Category: Sport Facts

LeBron James Facts

James

LeBron James is an American basketball star, currently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Facts About LeBron James

  • LeBron James was born in 1984 in Akron Ohio, US.
  • His full name is LeBron Raymone James.
  • He was raised by his mother, Gloria Marie James, who was sixteen when her son was born.
  • LeBron James had a challenging life when he was a child. They were often forced to move apartments, and they could only afford to live in the roughest parts of Akron.
  • When he was nine years old, LeBron James’ mother arranged for him to live with the family of Frank Walker, a youth football coach. She believed this would give her son a more stable and secure home environment.
  • Frank Walker introduced LeBron James to organized basketball, and he became good enough to join the Northeast Ohio Shooting Star team.
  • LeBron James became an important player for the Shooting Stars, and, along with Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee, he helped the team to become very successful. The four star players called themselves the Fab Four.
  • The Fab Four agreed to go to the same high school, and they decided to attend St Vincent-St Mary High School in Akron, Ohio.
  • LeBron James became a high school basketball sensation. In his freshman year, he averaged 21 points per game. As a junior, he averaged 29 points, more than 8 rebounds, and more than 5 assists per game.
  • The St Vincent-St Mary High School home games became so popular they had to be played at the Rhodes Arena at the University of Akron in order to satisfy the demand for tickets.
  • LeBron James was named Gatorade Player of the Year, becoming the first high school junior to win the award.
  • As a high school student, LeBron James appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. He was also featured in Slam magazine.
  • During his senior year, LeBron James averaged more than 31 points per game, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and more than 3 steals per game.
  • His high school games as a senior were broadcast nationally on the ESPN2 channel.
  • LeBron James also played American football at high school. He was a wide receiver, and many experts believe that he could have played professionally had he not decided to pursue a basketball career.
  • LeBron James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the number one pick in the 2003 NBA draft. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
  • In the 2008-09 NBA season, LeBron James led his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
  • He was voted NBA MVP in 2009 and 2010 (as a Cleveland Cavalier). He also won the award twice with the Miami Heat (in 2012 and 2013)
  • He joined the Miami Heat in 2010, teaming with NBA stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Miami Heat won the NBA Finals in 2012 and 2013.
  • In 2014, LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he led the team to victory in the 2016 NBA Finals.
  • LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. He guided them to victory in the 2020 NBA Finals, giving James his fourth title, and making him the third player in NBA history to win a championship with three different teams.
  • During the 2020-21 season LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to reach the milestone of 30,000 career points, 10,000 career rebounds, 10,000 career assists.
  • LeBron James has made 18 consecutive NBA All-Star appearances.
  • He is 6′ 9″ tall, and he weighs 250 pounds.
  • LeBron James is married to Savannah Brinson. They have three children – Bronny, Bryce, and Zhuri. LeBron James has expressed a desire to play an NBA game on the same court as his son Bronny.
  • He has appeared in several movies, including Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), Trainwreck (2015), and More than a Game (2008).
  • He is often referred to by his nickname King James.

Jack Grealish Facts

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Jack Grealish is an English professional football player who plays as an attacking midfielder for Manchester City and England. He is best known for his ability to dribble past defenders.

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Facts About Jack Grealish

  • Jack Grealish was born in Birmingham, England in 1995.
  • He grew up in the town of Solihull, and he went to Solihull’s Our Lady of Compassion Roman Catholic Primary School and St Peter’s Roman Catholic Secondary School.
  • Three of his four grandparents come from Ireland, and Jack Grealish played Gaelic football from the age of 10 to 14.
  • Jack Grealish’s younger brother, Keelan, died at the age of just 9 months in 2000.
  • Jack Grealish’s great-great-grandfather, Billy Garraty, played for Aston Villa. He won the 1905 FA Cup Final, and he earned one England cap.
  • As a young child, Jack Grealish played for Highgate United (a team based in Solihull).
  • He joined Aston Villa (the club he supported) at the age of six.
  • He was loaned by Aston Villa to Notts County in 2013, and he made his professional debut for Notts County against Milton Keynes.
  • He made his debut for Aston Villa in May 2014 against Manchester City in the Premier League.

I wouldn’t change what I do for the world – every single day, I’m lucky to be doing what I’m doing.

