as SOE. Under normal circumstances, the match would have been another fixture in the championship. Instead, it became historic because of SOE’s decision to protest against refereeing decisions.
SOE players repeatedly scored own goals after the match had effectively ceased to be a genuine competitive contest.
Every time the ball went into their own net, the score increased in AS Adema’s favor. The process continued until the referee ended the game with the extraordinary score of 149-0.
That is the central reason the biggest win in football history 149-0 record is so unusual.
Did AS Adema actually score 149 goals?
No.
This is an important distinction.
The official score was 149-0 in favor of AS Adema, but the goals were deliberately scored into SOE’s own net by SOE players as part of their protest.
Consequently, it would be inaccurate to describe the match as AS Adema producing 149 successful attacks and scoring 149 normal goals.
The official scoreline is nevertheless recorded as AS Adema 149-0 SOE, which is why the match is recognized whenever football’s biggest victories are discussed.
Why did SOE score 149 own goals?
The extraordinary behavior was connected to SOE’s anger over refereeing decisions in the championship.
The club believed decisions made in an earlier match had seriously affected its chances of winning the national championship. In response, the team used the AS Adema fixture to stage a protest.
Instead of playing normally, SOE players intentionally scored own goals.
The protest had an immediate and spectacular effect on the scoreboard. One own goal became several, then dozens, and eventually the score reached 149-0.
The result was so extreme that it quickly attracted international attention.
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What happened after the 149-0 match?
The authorities did not treat the incident as an ordinary football match.
SOE coach Zaka Be received a three-year suspension, while four of the club’s players were suspended until the end of the season.
The disciplinary action demonstrated how seriously the authorities viewed the deliberate manipulation of the match.
Although the result was recorded in the history books, the circumstances surrounding it ensured that the 149-0 football record became much more famous than a conventional high-scoring victory would have been.
Is 149-0 the biggest football score ever?
The answer depends on exactly what is meant by “biggest.”
If the question refers to the largest winning margin in a senior football match, AS Adema’s 149-0 result is the famous record.
However, the match was fundamentally different from a conventional competitive game because SOE deliberately scored own goals.
That distinction matters when comparing it with other huge victories.
For example, Australia’s 31-0 victory over American Samoa was a genuine international football contest in which Australia scored all 31 goals against its opponent.
Therefore, there are different records for the biggest overall winning margin, biggest international victory and biggest victories in individual competitions.
Biggest Win in International Football: Australia 31-0 American Samoa
Australia’s 31-0 victory over American Samoa is one of the most famous high-scoring results in international football.
The match was played during qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, with Australia producing a remarkable attacking performance.
Australia scored 16 times before half-time and added another 15 goals after the break.
The final score was:
Australia 31-0 American Samoa
Unlike the 149-0 AS Adema result, Australia’s victory was a conventional competitive match rather than a protest involving deliberate own goals.
Archie Thompson scored 13 goals
Australian forward Archie Thompson produced one of the greatest individual scoring performances in international football.
He scored 13 goals against American Samoa.
His remarkable performance made him the standout player of the match and gave the 31-0 victory a permanent place in international football history.
The result also illustrates why it is important to distinguish the biggest win in football history 149-0 from the biggest victories achieved through normal competitive play.
Biggest Win in Women’s International Football
Women’s international football has also produced some extraordinary scorelines.
Canada recorded a 21-0 victory over Puerto Rico at the 1998 CONCACAF Women’s Championship.
The match became particularly memorable because Silvana Burtini scored eight goals for Canada.
The 21-0 result is one of the largest victories recorded in women’s international football and demonstrates how dramatically the definition of “biggest win” can change depending on the competition being considered.
Australia’s 18-0 Win Over Indonesia
Another notable women’s international result came at the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Australia defeated Indonesia 18-0, producing a dominant opening performance at the tournament.
Sam Kerr scored five goals, helping Australia establish a huge advantage over Indonesia.
Although the result was nowhere near the 149-0 scoreline, it was a major victory in the context of women’s international football.
