Fastest goals in association football


This article lists goals which have been considered among the fastest ever scored in association football matches. The records concerning the fastest goals are disputed for a number of reasons. Ray Spiller of the Association of Football Statisticians has argued that as there is no official system for recognizing the timing of goals there are always going to be disputes concerning these records.
In addition, many of the goals listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as being among the fasted were not filmed preventing the precise timing of goals from being assessed. The status of Nawaf Al Abed's goal which is credited as being scored after two seconds is also disputed given that the match was later declared void due to ineligible players, when several players over the age of 23 were found to have played in the age restricted game.
Marc Burrows' goal has also been considered the fastest ever but it was scored in an amateur reserve game. As there is no standard size for a football pitch some of the goals listed benefit from being played on smaller pitches that require the ball to travel a shorter distance before reaching the goal. Furthermore, many of the records listed come from English language publications and reflect a bias towards English football within the sources.
Under The Laws of the Game, specifically Law 8, goals may be scored directly from the kick-off. Some of the fastest goals on the list below are shots taken directly kick-off.

Goals

The following is a list of goals scored by any kind of players, including juniors, amateurs, semi-professionals, professionals, women football, in any football league, cup or other competition around the world.
PlayerYearMatchResultTimeRef.Notes
Gavin Stokes2017Maryhill v Clydebank3–02.1 secThis match was a junior football match involving two teams from the West of Scotland Super League First Division in Scottish football.
Vuk Bakic2012GSP Polet v FK Dorćol4–12.2 sec
This match was a junior match of the Serbian 2. League. Immediately after the referee whistled the beginning of the meeting, Vuk Bakic sent the ball into the goal. Distance from the centre and goal was approximately 50 meters.
Marc Burrows2004Cowes Sports Res. v Eastleigh Res.5–32.56 sec
This match was an amateur match but the record has been recognised by The Football Association. Eye-witness reports state the goal was aided by a particularly strong following wind.
Ricardo Olivera1998Rio Negro Capital v Soriano Interior1–12.8 secThe goal was listed in the Guinness World Records prior to 2004.
Cheung Sai Ho1993Portsmouth Cup2.8 secCheung scored for the Hong Kong youth team 2.8 seconds after the start of a match in the Portsmouth Cup in 1993. It was the world record in 1993.
Carlos Almeida2011Oliveira do Hospital v Associação Atlética de Arganil3–03 sec
Occurred during a match in the first tier of Coimbra Football Association, the fourth tier of Portuguese football.
Frederico Chaves2003América Mineiro v Vila Nova1–53.17 secFastest Goal in Brazilian Football.
Colin Cowperthwaite1979Barrow v Kettering Town0-43.55 secFastest Goal in association football at the time.
Richard Wetton20172-63.57 secNot only a fast goal but also a contender for the TWO fastest goals from Kick Off! The equalizer coming on just 40 seconds into the match. 22 August 2017 in the Peter Bentley Challenge Cup. Both teams play in the Division One.
Bart van der Veer2014LTC v Oeverzwaluwen2–43.6 sec
Occurred during a match in the Saturdays 1e Klasse, the fifth tier of Dutch football and the third tier of Dutch amateur football. It was Van der Veer's last match for Oeverzwaluwen before his retirement.
Damian Mori1995Adelaide City v Sydney United2–23.69 sec
According to the Guinness Book of Records, Mori held the record from 1995 to 1998 when Ricardo Olivera scored a goal in 2.8 sec.
Yael Averbuch2006North Carolina v Yale Bulldogs4–03.9 secGoal occurred in a women's college football match.
Jim Fryatt1964Bradford Park Avenue v Tranmere4–24 sec