Jack Grealish
  • In 2019, when Jack Grealish was captain, Aston Villa won a club-record 10 league wins in a row.
  • In the 2019-20 Premier League season, Jack Grealish was fouled 167 times, a Premier League record. He was voted Aston Villa’s player of the season.
  • In 2021, Jack Grealish signed for Manchester City. The transfer fee was $100 million, making Jack Grealish the most expensive English player.
  • Jack Grealish has represented both the Republic of Ireland and England at under-21 level.
  • He made his senior debut for England in 2020 against Denmark.
  • Jack Grealish wears shin pads designed for children, and he wears his socks rolled down.
  • He enjoys listening to the music of Elvis Prestley and the band Queen.
  • He has three siblings – a brother (Kevan) and two sisters (Holly and Kiera).
  • He loves spending time with his family.
  • The best Christmas present he ever received was an orange BMX.
  • Pigs in blankets are his favourite part of a Christmas dinner.
  • He likes to eat out with family and friends.
  • Jack Grealish would like Leonardo Di Caprio to play him if a movie was made of his life
  • He is a terrible cook and can only make cheese on toast.
  • Jack Grealish’s dad watched every single one of his son’s matches when he was growing up.

Certain players just watch a little bit of football — not me, I watch everything. When I’m at home, no matter what game is on, I will watch it. Ask me about any player and I’ll know all about him.

Jack Grealish

Harry Kane Facts

James

Harry Kane is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Tottenham Hotspur and England.

Disclaimer: This post includes Amazon product images that include affiliate links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Primary Facts earns from qualifying purchases.

Facts About Harry Kane

  • Harry Kane was born in 1993 in the east London town of Walthamstow.
  • He has an older brother called Charlie.
  • When he was a boy, Harry Kane’s family moved to Chingford in Essex, and he went to Larkswood Primary School.
  • When he was six years old, he joined the Ridgeway Rovers football club.
  • Teddy Sheringham (a striker for Tottenham and England) was one of his biggest football heroes when he was young. He was also inspired by David Beckham, Brazil’s Ronaldo, and Jermain Defoe.
  • Harry Kane originally joined the Arsenal youth academy, but he was released after just one year for not being athletic enough. At the age of 11, he joined the Tottenham Hotspur academy. He played some games as a holding midfielder and some games as an attacking midfielder.
  • He attended the Chingford Foundation School, the same high school that David Beckham went to.
  • In the 2009-10 season, Harry Kane scored 18 goals in 22 appearances for Tottenham’s under-18 side.
  • In July 2010, he signed his first professional contract.
  • Harry Kane made his Tottenham debut against the Scottish team Hearts in a UEFA Europa League qualification round second leg match. He won a penalty, but his penalty kick was saved by the goalkeeper.

I think self-belief is a massive thing in football. If you don’t believe in yourself, not many others will. Work hard and believe in yourself, and I think you’ll go as far as your body will take you.

Harry Kane
  • In the early part of his Tottenham career, Harry Kane had loan spells at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich, and Leicester.
  • In April 2014, Harry Kane made his first Premier League start for Tottenham. He scored, and he went on to score in his next two matches as well.
  • In the 2014-15 season, Harry Kane scored 21 Premier League goals in 34 appearances. He was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year.
  • Harry Kane won the Premier League Golden Boot (awarded to the league’s top goalscorer) for the 2015-16 season after scoring 25 goals in 38 games. He won the award again in 2016-17 (scoring 29 goals in 30 appearances).
  • In the 2017-18 season, Harry Kane became the first player to score 6 hat-tricks in one Premier League season. He also scored 39 Premier League goals in one calendar year, beating a record set by Alan Shearer.
  • During the 2020-21 season, Harry Kane scored 23 goals (earning him his third Golden Boot award), and he finished with the most Premier League assists (earning him the Premier League Playmaker of the Year award).
  • Harry Kane made his England debut in 2016. He scored 80 seconds after coming on as a replacement for Wayne Rooney against Lithuania at Wembley Stadium.
  • He captained England for the first time in 2017.
  • At the time of writing (2022), Harry Kane is England’s second all-time leading goalscorer (50 goals), and he has scored 183 Premier League goals.
  • Harry Kane has a sponsorship deal with Nike.

When I broke into the Premier League, I was not quite as physically developed as the other players. With Mauricio Pochettino, we did a lot in the gym, trying to improve my strength and speed and power. I got a bit addicted to improving the statistics. I put pressure on myself to get better.