Biggest Win in Premier League History
The biggest winning margin in Premier League history is nine goals.
The 9-0 record has been achieved by three teams:
| Match | Score | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester United vs Ipswich Town | 9-0 | 1994-95 |
| Leicester City vs Southampton | 9-0 | 2019-20 |
| Manchester United vs Southampton | 9-0 | 2020-21 |
These matches are among the most dominant performances in Premier League history.
Manchester United 9-0 Ipswich Town
Manchester United produced the first 9-0 Premier League victory when they defeated Ipswich Town at Old Trafford in the 1994-95 season.
Andy Cole scored five goals, becoming the first player to score five times in a Premier League match.
Manchester United’s nine-goal victory established a Premier League record that stood alone for more than two decades.
Leicester City 9-0 Southampton
Leicester City equaled Manchester United’s record in October 2019.
The Foxes defeated Southampton 9-0 at St Mary’s, producing one of the most remarkable away victories in Premier League history.
Jamie Vardy and Ayoze Pérez both scored hat-tricks, while Leicester’s attacking performance resulted in a nine-goal margin.
Manchester United 9-0 Southampton
Manchester United later matched the record again in February 2021.
Southampton were reduced to 10 players early in the match, and United took full advantage of the numerical advantage.
The final score was again 9-0, making Manchester United the only club to have recorded the Premier League’s nine-goal winning margin twice.
Biggest Win in Football History vs Biggest Normal Victory
This is where the AS Adema result becomes particularly interesting.
| Record | Result | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| Biggest win in football history | AS Adema 149-0 SOE | Deliberate own goals |
| Major international victory | Australia 31-0 American Samoa | Normal competitive match |
| Women’s international | Canada 21-0 Puerto Rico | International women’s football |
| Premier League | 9-0 | Shared by three matches |
| Indian Super League | FC Goa 7-0 Mumbai City | Major ISL winning margin |
The numbers show just how unusual the 149-0 result really was.
A 9-0 Premier League victory is already considered an extraordinary result. A 31-0 international victory is almost unimaginable in modern elite football. Yet AS Adema’s scoreline was nearly five times larger than Australia’s famous 31-0 result.
The explanation is simple: 149-0 was created by deliberate own goals rather than conventional attacking dominance.
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Did Any Team Come Close to the 149-0 Record?
There have been many enormous football victories at amateur, youth and lower-level competitions, but very few results are comparable with AS Adema’s 149-0 scoreline in recognized senior football.
The unusual circumstances of the Madagascar match make it especially difficult for a conventional football team to surpass.
To beat the record through normal play, a team would need to score at an extraordinary rate throughout an entire match while conceding nothing.
At professional level, that scenario is extraordinarily unlikely.
Why Is the AS Adema 149-0 Record So Famous?
The record has survived in football history for more than two decades because it combines an impossible-looking scoreline with an extraordinary story.
There are three reasons the match continues to attract attention:
First, the number 149-0 is almost impossible to comprehend in normal football.
Second, the goals came from deliberate own goals rather than a conventional attacking masterclass.
Third, the match was connected to a protest over refereeing decisions, giving the result a remarkable story beyond the scoreboard.
That combination makes AS Adema’s victory one of the most unusual records in world football.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.What is the biggest win in football history?
The biggest win in football history is AS Adema’s 149-0 victory over Stade Olympique L’Emyrne in Madagascar in 2002.
2.Who won 149-0 in football?
AS Adema were recorded as the winners of the famous 149-0 match against Stade Olympique L’Emyrne.
3.Why was the score 149-0?
SOE players deliberately scored own goals as a protest against refereeing decisions. The repeated own goals produced the extraordinary 149-0 final score.
4.Is 149-0 the biggest international football win?
No. The 149-0 match was a domestic club fixture in Madagascar. One of the most famous men’s international records is Australia’s 31-0 victory over American Samoa.
5.Can the 149-0 record be broken?
A conventional competitive match surpassing 149 goals is extremely unlikely. The extraordinary circumstances of the AS Adema match make the record particularly difficult to challenge.