Last update 7 June, 2025 by Alberto Llopis
In the imaginary football a fascinating story circulates: the day in which a goalkeeper marked 4 goals in the same game. Did it really happen or is it just an urban legend? In this article we investigate the official records, We review the most prolific scorers and clear the mystery.
Goalkeeper scorers, A select club
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Rogério Ceni (Sao Paulo): 131 official goals
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José Luis Chilavert (Velez / Paraguay): 67
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Johnny Vegas (Peru): 45
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Dimitar Ivankov (Bulgaria): 42
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Hans-Jörg Butt (Germany): 32
All of them scored mainly from penalty or free kick And they are some of more goalkeepers scorers in history.
The official record: Three goals in a match
Till the date, The highest record in professional competitions is three goals (hat-trick) And he signed it José Luis Chilavert he 28-11-1999, In Vélez 3-1 Ferro (Argentina). Transformed three penalties and became the First and only goalkeeper with a hat-trick in the elite en.wikipedia.org.
And the four goals?
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Lower categories and amateur football: There are mentions in local press about Brazilian archers (Diogo Silva in 2022 con CRB) and Chinese (Xu Jing en 2010) that came to write down four goals throughout a season, Not in a single game.
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Beneficial or unofficial matches: There are clinics and exhibitions where a goalkeeper acts as a striker and marks four goals, But FIFA does not recognize them in their professional statistics.
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Historical conclusion: There is no documented record of a goalkeeper who has signed a poker in official first level competition. The "goalkeeper's day with four goals" is, for now, and Myth without proof.
Why is it so difficult to break the limit
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Tactical risk: Each climb from the goalkeeper leaves the unprotected goal.
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Effective time: At least four actions on a stopped ball are needed, Something unlikely if there are other specialist pitchers.
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Psychological pressure: After two or three goals, Extreme rivals precautions.
Can it happen in the modern era?
With the professionalization of the minor leagues and the popularity of the goalkeepers-squeals, The feat is not impossible. In Brazil, Mexico and Paraguay continue emerging archers with a good glue. The key will be to find a context of :
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Dominator team,
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Much lower rival,
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Less media pressure tournament,
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Designed for all penalties and offenses.
Lessons of the myth that a goalkeeper marked 4 goals
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Specialization: Ceni and Chilavert trained daily free throws like one more attacker.
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Charisma and media impact: His goals made his career and that of his clubs more visible.
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Limits to break: Soccer always finds new milestones; The professional goalkeeper's poker is still a pending record.
The reality is that it has never happened
The "day that a goalkeeper scored four goals" does not appear in the official annals of the sport. What is real is Chilavert's deed with his hat-trick and the amount of archers that, With gloves and gunner temper, They challenged football logic. Maybe the next record is just around the corner; When it happens, The story will be rewritten ... and it will be epic.