Who is Christoph Baumgartner and when did he score the fastest goal in football?

Austria’s Christoph Baumgartner has set a new record for the fastest-ever international goal during a friendly against Slovakia on Saturday. Baumgartner put the Austrians ahead in just six seconds to find the back of the net in Austria’s 2-0 victory over Slovakia.

Christoph Baumgartner scored the fastest goal in football

The 24-year-old RB Leipzig forward’s goal was faster than Lukas Podolski’s strike for Germany against Ecuador in 2013, the previous seven-second record.

Right after kick-off, Baumgartner blazed through the Slovakian defense going past two players before unleashing a low shot from outside the box that flew past goalkeeper Martin Dubravka into the back of the net.

Newcastle United keeper Dubravka had no chance of saving the long-range effort as Baumgartner was mobbed by his teammates, firing up wild celebrations on and off the pitch.

“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.

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

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Who is Christoph Baumgartner?

The attacking midfielder signed a contract with RB Leipzig on a five-year deal last summer until 2028. He arrived from Hoffenheim where has played 138 games across all competitions, scoring 30 and assisting a further 22. He was crucial in helping TSG secure the Bundesliga status in 2022/23 with his 14 goals contribution in 33 league games.

The forward is viewed as one of the brightest young talents in European football and his style has often been compared to former Bayern and Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack. Baumgartner has the knack of making late runs into the box and creating plays in central areas.

Baumgartner made his debut for the Austria national team in 2020 and has scored 12 goals and provided five assists in 35 games for his country to date.