Sports can elevate your mood and make you feel good. It allows people to bond with family and friends. Soccer football is one of the most famous and liked sports in the world.
Technology makes it easier for people to watch the sport from the comfort of their homes. Further, some people make a living from soccer football through betting or gambling.
For this reason, there has been a need to create tools and software that make it easy for people to follow up on scores and get accurate information on this sport. One such software that is useful in providing essential information on matches and fixtures is the API Football API.
The API Football API is an API that allows individuals to follow soccer leagues.
It provides statistics on players, coaches, events, and scores. The API Football API is a creation of the sports API.
How API-Football API Works
The developers embed the API in their mobile app, website or desktop application. The sports API and the server establish a connection that allows the two devices to communicate via API technology.
When a client sends an API call to retrieve soccer data about a given fixture, team, league or others, the API receives the request. It then informs the server to process and retrieve the data requested. The server retrieves the data and channels it back to the API, which delivers the information to the user gadget.
Users
Developers – Developers use the API Football API to create applications for mobile phones, desktops and websites. By using the API, they can save time. They do not have to build from scratch as it provides enough data and information to create and power their applications.
Bookmakers – Bookmakers calculate bets, payout winnings and take chances. They use the APIs to see the history of the teams playing and their scores. Using these statistics, they can calculate the odds, place stakes and display them on their sites.
Gamblers – Gamblers are the bookmarkers’ target group. Without this group, the bookmarkers fall out of business. The gamblers use similar sports betting APIs to find odds that will help them win a bet. The data and information that the APIs provide enable them to make informed decisions on their predictions.
Sports Industry – Sports create a space in which brands invest in making sports gears and selling them to fans and participants. The sports businesses, brands and commercial sites use the APIs to identify teams and players to sponsor. They sponsor influential players who have a large following and form partnerships with winning teams as a marketing strategy for their products.
Sports Fanatics – Match discussions are among the most exciting things that happen before, during and after a tournament. Sports enthusiasts use the football API to keep up with the current performance of various teams. They use facts and information to keep their interactions lively. Using the APIs, they are also able to get real-time updates on players, coaches and matches.
How to Connect to API Football API
Step 1: Register for the API on RapidAPI
This registration process allows you to create an account with your user details to access information.
Step 2: Obtain an API key to Access the Account
Whether a user registers on the API dashboard or the RapidAPI platform, they are issued with an API-KEY. The registration methods have URLs and API-KEYs that are not associated. The API KEY should replace these markings “xXxXxX.”
Step 3: Subscribe to the API by selecting a pricing plan
The API-Football API has different pricing plans depending on the user’s needs. Here is an image of the pricing plan. The prices vary based on the overage fees and the calls that are made.
Step 4: Test API FootBall API from the Browser
Once a user subscribes to a payment plan, they should test the API Football API from their browser. To do this, they should access the Endpoints tab and test the API to check the varying outputs based on the input. The API Football API provides responses on the browser for ease of testing.
Step 5: Integrate the API into the Application
Once the user has ascertained the API Football API‘s functionality, they should go back to the Request Snippet tab and select the language their app uses. The user should then copy the code snippet into their app.
How to use API FootBall API with Python
To use API football API with Python:
