In the World Cup’s pressure cooker environment, making a swift start is crucial.
With opportunities limited and points at a premium in the group stage, taking an early lead can prove decisive to progression. During the knockout phase, establishing a quick advantage might be the difference between glory and elimination.
Many at past tournaments have taken the notion of making a fast start to new levels. In fact, a plethora of names—both glitzy and obscure—have delivered a vital strike for their country before the clock even strikes one minute.
Here are the fastest goalscorers in World Cup history.
The Fastest Goals in World Cup History
| Player | Team | Year | Time of Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hakan Şükür | Türkiye | 2002 | 11 Seconds |
| Václav Mašek | Czechoslovakia | 1962 | 15 Seconds |
| Ernest Lehner | Germany | 1934 | 25 Seconds |
| Bryan Robson | England | 1982 | 28 Seconds |
| Clint Dempsey | United States | 2014 | 30 Seconds |
| Bernardo Lacombe | France | 1978 | 31 Seconds |
| Arne Nyberg | Sweden | 1938 | 35 Seconds |
| Émile Veinante | France | 1938 | 35 Seconds |
| Adalbert Deşu | Romania | 1930 | 50 Seconds |
| Flórián Albert | Hungary | 1962 | 50 Seconds |
| Pak Seung-zin | North Korea | 1966 | 50 Seconds |
| Celso Ayala | Paraguay | 1998 | 52 Seconds |
| Mathias Jørgensen | Denmark | 2018 | 55 Seconds |
Anybody who arrived late to the Daegu Stadium for the 2002 World Cup third-place playoff was punished. Türkiye locked horns with tournament co-host South Korea in the fight for bronze, and a flurry of early goals defined a five-goal affair. However, it was an effort from Hakan Şükür after just 11 seconds which made history.
South Korea gave the forward a helping hand, gifting Türkiye possession deep inside its own half following kick off. Şükür accepted the gift gleefully, rolling beyond Lee Woon-jae to mark the first of three strikes in the opening 13 minutes. Türkiye eventually ran out 3–2 winners.
Şükür stole the previous record from Czechoslovakia’s Václav Mašek, whose 15-second strike at the 1962 World Cup had stood as the competition’s fastest goal for four decades. The Prague-born striker scored what turned out to be a very early consolation in his side’s 3–1 defeat to Mexico. It was his only goal of the tournament as Czechoslovakia finished as runner-up to Brazil.
There’s quite the leap to Germany’s Ernest Lehner, whose 25-second strike at the second ever World Cup in 1934 long looked unbeatable. Much like Şükür, his goal arrived in the third-place playoff, the first of a brace which helped Germany to a 3–2 win over neighbors Austria.
England’s Bryan Robson came close to surpassing Lehner at the 1982 World Cup, the Manchester United icon finding the net after a mere 28 seconds in a 3–1 group stage win over France. A long throw was usefully nodded on by Terry Butcher, and the unmarked Robson fired home emphatically from close range to send the Three Lions on their way to victory. Robson still had the gold watch he was given for his rapid strike four decades later.
United States star Clint Dempsey rounds out the top five following his 30-second effort against Ghana at the 2014 World Cup. A delightful solo strike offered the USMNT a lightning quick lead, which defender John Brooks restored in the 86th minute to clinch a 2–1 win.
Bernard Lacombe was just a second slower than Dempsey when netting early doors for France at the 1978 tournament, an ultimately futile goal in its narrow 2–1 defeat to Italy. Lacombe’s compatriot Émile Veinante is one of two players to have scored on the 35-second mark, joining Sweden’s Arne Nyberg as both players lit up the 1938 World Cup with remarkably early goals.
Adalbert Deşu of Romania held the record for four years with his effort after 50 seconds at the inaugural 1930 tournament, later matched by Hungary’s Flórián Albert and North Korea’s Pak Seung-zin in 1962 and 1966 respectively. Paraguay’s Ceslo Ayala was just two seconds slower than the trio when scoring in his side’s 3–1 win over Nigeria in 1998.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The 13 Fastest Goals in World Cup History—Ranked.