Harry Kane
  • In 2020, Harry Kane sponsored Leyton Orient’s shirts to help the club deal with the financial burden imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The home shirt showed a thank-you message to the staff of the NHA, and the away shirt displayed a Haven House Children’s Hospice logo.
  • Harry Kane married Katie Goodland. They met in high school. They have three children.
  • Harry Kane’s Labrador retrievers were named Brady and Wilson after the NFL quarterbacks, Tom Brady and Russell Wilson.
  • In his free time, he enjoys playing golf.
  • In 2019, Harry Kane was made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to football.
  • In 2018, he won the World Cup Golden Boot after scoring 6 goals in the tournament.
  • Harry Kane is a big NFL fan. Tom Brady is one of his sporting heroes and Harry Kane has expressed an interest in trying out as an American Football kicker after his footballing career has come to an end.
  • He enjoys watching the Dexter TV show.

Football is my job. I dedicated a lot of time and work to be where I am now, and I think some players lose sight of that. You start to think the other things are more important, more exciting, but what I am paid for is to work hard and be professional.

Harry Kane
  • Some of his favourite foods include chicken paella, steak, brown rice, and salad. For breakfast, he enjoys brown toast, omelette, and spinach.
  • One of his favourite films is 2009’s Law Abiding Citizen starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler.
  • Ryan Gosling is one of his favourite actors.

Marcus Rashford Facts

James

Marcus Rashford is a British international footballer and an effective campaigner against child food poverty.

Disclaimer: This post includes Amazon product images that include affiliate links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Primary Facts earns from qualifying purchases.

Facts About Marcus Rashford

  • Marcus Rashford was born in 1997 in Manchester England.
  • His birthday is on 31st October – Halloween.
  • His mother was a single parent, and she often had to work more than one job to feed her family. She was sometimes forced to skip meals so that Marcus Rashford and his two older brothers (Dwaine and Dane) and his two older sisters (Chantelle and Claire) could eat.
  • Marcus Rashford’s cousin is the footballer Lois Maynard, who has played for several teams including Halifax Town, Tranmere Rovers, Salford City, Stockport County, and Oldham Athletic.
  • At the age of five, Marcus Rashford played football for Fletcher Moss Rangers. He was originally a goalkeeper before switching to forward.
  • He joined the Manchester United academy programme at the age of seven, choosing Manchester over Everton or Liverpool.
  • When he was eleven years old, Marcus Rashford was selected for the Manchester United Schoolboy Scholars scheme. He was the youngest player to do so.
  • As a youngster, he played cage football with Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard.
  • In 2015, Marcus Rashford was named as a substitute for a Manchester United Premier League match against Watford. He wore the number 39 shirt but never made it onto the pitch.
  • On 25 February 2016 Marcus Rashford made his Manchester United debut, scoring 2 goals against Midtjylland in the UEFA Europa League.
  • He made his Premier League debut against Arsenal.
  • By the end of the 2021/22 Premier League season, Marcus Rashford has scored 59 Premier League goals. His best goalscoring season was in 2019/20, when he scored 17 times in the Premier League.
  • Before the start of the 2022/23 season, Marcus Rashford had played 46 times for England, scoring 12 goals.
  • Marcus Rashford set up the In the Box campaign with Selfridges department store in 2019, providing homeless people with essential items over the Christmas period.
  • In March 2020, working with the food waste charity FareShare, Marcus Rashford raised more than £20 million to provide meals to those children who weren’t receiving their free school meals due to the UK lockdown. More than 4 million meals were delivered.
  • Marcus Rashford wrote an open letter to the UK government in June 2020, challenging them to address UK child poverty. The next day, the government implemented a policy to provide free meals during the summer holidays to those children who received free school meals during term time.

I don’t have the education of a politician, but I have a social education having lived through this and having spent time with the families and children most affected. These children matter… And as long as they don’t have a voice they will have mine.

Marcus Rashford

Check out some more Marcus Rashford quotes.