According to the sources some onlookers say that this goal took closer to 10 seconds. However, there is no film evidence to contradict the assessment of the referee Bob Simons who said: "I blew my whistle for the start and still had my stopwatch in my hand when the ball entered the net. The scoring time is exactly four seconds – no question of it."
Gareth Morris2001Ashton United v Skelmersdale United4–24 sec
This goal is likely to be the fastest ever scored in the FA Cup although the lack of records dating back to the formation of the competition make this impossible to verify.
Gustavo Ramírez2014Mineros de Zacatecas v Club Necaxa2–04 secGoal occurred in the first match of the season in Ascenso MX.
Carlos Seppaquerci1979Gimnasia y Esgrima LP v Huracán1–15 secFastest goal ever scored at the Argentine Primera División.
Albert Mundy1958Aldershot Town v Hartlepool United3–06 secFastest Goal in association football at the time.
Barrie Jones1962Notts County v Torquay United2–06 sec


Jones kicked the match off, tapping the ball to a teammate. He set off, running diagonally to the right, towards the centre of the 18 yard box. Bob Forrest had received the ball by now and he rolled it perfectly into Jones's path. The Torquay keeper was out to the edge of his box but he hit it under him with his first touch, helping the ball on from the direction of Forrest's pass.
Keith Smith1964Crystal Palace v Derby County3–36 sec
Tommy Langley1980QPR v Bolton Wanderers3–16 sec
Alexandros Zafeiris1980Irodotos v Kifisia3–16 secFastest goal scored in the third tier of Greek Football League 2.
Lukas Podolski2013Germany v Ecuador4–26 secFastest goal ever scored in an international match.
Ghazi ayedi2017Club Africain vs CS Sfaxien2-16 secFastest goal ever scored in Tunisien super ligue
Félix Suárez1976Alianza Lima v Independiente Santa Fe4–06 secFastest goal ever scored at the Copa Libertadores.
Migen Memelli2009Tirana v Flamurtari Vlorë3–07 secFastest goal ever scored in Albanian Superliga.
Ji Xiang2012Jiangsu Sainty v Guangzhou Evergrande1–17 secFastest goal ever scored in Chinese Super League.
Andreas Labropoulos2013Olympiacos v OFI Crete5–17 secFastest goal ever scored in Greek Super League.
Jerome Martelli2014Leyton U18 v Dagenham & Redbridge U184–17 secFastest goal ever scored in an U18 Association football game.
Mike Grella2015New York Red Bulls v Philadelphia Union4-17 secFastest goal ever scored in Major League Soccer.
Joseba Llorente2008Real Valladolid v Espanyol2–17.22 secFastest goal ever scored in La Liga.
Roman Yaremchuk2016Vorskla Poltava v Oleksandriya2–27.27 secFastest goal ever scored in the Ukrainian Premier League.
Carlos Aguiar2010Huachipato v Universidad de Chile1–27.3 secFastest goal ever scored in the Chilean Primera División.
Miroslav Manolov2012Cherno More Varna v Montana3–17.42 secFastest goal ever scored in Bulgarian A Football Group.
Seydou Keita2014Valencia v Almería2–27.66 sec
Shane Long2019Watford v Southampton1–17.69 secFastest goal ever scored in the Premier League.
Freddy Eastwood2004Southend United v Swansea City4-27.70 secFastest ever debut goal.
Nick Barmby2004Hull City v Walsall3-17.80 secFastest goal ever scored in League 1
Gholamreza Rezaei2012Persepolis v Fajr Sepasi2–08 secFastest goal ever scored in Persian Gulf Pro League.
Nivaldo1989Náutico v Atlético Mineiro3–28 secFastest goal ever scored at the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.
Michel Rio1992SM Caen v AS Cannes3–18 secFastest goal ever scored in Ligue 1
Tim Cahill2013Houston Dynamo v New York Red Bulls0–38 secSecond fastest goal ever scored in Major League Soccer.
Zaur Sadayev2014Lech Poznań v Jagiellonia Białystok4–28 secFastest goal ever scored in Polish Cup.
Marco Tavares2017Maribor v Domžale1–08 secFastest goal ever scored in Slovenian FirstLeague.
Tom Morgan2014Turton v Lytham4–18 sec

