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Billions circulate in the world of football – and where there’s money, there’s also deceit.

From a fake Manchester United player who tried to trick a Slovak club, to a man who lived off lies his whole life without ever kicking a ball.

In this episode, we follow the trail of bizarre scams that shook the world of football.

You’ll hear the story of Carlos Kaiser – the Brazilian “footballer” who, with charm and lies, made it into famous clubs without playing a single match.

We’ll also revisit European impostors, fake transfers, match-fixing scandals, and affairs that rocked the Champions League.

Some stories will make you laugh, others will shock you. But they all share one thing – they show that even football has its tricksters who managed to fool the whole world.

🎧 Footy Past Stories is a podcast where football history comes to life. Every week we bring free episodes for all fans, and premium ones with extended stories, archive material and authentic voices. The project is created in four languages – Czech, English, German and Spanish – to connect football fans around the world.

Ronaldo, Messi, Pelé... Stories of the players who made history

Every goal has its story. Every era had its king of scorers. But who was truly the best? The elegant Messi? The confident Ronaldo? The magical Pelé? Or perhaps someone the world has almost forgotten?

In this episode, we look back at the greatest goalscorers in football history – from Pelé, Messi, and Ronaldo to the forgotten Czech genius Josef Bican, who scored hundreds of goals yet faded from memory outside his homeland.

How can goals be compared across eras? How many did the best truly score? And why do statistics sometimes mislead more than they reveal?

Discover the stories of legends who changed the world of football – and maybe your view of who was truly the greatest goalscorer of all time.

🎧 Footy Past Stories is a podcast where football history comes to life. Each week we bring free episodes for all fans and premium episodes with extended stories, archival materials, and authentic voices recreated by artificial intelligence. The project is produced in four languages – Czech, English, German, and Spanish – connecting football fans all around the world.