  • Marcus Rashford was made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in October 2020.
  • Marcus Rashford signed with Jay-Z’s agency Roc Nation in 2020.
  • He won an award at the 2020 Pride of Britain Award ceremony for his efforts to eradicate child food poverty. He was named Campaigner of the Year by GQ, and he received a special award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
  • He published a children’s book called You Are a Champion. It won Book of the Year at the 2022 British Book Awards.
  • Marcus Rashford is 5′ 11″.
  • He enjoys playing Call of Duty and FIFA on his Playstation. He also likes playing online Monopoly.
  • He signed with Nike when he was 11.
  • Kellogg’s Fruit ‘n Fibre is his favourite cereal. He used to eat seven or eight bowls a day before he learned about the importance of good nutrition.
  • He enjoys reading motivational books, such as Relentless by Tim Grover.
  • He loves dogs and he has had an Italian Mastiff as a pet.
  • Marcus Rashford was a guest editor of the Beano comic in 2022. He aslso appeared in some of the comic strips alongside some of the Beano characters, such as the Bash Street Kids, Billy Whizz, and Bananaman.

Luka Doncic Facts

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Luka Doncic is a Slovenian basketball player who currently plays in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks.

Disclaimer: This post includes Amazon product images that include affiliate links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Primary Facts earns from qualifying purchases.

Facts About Luka Doncic

  • Luka Doncic’s name should properly be written as Luka Dončić.
  • He was born on 28th February 1999 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
  • He is 6′ 7″ (2.01 metres) tall.
  • His father, Saša Dončić, was a Slovenian Premier A-League basketball player, and later a basketball coach. His mother Mirjam Poterbin, was a beauty salon owner.
  • His parents divorced in 2008, and his mother was granted legal custody of their son.
  • Luka Doncic first touched a basketball when he was just 7 months old, and by the age of one, he was playing with a miniature hoop in his bedroom.
  • When he was seven years old, he played organized basketball against ten-year-olds.
  • Greek basketball player Vassilis Spanoulis was one of his earliest basketball heroes. He also admired the play of LeBron James.
  • At age 8, Doncic joined the Slovenian basketball team, Union Olimpija. His father played for the men’s team. Luka Doncic practiced with the under-14s team, but due to league rules, he was only allowed to take the flor in under-12 matches.
  • In 2011 Luka Doncic played for the under-14s in a tournament held in Budapest, Hungary. He was named MVP (Most Valuable Player), and his team finished as runners-up to FC Barcelona.
  • In 2012, he was loaned to the Real Madrid basketball team. He competed for the Spanish team in an under-14s competition, and he was again named tournament MVP.
  • In the final of an under-13s competition in 2012, he posted a triple-double with 54 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
  • Luka Doncic signed a 5-year contract with Real Madrid at the age of 13 in 2012.
  • He moved to Madrid, and he was named MVP of the Under-16 Spanish Championship.
  • By the 2014-15 season, he was playing with the Real Madridunder-18s team and the men’s reserve team.
  • He made his professional debut for Real Madrid on 30th April 2015. At 16 years, 2 months, and 2 days old, he was Real Madrid’s youngest ever player, and the third-youngest player in the history of the league (behind Ricky Rubio and Angel Rebolo).
  • In the 2015-16 season, Luka Doncic was a regular in the Real Madrid senior team., and in the 2016-17 season, he was named EuroLeague Rising Star, and received the ACB Best Young Player Award.
  • In 2016-17, Luka Doncic became the star player of the Real Madrid team. Real Madrid won the EuroLeague finals, and Luka Doncic was named EuroLeague Final Four MVP. He was also won the EuroLeague MVP award, becoming the youngest player to do so.
  • In June 2018, Luka Doncic was selected third in the NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Trae Young.
  • He scored 10 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists in his NBA debut against the Phoenix Suns on 17th October 2018.
  • In his first NBA season, Luka Donic won the Rookie of the Year Award, was voted onto the 2019 Rising Star Team, was chosen for the All-Rookie First Team, became the youngest player in NBA history to record at least three triple-doubles, and became only the fifth player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in their rookie year.
  • During the 2019-20 season, Donic continued to set records. He became the Dallas Mavericks’ all-time triple-double leader, breaking the record of 21. He became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 30+ point, 20+ rebound, 10+ assist triple-double, and the second-youngest player to record a 40+ point triple-double. He was named to the All-NBA First Team, finished fourth in the MVP voting, and was an NBA All-Star starter for the first time.
  • In the 2020-21 season, Luka Doncic was once again selected to the All-NBA First Team.
  • Luka Doncic has represented Slovenia as both a junior and a senior player. In 2017, Slovenia won the EuroBasket tournament.
  • Luka Doncic was named MVP of the 2020 FIBA Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament, at the 2020 Olympic Games (where Slovenia finished in fourth place), Luka Donic was selected to the FIBa All-Satr Five team as one o the five best players at the Olympics.
  • Doncic is good friends with his Slovenian teammate Goran Dragic.
  • He can speak four languages – Slovenian, Serbian, English, and Spanish.
  • In 2019, he signed an endorsement deal with Air Jordan.
  • Luka Doncic appeared on the cover of the NBA 2K22 videogame.
  • In 2021, a 2018-19 National Treasures Luka Doncic basketball card with an NBA logo game-used patch sold for $4.6 million.
  • He wears number 77 on his Dallas Mavericks jersey. At Real Madrid he wor number 7.
  • Luka Doncic’s godfather is Radoslav Nesterovic, a former NBA basketball player.
  • Luka has several tattoos, including a tiger motif on his left forearm.
  • Michael Jordan has described Luka Doncic as a ‘phenomenal player’, and Shaqille O’Neal has said he loves watching Luka play because ‘he is the true definition of a great player’.

