# football-data.org

> Football API with fixtures, scores, league tables, lineups, scorers and squads; free plan for 12 competitions, paid plans extend competitions, live scores and rate limits, with add-ons for odds and match statistics.

Canonical page: https://sportdex.net/providers/football-data/  
Last checked: 2026-11-03  
SportDex Score: 64/100 (rank 11; popularity 65, community 55, transparency 85, developer experience 55)

## Facts
- Type: Sports data API
- Website: https://www.football-data.org
- Documentation: https://www.football-data.org/documentation/quickstart
- Pricing page: https://www.football-data.org/pricing
- Sports: Football (soccer)
- Data types: Fixtures, Historical data, Lineups, Odds, Live scores, Standings, Team stats
- Protocols: REST
- Delivery: Polling only (REST)
- Live / in-play: yes
- Free tier: yes
- Cheapest public paid plan: €12/mo
- Key competitions: Champions League, Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, La Liga, Eredivisie, Primeira Liga, Championship, Brasileirao Serie A, World Cup, European Championship
- Authentication: api key

## Plans
| Plan | Price | Requests | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 10 / minute | 12 competitions, delayed scores, fixtures, tables |
| Free w/ Livescores | €12/mo | 20 / minute | 12 competitions with live scores |
| Odds Add-On | €15/mo | — | Pre-match 1X2 odds for 40 competitions |
| Statistic Add-On | €15/mo | — | Corners, fouls, possession, shots etc. |
| ML Pack Light | €29/mo | 20 / minute | Trend/form data, 10 seasons of history |
| Free + Deep Data | €29/mo | 30 / minute | Lineups, goal scorers, cards, squads |
| Standard | €49/mo | 60 / minute | 30 competitions with deep data |
| Advanced | €99/mo | 100 / minute | 50 competitions |
| Pro | €199/mo | 120 / minute | 100 competitions |

## Who it is for

Best for: Football apps and side projects that need fixtures, tables and scores for major European leagues, with a free tier and small monthly upgrades.

Not ideal for: Projects that need sports other than football, or detailed live and event data on the free plan.

Use cases: League table and fixture sites; Live score apps; Match lineup and scorer pages; Pre-match 1X2 odds displays

Limitations:
- Free plan covers 12 competitions with delayed scores
- Lineups, scorers and squads need a paid plan
- Odds and match statistics are 15 EUR add-ons
- Rate limits are 10 to 120 requests per minute by plan

## Quick answers

**What is football-data.org best for?** Football apps and side projects that need fixtures, tables and scores for major European leagues, with a free tier and small monthly upgrades. Not ideal for: Projects that need sports other than football, or detailed live and event data on the free plan.

**How much does football-data.org cost?** The cheapest public paid plan of football-data.org is €12/mo. Listed plans: Free w/ Livescores €12/mo; Odds Add-On €15/mo; Statistic Add-On €15/mo; ML Pack Light €29/mo; Free + Deep Data €29/mo.

**Does football-data.org have a free tier?** Yes. football-data.org lists a free plan called "Free" (10 requests per minute).

**What does football-data.org cover?** football-data.org is a sports data api. Its sports: Football (soccer); data: Fixtures, Historical data, Lineups, Odds, Live scores, Standings, Team stats. Live / in-play data is offered.

**Does football-data.org have a WebSocket or streaming API?** No streaming is listed. football-data.org delivers data by REST, so you poll for updates.

**What do developers say about football-data.org?** Popular free-tier choice for hobby football projects: World Cup predictors, score trackers, league tables, and a fallback when API-Football quota runs out. Developers like the free key and simple docs. Complaints: free tier gives fixtures and final scores but no shots, xG or lineups, history starts around 2019, and a low request rate.

**What are the alternatives to football-data.org?** Close alternatives in the SportDex catalog: Sportmonks, iSports API, Goalserve, Live Score API, StatPal.

## What developers say

Popular free-tier choice for hobby football projects: World Cup predictors, score trackers, league tables, and a fallback when API-Football quota runs out. Developers like the free key and simple docs. Complaints: free tier gives fixtures and final scores but no shots, xG or lineups, history starts around 2019, and a low request rate.

Praised for: Free API key good for fixtures and results; Frequently chosen for side projects; Used as fallback when API-Football is limited or suspended

Complaints: No detailed match stats or xG on free tier; Limited history before 2019; Low free rate limit (about 10 requests per minute)

## Method
Facts were read from the provider's own pages on 2026-11-03. Empty fields mean the provider does not say, not that a feature is missing. Method: https://sportdex.net/methodology/