Ahead of Euro 2024, we look at the fastest goals in European Championship history.
Fastest Goals in European Championship History
00:23 – Nedim Bajrami (Albania vs Italy on 15 June 2024)
01:05 – Dmitri Kirichenko (Russia vs Greece on 20 June 2004)
01:22 – Emil Forsberg (Sweden vs Poland on 23 June 2021)
01:39 – Yussuf Poulsen (Denmark vs Belgium on 17 June 2021)
01:40 – Robert Lewandowski (Poland vs Portugal on 30 June 2016)
01:57 – Luke Shaw (England vs Italy on 11 July 2021)
01:58 – Robbie Brady (Republic of Ireland vs France on 26 June 2016)
02:08 – Sergei Aleinikov (USSR vs England on 18 June 1988)
02:14 – Alan Shearer (England vs Germany on 26 June 1996)
02:14 – Petr Jirácek (Czech Republic vs Greece on 12 June 2012)
The Quickest Goal in European Championship History
Nedim Bajrami took just 23 seconds to score in Albania’s opening game of Euro 2024 against Italy. The striker collected the ball from a poor Federico Dimarco throw before firing the ball past Italian captain Gianluigi Donnarumma.
His goal overtook the previous record, held by Russian Dmitri Kirichenko. Kirichenko only played one match at the UEFA European Championship but he made it count, entering the record books with his quickfire strike against Greece at Euro 2004.
His goal for Russia against the eventual winners of the tournament came just 65 seconds into the game, poking past Greek goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis.
The Fastest Goal in a European Championship Final
England had finally reached their first major men’s international final since their World Cup glory in 1966, and the Euro 2020 final conveniently took place at the same venue, Wembley Stadium, albeit the newer version.
When Luke Shaw slammed home the quickest goal ever scored in a European Championship final after 117 seconds (01:57), England fans could have been forgiven for thinking the 55-year wait for their men’s side to celebrate international glory was finally coming to an end. As it turned out, they lost in the most English way possible – via a penalty shootout.
After failing to build upon their opening goal, England eventually conceded midway through the second half to Leonardo Bonucci before Italy won the tournament with a 3-2 shootout victory.
The Earliest Penalty in a European Championship Match
The earliest a penalty has been scored in a European Championship game was 118 seconds (01:58), when Robbie Brady netted his spot-kick for the Republic of Ireland against France in their Euro 2016 round-of-16 tie in Lyon.
Shane Long was tripped by Paul Pogba after just 60 seconds – the earliest in a game that a penalty has been awarded in Euros history. Brady made no mistake with his penalty, slamming the ball in off the post as Hugo Lloris went the wrong way.
The host nation were stunned to concede so early, but they recovered to eventually progress to the quarter-finals with a 2-1 win thanks to two goals from Antoine Griezmann.
The Earliest Own Goal in a European Championship Match
Denis Zakaria is the unfortunate player to hold this record. His own goal on 2 July 2021 for Switzerland versus Spain was timed at 07:30, opening the scoring in the Euro 2020 quarter-final tie in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The defensive midfielder swung his leg at Jordi Alba’s shot and diverted it past Yann Sommer in the Swiss goal. This goal arrived 10 minutes quicker than the next earliest own goal in Euros history.
Switzerland managed to fight their way back into the tie with a second-half Xherdan Shaqiri goal but eventually exited the tournament following a penalty shootout loss to La Roja, with three Swiss players missing their spot-kicks.
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