Kyle Edmunds: Facts About the British Tennis Player

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Here are some facts about Kyle Edmund.

  • Kyle Edmund was born on 8th January 1995.
  • He was born in South Africa, but moved to England with his family when he was 3 years old.

  • Kyle grew up in the village of Tickton in Yorkshire.
  • He was a keen sportsman growing up. He played cricket and was a good swimmer, but decided to concentrate on tennis.
  • Just before his 17th birthday, he moved to the Roehampton LTA National Training Centre. On weekdays he was coached by Colin Beecher, and at weekends, he went home to see his family.
  • Kyle Edmund was a successful junior player. With Frederico Ferreira Silva, Edmunds won 2012 US open junior doubles event. The pair also won the doubles title at the 2013 French Open.
  • He played his first ATP tour match in June 2013.
  • In early 2014, Kyle Edmund received his first GB Davis Cup call-up.
  • In 2015, Kyle Edmund won his first Grand slam match, defeating Stephane Robert in five sets in the first round of the French Open.
  • His highest ranking (as of July 2016) is 67, but it is thought that Kyle Edmund will break into the top 50 very soon.
  • He enjoys watching Formula 1.
  • His tennis idols are Marat Safin and Andy Murray.
  • He is Liverpool FC fan. Gerrard and Carragher were his favourite players growing up.




Captain Webb: Facts About the First Person to Swim the English Channel

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Here are some facts about Captain Webb.

  • Captain Matthew Webb was a British professional swimmer. He was the first person to swim across the English Channel, the body of water between England and France.
  • Captain Webb was born in Shropshire in 1848, one of 12 children. He joined the merchant navy when he was 12, and learned to swim in the River Severn near his home.

  • Webb tried to rescue a man overboard by diving into the Atlantic Ocean, while sailing from New York to Liverpool. He was given a medal and £100 although the man was never found.
  • He swam from Dover to Calais in just under 22 hours on the 25th August, 1875. Two weeks earlier, he gave up on his first attempt because of strong winds.
  • Webb covered himself in porpoise fat before entering the water.
  • Because the currents blew him off course, he ended up covering a distance of about 64 km.

Captain Webb

  • After his success, Captain Webb made the most of his fame. His name appeared on a brand of matches, and he also endorsed books, pottery and various other products.
  • He gave up his naval career to focus on swimming. He competed in swimming competitions all over the United States, beating the current champion in a competition at Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts.
  • Webb also took part in several stunts, including floating in a tank of water for 128 hours. He wrote a best-selling book called The Art of Swimming and enjoyed world wide fame.
  • In July, 1883 Captain Webb tried to swim through the Whirlpool Rapids near Niagara Falls. He died while attempting the dangerous swim and was buried in nearby Oakwood Cemetery.
  • A memorial to Webb in his home village of Dawley, Shropshire reads — Nothing great is easy.
  • The Captain Webb pub in Telford is named after the famous swimmer.

What next? Discover some facts about other famous Victorians by visiting our Victorians resources page.

Walter Tull: Facts and Information

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Here are some interesting facts about Walter Tull.

