Austria came well and truly flying out of the blocks against Slovakia on Saturday when Christoph Baumgartner scored the opening goal of the friendly fixture just six seconds in.
The visitors kicked off in Bratislava and, after receiving possession in the centre circle, Baumgartner opted for the direct route to goal. He quickly weaved past several defenders before firing in a low finish from 20 yards to launch his side into a very early lead.
Andreas Weimann then added a second goal in the 82nd minute as Austria recorded a 2-0 victory. Baumgartner’s lightning-fast opener will go down as the fastest goal scored by the Austrian national team in history.
The six-second scorcher has yet to be officially ratified as the fastest goal scored in men’s international football, but it is certainly quicker than the goal scored by Lukas Podolski of Germany, who took a comparatively sluggish seven seconds to find the net against Ecuador in 2013.
Baumgartner’s rapid raid against Slovakia also appears to be faster than the record for a competitive men’s international football fixture. But is it faster than the quickest goals scored in the Premier League, LaLiga, the Bundesliga, the Champions League and beyond?
Editor’s note: This article has been updated since it was first published on Dec. 21, 2020
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Premier League
The fastest goal ever scored in the Premier League came in 2019, when Southampton striker Shane Long took just 7.69 seconds to seize possession and chip home a delicate finish against Watford.
LaLiga
The record for La Liga’s fastest goal is even quicker, with Real Valladolid forward Joseba Llorente taking just 7.22 seconds to register against Espanyol in 2008.
Bundesliga
The fastest goal was set in 2014, when Bayer Leverkusen winger Karim Bellarabi took nine seconds to score against Borussia Dortmund. Kevin Volland then repeated the feat the following season when the Hoffenheim striker scored after nine seconds against Bayern Munich in 2015.
Serie A
The Italian top flight record belongs to Milan striker Rafael Leao, who slipped in through the Sassuolo defence to score with just 6.2 seconds of the game elapsed.
Ligue 1
The French top-flight record dates all the way back to 1992, when Caen midfielder Michel Rio scored against Cannes after eight seconds.
MLS
In Major League Soccer, it’s a goal from Mike Grella of the New York Red Bulls against the Philadelphia Union, scored after seven seconds in 2015.
Champions League
Bayern Munich forward Roy Makaay can still claim to be the scorer of the fastest goal in Champions League history, netting after just 10.1 seconds in a game against Real Madrid in 2007.
World Cup
Turkey legend Hakan Sukur is the scorer of the fastest goal ever witnessed at a finals, somehow managing to find the net just 10.8 seconds after opponents South Korea had taken kick-off in the third-place playoff game at the 2002 World Cup.
European Championship
Having missed Russia’s first two games at Euro 2004, striker Dmitri Kirichenko was called from the bench to start in their third and last outing at the tournament. He duly responded by scoring after just 67 seconds against Greece, which is still the fastest at a finals.
International Football (competitive)
Christian Benteke is the competitive international record-holder when it comes to quick goals, after the Belgium striker scored just 8.1 seconds into a World Cup qualifier against Gibraltar in 2017.
10. Felix Suarez
Alianza Lima vs. Independiente Santa Fe, 1976 — 6.1 seconds
There’s not a lot of information on Suarez’s goal other than it is logged as the fastest scored in the 60-year history of the Copa Libertadores.
9. Albert Mundy
Aldershot vs. Hartlepool United, 1958 — 6 seconds
Mundy scored well over 100 goals during his Football League career, though the quickest came during his two-year stint with Aldershot when he scored after just six seconds against ‘Pool — and it was the fastest goal ever recorded at the time.
8. Gustavo Ramirez
Minero de Zacatecas vs. Club Necaxa, 2014 — 4.1 seconds
The fastest goal in Mexican football, Ramirez’s lightning strike occurred in the very first match of the 2014 Ascenso MX season.
7. Gareth Morris
Ashton United vs. Skelmersdale United, 2001 — 4 seconds
It is widely accepted that Morris’ goal scored in the first qualifying round is the fastest in the FA Cup. The only reason for doubt is the lack of reliable records dating back to the venerable competition’s very earliest years.
6. Damian Mori
Adelaide City vs. Sydney United, 1995 — 3.69 seconds
Australian journeyman Mori was the previous official holder of the Guinness World Record for fastest goal until Ricardo Olivera pipped him three years later.
5. Colin Cowperthwaite
Barrow vs. Kettering Town, 1979 — 3.55 seconds
Cowperthwaite spent his entire career at Barrow between 1977 and 1992, becoming the club’s overall record appearance holder (704) and top goal scorer (282) in the process.
The fastest goal he ever scored came in 1979, when he took 3.55 seconds to open the scoring against Kettering — a goal which was formally recognised at the time as the fastest ever scored in association football.
It remains the quickest in full English national competition, though one during a reserve match would eclipse it…
4. Frederico Chaves
America Mineiro vs. Villa Nova, 2003 — 3.17 seconds
Brazilian striker Chaves, better known by his nickname “Fred,” was especially quick on the draw in 2003 when he scored a goal directly from kick off that is still recognised as the fastest in Brazilian football.
3. Carlos Almeida
FC Oliveira do Hospital vs. Atletica de Arganil, 2011 — 3.1 seconds
Almeida scored directly from kick-off in a Coimbra regional game, down in the fourth tier of Portuguese football.
2. Ricardo Olivera
Rio Negro vs. Soriano Interior, 1998 — 2.8 seconds
Argentine striker Olivera’s goal against Soriano was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest goal scored for many years.
1. Marc Burrows
Cowes Sports Res. vs. Eastleigh Res., 2004 — 2.56 seconds
This might be slightly controversial as the goal was clearly scored during an amateur match, but the English Football Association have officially recognised Burrow’s wind-assisted goal as the fastest scored during a competitive game of association football.
“We can now say that Marc’s goal is the fastest we are aware of,” the FA said in a statement. “Two-and-a-half seconds may not seem long enough to complete the manoeuvre described by the referee but we appreciate there was an exceptionally strong [following] wind.”
Burrows said at the time: “My fellow striker Michael Ponter rolled the ball forward a couple of inches and I took a mighty swing at it. The wind was so strong I thought it was worth a go.
“The ball just sailed over their poor keeper. I was so stunned I didn’t really celebrate; I just put my hands in the air and burst out laughing.”
Sadly, Burrows passed away five years later after being diagnosed with cancer. Still, his significant position in football folklore is unlikely to ever be surpassed.
