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.^[1]

Nawaf Al-Abed

In addition, many of the goals listed in the Guinness World Records as being among the fastest were not filmed, preventing the precise timing of goals from being assessed.^[1] 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 from kick-off.^[2]

Goals

The following is a list of goals scored by any kind of players, including juniors, amateurs, semi-professionals, professionals or women, in any football league, cup or other competition around the world. At least ten seconds.

Position	Player	Year	Match	Result	Time	Ref.	Notes
1	Gavin Stokes	2017	Maryhill v Clydebank	3–0	2.1 sec	[3][4]	This match was a junior (non-league) match involving two teams from the West of Scotland Super League First Division in Scottish football. Distance from the halfway line was approximately 46 metres.
2	Vuk Bakic	2012	GSP Polet v FK Dorćol	4–1	2.2 sec	[5] [6]	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 metres.
3	Marc Burrows	2004	Cowes Sports Res. v Eastleigh Res.	5–3	2.56 sec	[7] [8]	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.
4	Cheung Sai Ho	1993	Portsmouth Cup		2.8 sec	[9]	Cheung 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.
	Ricardo Olivera	1998	Rio Negro Capital v Soriano Interior	1–1	2.8 sec	[10][11]	The goal was listed in the Guinness World Records prior to 2004.
6	Carlos Almeida	2011	Oliveira do Hospital v Associação Atlética de Arganil	3–0	3 sec	[12] [13]	Occurred during a match in the first tier of Coimbra Football Association, the fourth tier of Portuguese football.
	Megan Searson	2016	UoMA Maurauders v Minnesota Crookstown	2–0	3 sec	[14] [15]	Fastest goal scored by a female player, occurred during a match in the NCAA.
8	Fred	2003	América Mineiro v Vila Nova	1–5	3.17 sec	[8][16]	Fastest goal ever scored in Brazilian football.
9	Colin Cowperthwaite	1979	Barrow v Kettering Town	4-0	3.55 sec	[17]	Believed to be the fastest goal in association football at the time.
10	Richard Wetton	2017	Oakwood v Lingfield	2–6	3.57 sec	[18]	Also the fastest second goal scored in a match, coming in 40 seconds.
11	Bart van der Veer	2014	LTC v Oeverzwaluwen	2–4	3.6 sec	[19] [20]	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.
12	Crios O'Hare	2025	Marlin Coast Rangers v Stratford Dolphins	5-0	3.68 sec	[21] [22]	Fastest goal ever scored in Australian soccer. Occurred from the kick-off of a match in the Australia Cup, the national cup competition of the Australian soccer league system.
13	Damian Mori	1995	Adelaide City v Sydney United	2–2	3.69 sec	[23] [24]	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.
14	Gioacchino Giardina	2023	Mazarese vs Nissa	2–1	3.81 sec	[25]	Eccellenza Sicily league game. Fastest goal in Italian football history.
15	Yael Averbuch	2006	North Carolina v Yale Bulldogs	4–0	3.9 sec	[26][27]	Goal occurred in a women's college football match.
16	Jim Fryatt	1964	Bradford Park Avenue v Tranmere	4–2	4 sec	[28] [29] [23]	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 Morris	2001	Ashton United v Skelmersdale United	4–2	4 sec	[30] [23]	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.
	Roman Voynarovskyi	2008	Krymteplytsia v Feniks-Illichovets	2–2	4 sec	[31][32]	Scored in the First League (2nd tier of Ukrainian football). Fastest goal ever scored in Ukrainian professional football.