  • Walter Tull was an English footballer who played for Northampton Town and Tottenham Hotspur. He was also the first black officer in the British army and fought in World War 1.

  • He was born in Folkestone, Kent, in April, 1888 and was raised in an orphanage in East London. His grandmother was a slave on the Caribbean island of Barbados.
  • Walter Tull began playing football for the orphanage team and joined Clapton FC in 1908. He was soon named Player of the Season and won the FA Amateur Cup and London Senior Cup.
  • He was signed up by Tottenham Hotspur in 1909, at the age of 21. The team toured Argentina and Uruguay, making Tull the first black player to play in South America.
  • Supporters of the opposing team often insulted Tull because of the colour of his skin.
  • He was signed up as half-back for Northampton Town FC in 1911, and he went on to score 9 goals in 110 senior appearances before enlisting to fight in World War I.
  • Tull was promoted to sergeant and took part in the 1916 Battle of the Somme. He was sent back to England in December 1916 with trench fever.

Walter Tull

  • In 1917, he fought in Italy. He was widely recognized for his bravery, especially on one occasion where he led over 20 men across a fast flowing river at night.
  • In March, 1918, Walter Tull was shot and killed while leading an attack on the German trenches. He was recommended for a Military Cross, and was awarded the British War and Victory Medal.
  • A memorial was erected to Walter Tull at Northampton Town FC in 1999. He has been featured on a £5 coin and has been the subject of several biographies and documentaries.

Angel Di Maria: Facts and Information

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Here are some facts about Angel Di Maria.

  • Angel Di Maria’s full anme is Angel Fabian Di Maria Hernandez.
  • He was born on 14 February 1988 in Rosario, Argentina.

  • His family didn’t have much money when he was growing up and they struggled to afford his football boots.
  • Di Maria signed for Rosario Central as a youth, and went on to make 35 appearances for their senior first team, scoring 6 goals.
  • In 2007 he was signed by Benfica (Portugal), where he made 76 league appearances and scored 7 league goals.
  • In 2010, Real Madrid (Spain) purchased Di Maria for around $25 million. He played 124 league matches for Real, scoring 22 goals.
  • In 2014, Manchester United purchased Angel Di Maria for nearly £60 million, the highest fee ever paid by a British club and, at the time, the sixth most expensive transfer of all time.
  • He has represented Argentina at under-20, under-23 and senior levels.
  • Angel Di Maria is a winger / attacking midfielder, known for his pace, dribbling skills and left-footed shot.
  • He is 1.8 metres tall.
  • At the 2014 World Cup, he was voted one of the ten best players in the tournament.
  • He is married to Jorgelina.
  • He is nicknamed Fideo (the Noodle) because he is skinny.
  • He has an Olympic gold medal. He was part of the Argentina team that beat Nigeria in 2008 at the Beijing Games.

World Cup Facts

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Here are some facts about the World Cup.

  • The World Cup is an international football (soccer) competition between FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) countries. It has been held every 4 years since 1930, except 1942 and 1946.

  • Brazil has played in every competition and has won the World Cup 5 times up to 2014. Italy and Germany have won the competition 4 times each (up to 2014).
  • England won once, in 1966 when 100,000 fans packed Wembley Stadium to see England beat West Germany 4-2. The match was the last World Cup game to be televised in black and white.
  • The trophy awarded is the Jules Rimet Trophy, named after the FIFA president. It is made of solid 18 carat gold, and stands 36 cm high.
  • World Cup rules state that players have to wear football boots to play. India dropped out of the 1950 competition when told that they could not play barefoot.
  • Brazil’s Pele is the only player to have won 3 World Cup championships. He was also one of the youngest players to appear in a final, at just under 18 years old.
  • The first hat trick was scored by Bert Patenaude of the United States in the 1930 competition. One of the fastest ever goals was scored 11 seconds into the game by a Turkish player in 2002.
  • The system of issuing yellow and red cards to players was introduced in the 1970 competition. Chile’s Carlos Caszely was the first player to receive the red card, in 1974.
  • The 2014 competition in Brazil generated over 4 billion dollars in revenue for FIFA. Almost 10 percent of the world’s population watched the competition, making it the most watched sporting event.
  • However, the 2014 World Cup also cost an estimated 16 billion dollars. Security at the matches in Brazil was helped by using robots and drone spy planes to fly overhead.