1. Ensure the application is installed in the app where the API is to be integrated.
2. If not, download the Python SDK and install it into the application.
3. Once this is done, copy the code snippet provided and paste it into the targeted application.
A sample code for the GET coach from id endpoint which returns conclusive information regarding the different coaches and their careers using Python (Unirest)
import http.client conn = http.client.HTTPSConnection("api-football-v1.p.rapidapi.com") headers = { 'x-rapidapi-key': "SIGN-UP-FOR-KEY", 'x-rapidapi-host': "api-football-v1.p.rapidapi.com" } conn.request("GET", "/v2/coachs/coach/18", headers=headers) res = conn.getresponse() data = res.read() print(data.decode("utf-8"))
Here is a sample response for the above endpoint
{ 1 item "api":{ 2 items "results": 1 "coachs":[ 1 item 0:{ 13 items "id": 18 "name": "Unai Emery" "firstname": "Unai" "lastname": "Emery Etxegoien" "age": 48 "birth_date": "03/11/1971" "birth_place": "Hondarribia" "birth_country": "Spain" "nationality": "Spain" "height": NULL "weight": NULL "team":{2 items "id": 2 "name": "Arsenal" } "career":[ 7 items 0:{ 3 items "team":{ 2 items "id": 42 "name": "Arsenal" } "start": "23/05/2018" "end": NULL } 1:{ 3 items "team":{ 2 items "id": 85 "name": "PSG" } "start": "28/06/2016" "end": "23/05/2018" } 2:{ 3 items "team":{ 2 items "id": 536 "name": "Sevilla" } "start": "15/01/2013" "end": "12/06/2016" } 3:{ 3 items "team":{ 2 items "id": 558 "name": "Spartak Moskva" } "start": "10/06/2012" "end": "25/11/2012" } 4:{ 3 items "team":{ 2 items "id": 532 "name": "Valencia" } "start": "01/07/2008" "end": "10/06/2012" } 5:{ 3 items "team":{ 2 items "id": 723 "name": "Almería" } "start": "01/07/2006" "end": "30/06/2008" } 6:{ 3 items "team":{ 2 items "id": 9400 "name": "Lorca Deportiva CF" } "start": "01/11/2004" "end": "30/06/2006" } ] } ] } }
How to use API FootBall API with Ruby
Install the Ruby SDK into the targeted application if not already installed. Access the language preference on the Request snippet tab and copy the code snippet into the application.
The code below is a sample for the GET predictions endpoint in Ruby(Unirest).
require 'uri' require 'net/http' require 'openssl' url = URI("https://api-football-v1.p.rapidapi.com/v2/predictions/157462") http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port) http.use_ssl = true http.verify_mode = OpenSSL::SSL::VERIFY_NONE request = Net::HTTP::Get.new(url) request["x-rapidapi-key"] = 'SIGN-UP-FOR-KEY' request["x-rapidapi-host"] = 'api-football-v1.p.rapidapi.com' response = http.request(request) puts response.read_body
A sample response for the above code is:
{1 item "api":{2 items "results":1 "predictions":[1 item 0:{9 items "match_winner":"1" "under_over":NULL "goals_home":"-3.5" "goals_away":"-1.5" "advice":"Winner : Paris Saint Germain" "winning_percent":{3 items "home":"50%" "draws":"50%" "away":"0%" } "teams":{2 items "home":{...} 5 items "away":{...} 5 items } "h2h":[...] 6 items "comparison":{6 items "forme":{...} 2 items "att":{2 items "home":"77%" "away":"23%" } "def":{2 items "home":"71%" "away":"29%" } "fish_law":{2 items "home":"0%" "away":"0%" } "h2h":{2 items "home":"85%" "away":"15%" } "goals_h2h":{2 items "home":"67%" "away":"33%" } } } ] } }
How to use API FootBall API with PHP
Download the PHP SDK and install it into the targeted application if not already installed. Once the installation is complete, access the Request Snippet tab and copy the code snippet in PHP to the targeted application.
Here is a sample of the GET predictions endpoint, which helps the users get predictions about a match fixture.
php $curl = curl_init(); curl_setopt_array($curl, [ CURLOPT_URL => "https://api-football-v1.p.rapidapi.com/v2/predictions/157462", CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION => true, CURLOPT_ENCODING => "", CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30, CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1, CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => "GET", CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [ "x-rapidapi-host: api-football-v1.p.rapidapi.com", "x-rapidapi-key: SIGN-UP-FOR-KEY" ], ]); $response = curl_exec($curl); $err = curl_error($curl); curl_close($curl); if ($err) { echo "cURL Error #:" . $err; } else { echo $response; }
The above code executes to bring the following sample response.
{ 1 item "api":{ 2 items "results":1 "predictions":[ 1 item 0:{ 9 items "match_winner": "1" "under_over": NULL "goals_home": "-3.5" "goals_away": "-1.5" "advice": "Winner : Paris Saint Germain" "winning_percent":{3 items "home": "50%" "draws": "50%" "away": "0%" } "teams":{ 2 items "home":{...} 5 items "away":{...} 5 items } "h2h":[...] 6 items "comparison":{ 6 items "forme":{...} 2 items "att":{ 2 items "home": "77%" "away": "23%" } "def":{ 2 items "home": "71%" "away": "29%" } "fish_law": {2 items "home": "0%" "away": "0%" } "h2h":{ 2 items "home": "85%" "away": "15%" } "goals_h2h":{ 2 items "home": "67%" "away":" 33%" } } } ] } }
How to use API FootBall API with JavaScript
Check the targeted application for the availability of the JavaScript application. If the application is not installed, download the JavaScript SDK and install it into the application. Access the Request Snippet tab on RapidAPI, copy and paste it into the targeted application.