West Lancashire Football League Division One – Level 12 – The kick off was quickly taken with a pass intended for a Turton player hitting a Lytham player hard on the shin and bobbling up. Tom Morgan struck the ball in the air about 45 metres from goal and the ball cannoned in off the underside of the crossbar. The referee, Simon Robinson timed the goal at exactly eight seconds.
Paolo Poggi2001Piacenza v Fiorentina3–18.1 secFastest goal ever scored in Serie A.
Christian Benteke2016Gibraltar v Belgium0–68.1 secFastest goal ever scored in a FIFA World Cup qualification game.
Davide Gualtieri1993San Marino v England1–78.3 sec
Hisato Satō2006Sanfrecce Hiroshima v Cerezo Osaka1–18.7 secFastest goal ever scored in J1 League.
Gildo1965Palmeiras v Vasco da Gama4-19 secFastest goal ever scored at the Maracanã stadium in Brazil.
Kevin Volland2015TSG Hoffenheim v Bayern München1–29 sec
Karim Bellarabi2014Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen0–29 secFastest goal scored in the history of the Bundesliga.
Amadou Sagna2019Senegal v Tahiti3–09.6 secFastest goal ever scored at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Ledley King2000Tottenham Hotspur v Bradford City3–39.9 secSecond-fastest goal ever scored in the Premier League.
Uroš Đurđević2016Čukarički v Partizan1–310 secFastest goal scored in the history of the Serbian SuperLiga
Julian Kristoffersen2016FC Copenhagen U19 v Leicester City U193–210 secUEFA Youth League
Justin Meram2015Columbus Crew v New York Red Bulls2–010 secFastest goal ever scored in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Gjergji Muzaka2006Partizani Tirana v Apolonia Fier2–010 sec-
Roy Makaay2007Bayern München v Real Madrid3–210.1 secFastest goal ever scored in the UEFA Champions League.
Hakan Şükür2002Korea Republic v Turkey2–310.8 secFastest goal ever scored in the FIFA World Cup finals.
Diego Souza2017Brazil v Australia1–011 sec
Simone Magill2016Northern Ireland v Georgia4–011 secFastest goal ever scored in Women's International History.
Erik Mjelde2011FK Haugesund v SK Brann3–311 secFastest goal ever scored in Eliteserien
Christian Eriksen2018Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United2–011 sec
Alex Morgan2016USA v Costa Rica5-012 secFastest goal ever in CONCACAF and US soccer international history
Juan Cazares2016Atletico Mineiro v Botafogo5–312 secFastest Atlético Mineiro goal in Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
Ahmad Fakri Saarani2015Kelantan v Terengganu1–212 secFastest goal ever scored in Malaysia Super League
Ian Bogie1996Port Vale v Stoke City1–012 sec
I. M. Vijayan1999India v Bhutan3–012 secScored in the group stage of the football competition in the 8th South Asian Federation Games, 1999.
Maheta Molango2004Reading v Brighton & Hove Albion3–212 sec
Stevan Račić2014Partizani Tirana v Elbasani1–012 sec
Asmir Begović2013Stoke City v Southampton1–113 secBegović scored against Southampton at a distance of 97.5 yards, after his long kick downfield deceived Artur Boruc. His goal against earned him a place in the Guinness World Records for the longest goal scored in football. Fastest goal scored by a goalkeeper.
Tasos Georgiou Vatikiotis1996Loyola University Maryland v Manhattan College6–013 secTasos Georgiou Vatikiotis scored against Manhattan after volleying a cross from Matt Whelpley in the 13th second. Fastest goal recorded for Loyola and top 20 of all time in NCAA Men's Soccer history.
Neymar2016Brazil v Honduras6–014 secFastest goal ever scored at the Olympic Games Football Tournament.
Jesús Navas2013Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur6–014 sec-
António Xavier2018Tondela v Portimonense2–314 secFastest goal ever scored in the history of Liga NOS.
Ian caruana2020San gwann football club v birkirkara fc2-017 secThe fastest goal in Malta