In the friendly match between Austria and Slovakia on Saturday, Christoph Baumgartner scored a goal just six seconds after the kick-off, making it the quickest documented goal in international soccer history.
At the age of 24, the athlete ran quickly from the center of the field and effortlessly evaded three obstacles before scoring a shot from beyond the penalty area that landed in the lower corner of the net.
As Slovakian spectators watched in shock, fans of Austria rejoiced in the visiting section of Tehelne Pole stadium in Bratislava, while the RB Leipzig midfielder was surrounded by his fellow players.
Baumgartner recalled a previous instance where they had attempted this variation, sprinting at their own risk from the kick-off. Surprisingly, the steps aligned perfectly and Baumgartner was able to successfully complete the run.
In 2013, Lukas Podolski scored for Germany against Ecuador, after stealing the ball from a defender and scoring just nine seconds into the match. On Saturday, Florian Wirtz took it a step further, scoring after only seven seconds in his team’s 2-0 victory over France in Lyon.
The substitute Andreas Weimann sealed Austria’s victory against Slovakia with a late strike eight minutes from time.
Austria is currently getting ready for Euro 2024 by playing friendly matches against Turkey, Serbia, and Switzerland. They will then compete against France, the Netherlands, and either Poland or Wales in the group stage in Germany.
Source: theguardian.com