Here is a sample code for the GET timezone endpoint, which helps users get the available list of time zones.
fetch("https://api-football-v1.p.rapidapi.com/v2/timezone", { "method": "GET", "headers": { "x-rapidapi-key": "SIGN-UP-FOR-KEY", "x-rapidapi-host": "api-football-v1.p.rapidapi.com" } }) .then(response => { console.log(response); }) .catch(err => { console.error(err); });
Here is a sample response for the above code
{ 1 item "api":{ 2 items "results": 425 "timezone": 425 items [ 0 – 100 ] [ 100 – 200 ] [ 200 - 300] [ 300 – 400 ] [ 400 – 425 ] } }
Endpoints
The API has numerous endpoints categorized in eleven ways. Let us discuss the purpose of the different endpoints.
Predictions Endpoint – This endpoint allows users to send queries and retrieve forecast information about upcoming fixtures. There are several predictions available, including the following:
Match-winner: Predictions for a home win, a match draw or away team to win.
Under/Over: These are predictions for more than or less than 2, 3 or 4 goals in the entire match.
Goals Home: This is a prediction of expected goals scored by the home team.
Goals Away: It displays speculated goals for the visiting team.
Advice: It provides a piece of advice for gamblers and sports fanatics on several anticipated outcomes of the match.
Coaches Endpoint – This endpoint returns information about coaches, careers, and teams they head by name or ID number.
Trophies Endpoint: This endpoint allows users to find all available trophies for coaches and players. Also, it shows the awards issued to coaches or players by the league, the country, the season and the year.
Lineups Endpoint: It shows the squad for a particular fixture 20 to 40 minutes before the match. It includes the coach, formation, starting eleven and substitutes for the game.
Events Endpoint: It displays the various events that occur during the match refreshing the data every 15 seconds. Such activities include penalties, a missed penalty, substitution, number of goals, yellow cards or red cards. The API automatically deletes events canceled by the VAR.
Odds Endpoints: This category deals with data about the match odds. It shows a list of available bookmakers, appropriate odd labels, and odds for a particular league, date, or fixture. Moreover, the mapping shows all available odds.
Sidelined Endpoints: The grouping allows users to get sideline information about players and coaches. Some of the available data include suspensions and types of injuries suffered by players.
Standings Endpoint: It shows the position of a team on the league or cup standing.
Teams Endpoint: Allows detailed team data and all groups in a given league.
Countries and Seasons: It delivers information about a particular league season and the year of the season. Additionally, it shows a list of all available countries.
Players – This class of endpoints shows player statistics filtered by season, team, and fixture Id.
Top Scorers Endpoint: It shows 20 best player scoring statistics within a league or cup. It returns information about a player with the most goals, assists and least number of referee bookings.
Fixture Endpoint: It has a combination of multiple endpoints that give information about a given match. It shows data on the lineup, league, live scores, league table and much more.
Timezone Endpoint: It lists all available timezones used in the fixtures.
API Football API Alternatives
ElenaSport.io API – Best for historical data of past matches.
Free Football (Soccer) Videos API – Best for showing match highlights and goal videos for popular leagues.
Real-Time Football Content API – Best for real-time statistics about ongoing matches.
MtScore API – Best for soccer match predictions
Champions League Live Scores API – Best for retrieving current champions league season results.
Benefits
Easy Integration – This software is one of the sports API that has a simple architecture. This feature eases development hence enhancing the user’s experience.
Customer Support – Football API has customer support that assists the users. They are available throughout, and their response is prompt.
Real-time Updates – With this API, you will enjoy live updates and instantaneously obtain information about football events.
Up-to-date Information – The data and information on this sports API focus on giving the user the latest developments or trends on soccer football matches and schedules. There are regular updates made on the database to ensure that the user has the latest information.
Provides Historical Data – Historical data allows the users to trace the performance of various teams, players and coaches. As time goes by, new players and coaches join particular groups. At times, the productivity of a specific group team or player may improve or drop.
The APIs allow a user to track such developments and understand these changes. For people in the sports business, such information provides valuable insights essential in decision-making.
Summary
Understanding how this sports API works with different programming languages allows developers to integrate the tool into their applications or apps. As we have learned, this API is a powerful instrument for delivering soccer information for many leagues and cups from all over the world.
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