Austria’s Baumgartner Scores Fastest-Ever International Goal

By: Gyang Dakwo

Austria’s Christoph Baumgartner has broken the record for the fastest-ever international goal by slotting home against Slovakia inside seven seconds.

Baumgartner, 24, went into the record books in six seconds plus during a friendly match in Bratislava on Saturday.

The Leipzig attacker drove through the home defence from kickoff before unleashing a 25-metre (82-feet) shot past Martin Dubravka in goal.

As Slovakia’s home fans looked on in disbelief, Austrians in the away section at the Tehelne pole stadium in Bratislava celebrated as the RB Leipzig midfielder was mobbed by his team mates.

“We’ve done this variation before, sprinting from kickoff at full risk. The sequence of steps somehow worked out so that I made the run,” Baumgartner told Austrian public broadcaster ORF after the game which his team won 2-0.

“Of course it’s really cool, I’m very happy. The fact that I hit it like that… it’s of course sensational.”

The Austrian FA described Baumgartner’s effort as the fastest goal in the history of international football.

Baumgartner’s strike broke the record of the seven seconds it took Lukas Podolski to score for Germany against Ecuador in 2013.

The fastest goal scored in a World Cup was by Turkey’s Hakan Sukur against South Korea in 2002 after 11 seconds.