Fastest goal in Euros history: Albania’s Nedim Bajrami breaks all-time record for quickest opening goal in UEFA European Championship match

At Euro 2020, Italy conceded the quickest goal the final of the tournament had ever witnessed when Luke Shaw put England ahead at Wembley Stadium after one minute and 56 seconds.

The Azzurri went on to win that showpiece on penalties, but when they got their Euro 2024 campaign underway, they contrived to make history once more.

Albania, in just their second major tournament, scored the fastest goal ever in a single men’s European Championship match when they faced the reigning champions in Dortmund on June 15.

The goal, which came from a mistake following an Italy throw-in by Federico Dimarco, smashed the previous record for the earliest strike in a Euros game and sent the Albanian fans into raptures.

However, as The Sporting News explains below, it didn’t quite match up to the fastest goal scored in a men’s FIFA World Cup game.

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What is the fastest goal in Euros history?

The fastest goal in a single men’s European Championship match was scored by Albania’s Nedim Bajrami at Euro 2024.

The midfielder, who plays his club football for Italian Serie A side Sassuolo, fired home the opening goal of the Group B match against holders Italy after just 23 seconds had been played at Signal Iduna Park.

The strike broke the previous record set by Russia’s Dmitri Kirichenko, who netted after only 67 seconds against Greece in 2004.

🇦🇱 What a start 🥵#EURO2024 | #ITAALB pic.twitter.com/YpVOFsAjRG

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 15, 2024

Fastest goals in men’s UEFA European Championship history

ScorerTimeNationFinal ResultTournamentNedim Bajrami11 secsAlbaniaTBD2024Dmitri Kirichenko67 secsRussiaW 2-1 vs. Greece2004Emil Forsberg82 secsSwedenW 3-2 vs. Poland2020Yussuf Poulsen99 secsDenmarkL 2-1 vs. Belgium2020Robert Lewandowski100 secsPolandD 1-1 vs. Portugal (L 5-3 on pens)2016Luke Shaw116 secsEnglandD 1-1 vs. Italy (L 3-2 on pens)2020Robbie Brady120  secsRep. of IrelandL -1 vs. France2016Sergei Aleinikov127 secsSoviet UnionW 3-1 vs. England1988Petr Jiracek134 secsCzechiaW 2-1 vs. Greece2012Alan Shearer134 secsEnglandD 1-1 vs. Germany (L 6-5 on pens)1996

What is the fastest goal in men’s FIFA World Cup history?

The fastest World Cup goal ever scored came during the 2002 tournament, which was hosted collectively by Japan and South Korea, when Hakan Sukur scored for Turkey after just 11 seconds.

After a fantastic tournament that saw them reach the semifinals of the competition — their best ever result in tournament history — Turkey ended up facing host nation South Korea in the third-place play off.

Up stepped striker Suker, who netted a goal that still holds the record at the World Cup.

What makes his achievement so impressive is that that strike was his only ever World Cup goal. 

Equally, South Korea also took the kickoff in the match, which means that in 11 seconds Turkey had regained possession of the ball and had taken the lead. 

List of fastest goals in World Cup history

ScorerTimeNationFinal ResultTournamentHakan Suker11 secsTurkeyW 3-2 vs. South Korea2002Vaclav Masek16 secsCzechoslovakiaL 3-1 vs. Mexico1962Ernst Lehner24 secsGermanyW 3-2 vs. Austria1934Bryan Robson27 secsEnglandW 3-1 vs. France1982Clint Dempsey30 secsUSAW 2-1 vs. Ghana2014Emile Veinante35 secsFranceW 3-1 vs. Belgium1938Arne Nyberg35 secsSwedenL 5-1 vs. Hungary1938Bernard Lacombe37 secsFranceL 2-1 vs. Italy1978Florian Albert50 secsHungaryW 6-1 vs. Bulgaria1962Adalbert Desu50 secsRomaniaW 3-1 vs. Peru1930

What is the fastest goal ever scored in a top five European league or European club competition?

In comparison to Hakan Suker’s record-breaking goal at the World Cup, there have been at least 10 instances of faster goals scored across Europe’s top five leagues and European club competitions (UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League plus former tournaments) combined throughout history. 

Of those, Rafael Leao is the proud owner of the fastest goal ever netted during a match either across Europe’s top five leagues or European club competition. 

The AC Milan forward struck just 6.2 seconds into his side’s match vs. Sassuolo in 2020, a record unlikely to be beaten any time soon. 

Top 10 fastest goals scored across Europe’s top five leagues

PlayerCompetitionTeamOppositionTime TakenRafael LeaoSerie AAC MilanSassuolo6.2 secsJoseba LlorenteLa LigaReal ValladolidEspanyol7.22 secsShane LongPremier LeagueSouthamptonWatford7.69 secsKylian MbappeLigue 1PSGLille8 secsMichel RioLigue 1CaenCannes8 secsPaolo PoggiSerie APiacenzaFiorentina8.1 secsKevin VollandBundesligaHoffenheimBayern Munich9 secsKarim BellarabiBundesligaBayer LeverkusenBorussia Dortmund9 secsLedley KingPremier LeagueSpursBradford City9.9 secsRoy MakaayChampions LeagueBayer MunichReal Madrid10.12 secs

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