In March 2024, Christoph Baumgartner scored the fastest goal in international football history as he opened the scoring after just six second's of Austria's clash with Slovakia.
Meanwhile, Shane Long secured a major honour when he handed Southampton the lead after only seven seconds of their clash against Watford in April 2019: the fastest goal in Premier League history.
The Southampton forward has earned his place in Premier League betting history, but where do Long and Baumgartner rank compared to other goals around the world?
We’ll now delve into the history of the sport and the fastest goals scored in association football. Keep an eye on our football prediction page for upcoming matches in the coming months!
Football's Fastest Goals Around The World
The honour of the fastest goal ever scored in association football is up for debate. In 2009, Al-Hilal’s Nawaf Al Abed scored after only two seconds flat when he smashed a left-footed strike into the net immediately from kickoff in the Prince Faisal U-21 Cup against Al-Shoulla.
However, Al-Hilal were adjudged to have broken the rules of the competition after fielding six players over the age of 21 in the contest. Whether the goal still counts as the fastest one of all-time is one for debate.
Maryhill’s Gavin Stokes also has a claim for the fastest goal scored in the sport. He blasted an effort straight into the top corner from the kickoff for his team in the West of Scotland Super League First Division against Clydebank in 2017 in a junior match.
Marc Burrow scored the fastest goal in England in 2004 when he found the net for Cowes Sports Reserves against Eastleigh Reserves, lifting the ball over the keeper from distance in their Wessex League first division match after just 2.56 seconds.
The Guinness Book of World Records, meanwhile, identified Ricardo Olivera as the player with the fastest goal in the history of the game after he scored after 2.8 seconds for Rio Negro Capital against Soriano Interior on December 26 1998.
So, the actual record holder is up for debate, but the above efforts will take some beating as far as teams at the highest level of competition are concerned.
That being said, it’s always worth monitoring the live betting odds and tips for a team to get off the mark quickly.
Fastest Goals In European Football
The MLS is the first major league to boast one of the fastest goals in recorded history. Mike Grella was the man on the spot for the New York Red Bulls in their 2015 match against the Philadelphia Union.
He pounced on a loose pass from the kickoff and proceeded to run into the box, before his deflected strike rolled into the bottom corner after seven seconds flat.
Most betting sites would not have fancied OFI Crete’s Andreas Labropoulos to score against Olympiacos in the Greek Super League, but he found the net after seven seconds as well, although his team did fall to a 3-1 defeat in the contest.
Fastest La Liga Goal
La Liga’s fastest goal came in 2007/08 campaign, when Real Valladolid’s Joseba Llorente scored after 7.22 seconds.
The forward made a surge into the box from kickoff and collected a lofted pass from team-mate Victor. He then took one touch to control before guiding his effort over Espanyol keeper Inaki Lafuente.
Seydou Keita came within 440 milliseconds of breaking the record for Valencia in 2014, latching on to a loose backpass from Almeria’s Marco Torsiglieri before sidefooting his strike home.
Fastest Ligue 1 Goal
Michel Rio still holds the fastest goal in Ligue 1, a record that has stood for 27 years. He broke the deadlock after eight seconds for SM Caen in their clash with AS Cannes in a 3-1 win for his team in 1992.
Fastest Serie A Goal
Serie A have not broken the eight-second barrier, either. Paolo Poggi’s effort is still the quickest off the mark in Italy’s top division, achieved when he scored a fine goal after 8.1 seconds for Piacenza in their victory over Fiorentina in 2001.
Fastest Goals In Bundesliga
The Bundesliga endured a 16-year wait for a new goalscorer to beat the record of 11 seconds held by three players – Giovane Elber, Ulf Kirsten and Paul Freier.
However, two players then rose to the occasion within a year of each other. Karim Bellarabi provided a neat finish from inside the box just nine seconds into Bayer Leverkusen’s game against Borussia Dortmund in 2014.
Bellarabi then saw his record broken 364 days later by Kevin Volland. The Hoffenheim forward pounced on a stray pass from Bayern Munich’s David Alaba that had eluded Jerome Boateng.
Volland ensured he got to the ball ahead of Manuel Neuer, slotting his effort into the net on the slide and 0.03 seconds faster than Bellarabi’s strike.
The Bundesliga never fails to disappoint, making it one of the most unpredictable leagues outside of Bayern in sports betting odds.
Fastest FA Cup Goal
The fastest goal scored in the prestigious FA Cup belongs to Ashton United’s Gareth Morris, who blasted home a 60-yard effort in 2001 after only 4.2 seconds in his side's first qualifying-round tie against Skelmersdale United.
The English Football Association admitted that they’re not sure that it was the fastest goal in the 148-year history of the competition, as their records dating back to 1871 do not have a full account of every goal scored. Until proven otherwise, the record belongs to Morris.
Fastest Goals In International Football
The fastest goal in the history of international football was scored by Christoph Baumgartner in Austria's two-nil victory over Slovakia in Bratislava in March 2024.
The 24-year-old midfielder took the ball straight from kick-off, evading three tackles before firing a long range effort past goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. It took just six seconds for the ball to hit the back of the net from kick-off.
His effort was a full second quicker than Lukas Podolski's strike for Germany against Ecuador in 2013, giving Baumgartner a place in the record books. For now!
Previously, Podolski etched his place in history when he drilled a low strike into the bottom corner for Germany after six seconds of their friendly match against Ecuador in 2013.
Belgium’s Christian Benteke was slightly off the pace of Podolski, although he holds the record for the fastest strike in a World Cup qualifier, netting against Gibraltar after 8.1 seconds in 2016.
As for the World Cup itself, Turkey’s Hakan Sukur was the quickest off the mark in the tournament, netting after 10.8 seconds in his side’s defeat at the hands of South Korea in the 2002 third-place playoff.
Fastest Champions League Goals
A Dutchman holds the Champions League record for the fastest strike in Europe’s elite competition. Roy Makaay scored after 10.12 seconds of Bayern Munich’s round-of-16 match against Real Madrid at the Allianz in 2007.
His goal would prove to be vital as the German outfit advanced over their Spanish opposition, proving the Champions League is one of the most intriguing markets in the football betting landscape.
The Europa League’s fastest goal was secured by Jan Sykora of Liberec, who knocked off Vitolo’s effort from the top spot in 2016 when he fired home after 10.69 seconds of his team’s match against Qarabag.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
