UK: 18+ USA: 21+ | Begambleaware.org | T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly
With the increasing emphasis on data and statistics, the way we watch football has become more sophisticated than ever before. Not satisfied with merely watching the action play out in front of them, many fans also trawl the internet in search of the best numbers and insights to help illuminate individual matches, runs of form or even player-to-player performances.
Competition between the outlets is fierce but with that, there is an incredible range of places you can go to find the numbers which bring context to the beautiful game, and the standard is very, very high. With that in mind, here are 10 of the best outlets for football stats.
Contents
FBref
A superb resource, even more so considering it is free. This should be one of your first ports of call when you need something of a football stats nature. The depth to the site makes it particular stand out, covering a vast number of leagues and having statistics on virtually every player in the game.
The player specific football stats are to a very high standard. Shots on target, fouls, offsides, you name it! It is a simple case of entering a team or player name in the search bar at the top and all the relevant information will appear. Match logs, providing game-by-game football stats for team and players, is a clever touch that any football ‘geek’ will enjoy viewing.
Playerstats
Another very handy football stats resource to have very close by. Whilst it may only provide a total of 27 competitions, they cover the main leagues of interest and they too go to a very high level of detail to provide all the necessary facts and figures to give you your football stats kick.
For £4.99 a month, you can unlock all of the stats you desire. An in-play dashboard is another quality addition to this site that helps it stick out above others in that field. This website is especially useful for sports bettors, particularly given the types of betting opportunities that are now available, such as player props markets like fouls, shots and offsides.
Soccerstats
Another football stats website that has to be viewed on a weekly, or maybe even daily basis. The name of the site couldn’t be more appropriate, it simply contains a heck of a lot of soccer (or football) stats! The sheer number of leagues this covers cannot be under-estimated, whether Czech Republic Under-19 league is your thing or the Vietnam Women’s National League tickles your fancy.
The site is more focused on team statistics more than anything, which is the unique selling point it has. Whilst there is a the option to pay a small monthly fee or added benefits, there is a big amount of team data available free of charge, too. A very simple site to navigate around, a clever layout and another site that football stats lovers will enjoy to their hearts content!
WhoScored
Another free resource that has developed a very strong reputation over the years. With player and team statistics available across all of the major football leagues and competitions, WhoScored ticks all the boxes. They preview match previews and clever stats-based match reports, whilst their player ratings are a big, positive on social media.
It is the uniqueness to the football stats they offer which is what allows them to standout above others. As is their in-play platforms, providing accurate tactical analysis and up-to-the-minute player ratings. Formations are updated in-game as well, and there is quite simply a lot to like about this site. A must view that offers great value for money, considering it is free!
Soccerway
Soccerway is a long-standing football stats resource that has the added benefit of being able to look back on all team results and look ahead to remaining fixtures. Every starting eleven and formation is provided, whilst each and every player has endless data across their current and previous seasons at both club and international level. Soccerway is another free resource that has stood the test of time.
Whilst it perhaps doesn’t go as much in-depth as other websites with a football stats background, it does exactly what it says on the tin and should not be unappreciated. Providing numbers for practically every team and player on the planet has to be of value, for whatever reason you require the stats in the first place. It is the world’s largest football database.
Transfermarkt
Although many would suspect this site has a strong emphasis on football transfers, that is not necessarily the case. The level of detail this site goes into every player is to be admired, even more so given they’re doing this without charging. For example, it’ll showcase all the positions a player has played in their career, right down to the number of appearances. This is an excellent football stats resource.
The database around every team and player is large to say the least. It’ll include some quirky stats as well which can be very difficult to locate elsewhere, such as the record a specific player has against a particular opponent. Every player has a market value, and there is also a historical section showing practically every stat possible. Transfermarkt covers all bases, and then some!
FootyStats
The idea of this football stats resource is to make finding the data you want easier. They say their unique selling point is to present the numbers in a presentable and easy to understand fashion. The site bleeds football data, and it can be difficult to locate Expected Goals (xG) data for free, but they do it. There is also the option to upgrade and get access to more and more leagues, should you wish.
There is a betting angle to the site as well, with a dedicated predictions section pinpointing bets which have a strong likelihood of success based upon the data they have collected. The site can be translated into a number of different languages, which further proves that FootyStats really are thinking of the customer. This really stands them out, and there is so much to like about everything they do.
Opta
Opta continues to be the leading industry supplier in the football stats sphere. They have set the trends in this particular field and have been doing for some time. It would be fair to say that Opta are very much with the times regards to data and they are very much here to stay for the long haul. The depth and breadth to their data has no boundaries.
They play a major role in supplying stats to a number of media outlets, including major televised companies, whilst they are prominent in sports betting, amongst many other avenues. Whilst it isn’t free to access their data, often it can be through other sites they supply information for. Think of football stats, and naturally Opta will come to mind.
Wyscout
Whilst many will associate Opta with football stats and data, Wyscout is another that is firmly part of that equation. This is viewed as a more of a professional setup that will be used by sports clubs in their analysis department, but even so anyone can purchase a membership and get involved. This not only provides the facts and figures, but provides a visual aid, in the form of a video, as well.
Whether you want to focus on a particular team or a specific player, the layout of Wyscout makes it very easy to navigate around the site with ease and speed. Practically every world competition and player is covered, and it takes the data to new levels of depth and understanding. Perhaps more for those within the game, but Wyscout has got the lot.
Hudl Instat
Hudl acquired Instat last year and the combination of the two makes them a real powerhouse in the football stats and data field. Similar to Wyscout, Hudl offers a visual guide to back up the numbers, and was perhaps seen as more of a training tool to improve professional clubs and players. The addition of Instat brings their vast database of facts and figures along with them.
All the statistics you desire can be found here, and there is no excuse for players to not improve with this alongside them. This is very much a unique resource compared to others on the list in how it operates, but it certainly deserves a huge mention. This is a combination of numbers and science, and is a top product for what it does. Everything is providing with this, but only if you pay a big price for it!
Subscribe to Punditfeed on Google News for all the latest updates from the world of sports!