	Gustavo Ramírez	2014	Mineros de Zacatecas v Club Necaxa	2–0	4 sec	[33]	Goal occurred in the first match of the season in Ascenso MX.
	Osagie Osayande	2024	AC Libertas v SS Pennarossa	2–2	4 sec	[34]	Goal occurred in Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio.
21	Malcolm Macdonald	1972	St Johnstone v Newcastle United	3–7	5 sec	[35]	Fastest goal ever scored in Newcastle United's history. Believed to be the fastest association football goal in history at the time.
	Carlos Dantón Seppaquercia	1979	Gimnasia y Esgrima LP v Huracán	1–1	5 sec	[36]	Fastest goal ever scored in the Argentine Primera División.
23	Albert Mundy	1958	Aldershot Town v Hartlepool United	3–0	6 sec	[1][37]	Believed to be fastest goal in association football at the time.
	Barrie Jones	1962	Notts County v Torquay United	2–0	6 sec	[1] [38] [39] [40]
	Keith Smith	1964	Crystal Palace v Derby County	3–3	6 sec	[1][41]
	Félix Suárez	1976	Alianza Lima v Independiente Santa Fe	4–0	6 sec	[42]	Fastest goal ever scored in the Copa Libertadores.
	Tommy Langley	1980	QPR v Bolton Wanderers	3–1	6 sec	[1][43]
	Alexandros Zafeiris	1980	Irodotos v Kifisia	3–1	6 sec	[44]	Fastest goal scored in the third tier of Greek Football League 2.
	Ghazi Ayadi	2017	Club Africain v CS Sfaxien	2–1	6 sec	[45]	Fastest goal ever scored in the Tunisian Super Ligue.
	Christoph Baumgartner	2024	Austria v Slovakia	2–0	6 sec	[46][47]	Fastest goal ever scored in an international match.
31	Rafael Leão	2020	Sassuolo v AC Milan	1–2	6.2 sec	[48][49]	Fastest goal ever scored in the Italian Serie A.
	Dylan Allen-Hadley	2025	Lowestoft Town V Alvechurch	0-4	6.2 sec	[50]	Scored during a semi-professional game in the Southern Football League Premier Central Division. Lowestoft had kickoff but Alvechurch Scored
33	Migen Memelli	2009	Tirana v Flamurtari Vlorë	3–0	7 sec	[51]	Fastest goal ever scored in the Albanian Superliga.
	Nenad Brnović[52]	2011	Mes Sarcheshme vs Persepolis	2–2	7 Sec	[53][54]	Fastest goal ever scored in the Persian Gulf Pro League
	Ji Xiang	2012	Jiangsu Sainty v Guangzhou Evergrande	1–1	7 sec	[55]	Fastest goal ever scored in the Chinese Super League.
	Andreas Labropoulos	2013	Olympiacos v OFI Crete	5–1	7 sec	[56]	Fastest goal ever scored in the Greek Super League.
	Lukas Podolski	2013	Germany v Ecuador	4–2	7 sec	[57]
	Jerome Martelli	2014	Leyton Uv Dagenham & Redbridge U18	4–1	7 sec	[58]	Fastest goal ever scored in an U18 Association football game.
	Mike Grella	2015	New York Red Bulls v Philadelphia Union	4–1	7 sec	[59]	Fastest goal ever scored in Major League Soccer .
	Florian Wirtz	2024	Germany v France	2–0	7 sec	[60][61]
41	Alfie Lloyd	2023	Eastleigh v Dorking Wanderers	4–0	7.12 sec	[62]
42	Joseba Llorente	2008	Valladolid v Espanyol	2–1	7.22 sec	[63]	Fastest goal ever scored in La Liga.
43	Roman Yaremchuk	2016	Vorskla Poltava v Oleksandriya	2–2	7.27 sec	[64][65]	Fastest goal ever scored in the Ukrainian Premier League.
44	Carlos Aguiar	2010	Huachipato v Universidad de Chile	1–2	7.3 sec	[66][67]	Fastest goal ever scored in the Chilean Primera División.
45	Miroslav Manolov	2012	Cherno More Varna v Montana	3–1	7.42 sec	[68]	Fastest goal ever scored in Bulgarian A Football Group.
46	Seydou Keita	2014	Valencia v Almería	2–2	7.66 sec	[63]
47	Shane Long	2019	Watford v Southampton	1–1	7.69 sec	[69]	Fastest goal ever scored in the Premier League.
