Josef Bican: The best goal average in history
Josef Bican, a footballer that few know but who in his time was the best player in the world
Josef Bican was born on September 25, 1913, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a country that would later become Czechoslovakia. During his 24 year long career, Bican played for many teams, incluiding Rapid Vienna, WSK Admira and Slavia Prague.
Josef Bican, the second top scorer in football history
During his prime, he was the best player and goal scorer in the world, he probably would have won several Ballon d'Or, if the award had existed at that time. In fact, between 1939 and 1944 (with the Second World War raging on), he was the best scorer in Europe, registering numbers as impressive as 534 goals in just 271 games wearing the shirt of Slavia Prague. He would end up scoring 805 goals in only 530 official matches. This gives an average of 1.51 goals per game, much better than players like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Pelé, with an average that does not exceed one goal per game.
Bican himself even mentioned that between friendlies and official matches he scored more than 5,000 goals, something that is very difficult to prove. However, his 805 goals were validated by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).
Josef Bican playing with the Czechoslovakia National Team
However, unlike players like Pelé, and Di Stefano, Josef Bican was born in the wrong era. He was only able to play in the World Cup once, taking part in the 1934 edition with the Austrian team, losing in the semifinals. For the 1938 World Cup, he acquired Czechoslovak citizenship but was unable to play due to an administrative error. By the time Czechoslovakia returned to the World Cup in 1954, Bican was already 41 years old.
He also missed the chance to compete in the European Cup, which started in the 1955/56 season, or to win the Ballon d'Or began to be awarded in 1956.
The IFFHS awarded Bican in 2000 with the award for the best scorer of the 20th century
Bican was the top scorer in world football until 2022 when Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed him. Although his story is not so well known, his legacy in football history is indelible.
Continue reading: Winning the Olympics: How the Uruguayans shocked Europe
Esta nota habla de:
