Goal (website)
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| File:Goal (website) Logo.jpg | |
| Owner | Perform Group |
|---|---|
| URL | http://www.goal.com/en |
_Logo.jpg){kind=link}
Goal is an international association football news website founded in 2004 by Chicco Merighi and Gianluigi Longinotti-Buitoni. It is currently owned by Perform Group. Goal is the largest online football publication in the world,[2] and the 2nd largest online sports publication in the world (behind ESPN only).[2] Goal represents one of the largest football communities in the world with 19 language versions covering more than 50 countries.[3] The website provides users with live scores and the latest news from football clubs through its interactive web site and community forums.
Goal is published in 19 languages, with 38 national editions and 500 contributors.[4][5]
History
Goal was acquired by Perform Group in 2011, paying £18 million to the website's investors, including Bessemer Venture Partners.[6][7][8]
In 2012, the website was investigated by the HM Revenue and Customs department of the UK government over the use of unpaid interns.[9]
Goal 50
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Since the 2007/08 season, the best 50 players of the respective season are selected by Goal reporters and ranked as part of Goal's "Goal 50."[citation needed]
| Season | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2007/08 |  Cristiano Ronaldo |
 Manchester United
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| 2008/09 |  Lionel Messi |
 FC Barcelona
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| 2009/10 |  Wesley Sneijder |
 Inter Milan
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| 2010/11 | Lionel Messi |
FC Barcelona
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| 2011/12 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
Real Madrid
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| 2012/13 | Lionel Messi |
FC Barcelona
|
| 2013/14 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
Real Madrid
|
| 2014/15 | Lionel Messi |
FC Barcelona
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| 2015/16 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
Real Madrid
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| 2016/17 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
Real Madrid
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Most wins
- Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award five times, followed by Lionel Messi who has won it four times.[10]
References
- ^ "Goal.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
- ^ a b "The top 500 sites on the web - By Category". Alexa. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ "About Us". Goal. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ "Goal.com". Perform Group. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ "Goal.com". Crunchbase. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ Farey-Jones, Daniel (23 February 2011). "Perform challenges Sky with Goal.com acquisition". Campaign. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ Wauters, Robin (23 February 2011). "Score! Perform Group Buys Goal.com From Bessemer To Go Direct-To-Consumer". TechCrunch. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ Sweney, Mark (16 May 2012). "Perform buys data company RunningBall for £95m". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ Malik, Shiv (23 December 2012). "Football site Goal.com investigated over use of 30 unpaid interns a week". THe Guardian. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo wins the Goal 50!". Goal.com. 14 November 2017.