48	Freddy Eastwood	2004	Southend United v Swansea City	4–2	7.7 sec	[70]	Fastest ever debut goal.
49	Nick Barmby	2004	Hull City v Walsall	3–1	7.8 sec	[71]	Fastest goal ever scored in the English League One.
50	Michel Rio	1992	Caen v Cannes	3–1	7.9 sec	[72]	Fastest goal ever scored in the French Ligue 1.
51	Nivaldo	1989	Náutico v Atlético Mineiro	3–2	8 sec	[73]	Fastest goal ever scored at the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.
	Gholamreza Rezaei	2012	Persepolis v Fajr Sepasi	2–0	8 sec	[74]	Second-fastest goal ever scored in the Persian Gulf Pro League.
	Tim Cahill	2013	Houston Dynamo v New York Red Bulls	0–3	8 sec	[75]	Second-fastest goal ever scored in Major League Soccer.
	Zaur Sadayev	2014	Lech Poznań v Jagiellonia Białystok	4–2	8 sec	[76]	Fastest goal ever scored in Polish Cup.
	Tom Morgan	2014	Turton v Lytham	4–1	8 sec	[77] [78] [79]
	Marco Tavares	2017	Maribor v Domžale	1–0	8 sec	[80]	Fastest goal ever scored in Slovenian FirstLeague.
	Vito van Crooij	2022	Sparta Rotterdam v AZ Alkmaar	2–3	8 sec	[81]	Fastest goal ever scored in the Dutch Eredivisie.
58	Paolo Poggi	2001	Piacenza v Fiorentina	3–1	8.1 sec	[82]	Second-fastest goal ever scored in the Italian Serie A.
	Christian Benteke	2016	Gibraltar v Belgium	0–6	8.1 sec	[83]	Fastest goal ever scored in a FIFA World Cup qualification game.
60	Davide Gualtieri	1993	San Marino v England	1–7	8.3 sec	[57][84]	Second-fastest goal ever scored in a FIFA World Cup qualification game.
	Kylian Mbappé	2022	Lille v Paris SG	1–7	8.3 sec	[85]	Second-fastest goal ever scored in French Ligue 1
62	Hisato Satō	2006	Sanfrecce Hiroshima v Cerezo Osaka	1–1	8.7 sec	[86]	Fastest goal ever scored in J1 League.
63	Gildo	1965	Palmeiras v Vasco da Gama	4–1	9 sec	[87]	Fastest goal ever scored at the Maracanã stadium in Brazil.
	Sebastián Soria	2013	Pakhtakor v Lekhwiya	2–2	9 sec	[88]	Fastest goal ever scored in the AFC Champions League.
	Karim Bellarabi	2014	Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen	0–2	9 sec	[89][90]	Joint-fastest goal scored in the history of the German Bundesliga.
	Kevin Volland	2015	1899 Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich	1–2	9 sec	[91]	Joint-fastest goal scored in the history of the German Bundesliga.
67	Philip Billing	2023	Arsenal v AFC Bournemouth	3-2	9.11 sec	[92]
68	Yakou Méïté	2020	Blackburn Rovers v Reading	2–4	9.55 sec	[93]
69	Amadou Sagna	2019	Senegal v Tahiti	3–0	9.6 sec	[94]	Fastest goal ever scored at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
70	Ledley King	2000	Tottenham Hotspur v Bradford City	3–3	9.9 sec	[95]	Second-fastest goal ever scored in the Premier League.
71	Ben Smith	2006	Tamworth v Weymouth	1–3	10 sec	[96][97]
	Gjergji Muzaka	2006	Partizani Tirana v Apolonia Fier	2–0	10 sec	[51]
	Justin Meram	2015	Columbus Crew v New York Red Bulls	2–0	10 sec	[98]	Fastest ever goal in MLS postseason.
	Uroš Đurđević	2016	Čukarički v Partizan	1–3	10 sec	[99]	Fastest goal scored in the history of the Serbian SuperLiga.
	Julian Kristoffersen	2016	FC Copenhagen U19 v Leicester City U19	3–2	10 sec	[citation needed]	UEFA Youth League
	Paul Onuachu	2019	Nigeria v Egypt	1–0	10 sec	[100]	2nd fastest international goal.
72	Hakan Şükür	2002	South Korea v Türkiye	0-1	10.8 sec	[101]	Fastest goal in a FIFA World Cup match

See also

• List of world association football records