The number of goals scored will always determine the outcome of a soccer match, but there’s a reason why the sport is often likened to art. Just like art, there’s more to soccer than just goals. Sometimes, it’s the quality of those passes or the level of ball-controlling skill a player possesses.
Whatever it is, soccer is a game of finesse, and it’s sad that only goals can determine the outcome. Speaking of goals, the world has seen some incredible thunderbolts in the history of soccer, and today, we explore the top 10 fastest shots ever seen in soccer history.
NOTE: These shots are measured in speed, which signifies how long it took the ball to reach its target from when it was played.
#10. Obafemi Martins (84 mph)
Obafemi Martins has an illustrious career in soccer, playing for the likes of Newcastle, Inter Milan, Birmingham City, Wolfsburg, and even Seattle Sounders FC in the United States. Known for his incredible speed, Martins will always be remembered for that thunderous strike against Tottenham Hotspur for Newcastle United.
The ball was struck at an amazing speed of 84 mph, becoming one of the fastest shots ever in the history of the sport. The goal, scored in January 2007, is still remembered as one of the most powerful Premier League goals. The Nigerian received the ball from a teammate and unleashed a powerful shot past the Tottenham goalkeeper, who had no chance of stopping it.
What makes the goal sweeter is that Martins struck the ball with his weaker left foot.
#9. Roberto Carlos (85.7 mph)
Even soccer fans that were born after 2000 know this Roberto Carlos goal because it’s one of the best free-kick goals of all time and it’s the highlight of the wonderful career the Brazilian had.
Besides Messi, Roberto Carlos had the best left foot the world had ever seen, and he put it to good use when he scored an 85.7-mph free-kick goal against France in 1997.
If you perform a simple Google search of “Roberto Carlos Free Kick,” you’ll see some of the frequent questions people have asked regarding that free kick, including “What was the physics behind the Roberto Carlos Free Kick?”
The ball went at an amazing speed of 85.7 mph, leaving Fabien Barthez with no chance, considering there was a swerve to the ball, which left everyone watching the game bemused.
#8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (93.2 mph)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was one of the finest footballers in his day, and boy, did he score some great goals, so it’s not surprising to have him on this list. The Swede grabbed the headlines a few times with his goals in his playing days. The audacious 30-yard bicycle kick against England in 2012 is still fresh in the memory of soccer fans around the world, but Zlatan is not on this list for that goal.
Instead, the former AC Milan striker is here because of the goal he scored for PSG in the UEFA Champions League. The larger-than-life former striker had a rebound fall to him and unleashed a shot from outside the box, with the shot recording a speed of 93.2 mph, ranking it among the top 10 fastest shots ever in football history.
#7. Tony Yeboah (95.6 mph)
If you watch some of the most classic Premier League goals often, you must have seen a few from Tony Yeboah. Famous for scoring screamers, the former Ghanaian international scored a wonder goal for Leeds United against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in what would be one of the fastest shots ever in the history of the sport.
On September 23, 1995, Yeboah picked up the ball from outside the box and joggled it twice while going past two Palace players before unleashing a shot past the goalkeeper. The shot traveled at a top speed of 95.6 mph, ranking it among the top 10 fastest shots ever seen in soccer history.
#6. David Trezeguet (95.9 mph)
Trezeguet played for Juventus from 2000 to 2010 and scored over 150 goals for the Italian giants. While Trezeguet may have made a name for himself at Juventus, it was at Monaco that the Frenchman developed into an all-round striker, and during his Monaco days, the ‘98 World Cup winner scored a screamer against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League to earn a spot in the list of the top 10 fastest shots ever seen in soccer history.
United made a mistake in their half, and a Monaco midfielder pounced on the ball to play Trezeguet through. The Frenchman released a thunderous shot from just outside the box to give Monaco an away goal that eventually knocked out United.
The shot traveled at a top speed of 95.9 mph, sealing his spot as one of the fastest shots ever recorded in soccer history. Trezeguet ended up scoring over 220 career goals in a career that lasted for two decades.
#5. David Hirst (113.7 mph)
David Hirst became a household name at Sheffield Wednesday, where he made over 300 appearances and scored over 100 goals. In one of Hirst’s games for Sheffield on Wednesday, he almost scored against Arsenal, and his shot, which crashed against the crossbar, remains one of the fastest shots in the history of the sport.
Hirst’s shot traveled at an amazing top speed of 113.7 mph, and it was unfortunate that the Englishman couldn’t get a goal against Arsenal during that match in 1996. Hirst retired professionally in 2000 at the age of 32 after frequent injury problems. His bad luck at a professional level did not stop him from etching his name into the history book of one of the fastest shots ever in football.
#4. Ronald Koeman (116.8 mph)
Ronald Koeman is the highest-scoring defender in football history, with 253 goals to his name. To put that into context, that’s the same amount of goals Wayne Rooney scored for Manchester United during his 13-year spell, and the Englishman played in all the forward positions at the club.
Koeman was a dead ball specialist, and he proved that to land Barcelona their first European Cup in 1992. With the game tied 0-0, Koeman stepped up to unleash a screamer of a free-kick to help his side claim the title. The shot was recorded at a top speed of 116.8 mph, ranking it among the top 10 fastest shots ever in football history.
#3. Steven Reid (117.4 mph)
Reid might as well be the most unpopular player on this list. Mostly known for his coaching days as a first-team coach for teams like Reading, Crystal Palace, West Brom, and Nottingham Forest, Reid played most of his career games for Blackburn, raking in over 100 appearances for the club.
Despite playing primarily as a right back, Steven Reid had incredible power in his free kicks, but this was not a free-kick goal. Instead, it was a powerful shot from a rebound that fell into his path just outside the box.
With the pace at which he was running at the ball, it’s no surprise that the shot was recorded at a top speed of 117.4 mph. While Reid may not be famous for what he achieved during his playing days, this is a feat that will forever be a part of the sport’s beautiful history.
#2. Arjen Robben (118.4 mph)
This Arjen Robben goal is one you may have seen before, considering how it’s one of the finest goals for Real Madrid, and this was before the Dutchman became the incredible winger that he was during his career at Bayern Munich.
Robben redefined the role of an inverted winger, something that is now the norm in soccer today. However, before then, he was a Real Madrid player, and in a game against Borussia Dortmund, his future rival in Germany, Robben scored a career-defining goal from just outside the box.
A cleared corner kick fell to the trickery winger, who was waiting to pounce on the ball. Robben’s volley, believed to have traveled at a top speed of 118.4 mph, was too powerful for the Dortmund goalkeeper to stop.
Robben had a great career, playing for the likes of PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. He won two Premier League titles with Chelsea, one La Liga with Real Madrid, eight Bundesliga titles, and one UEFA Champions League title with Bayern Munich.
#1. Ronny Heberson (131 mph)
The title of fastest shot in soccer belongs to Brazilian midfielder Ronny Heberson. Heberson joined Sporting CP in 2006 and struggled to get regular minutes at the club. However, he made sure to etch his name into the record books when he scored a wonderful free-kick goal in the 1-0 away win against Naval.
Ronny’s free-kick traveled at a top speed of 131 mph, making it impossible for the goalkeeper to stop even though he wasn’t too far from the ball. What made the goal more incredible was that it hit the crossbar before dinking into the net to become a historic goal for a player who didn’t enjoy much success at the highest level of the sport.
Ranking the top 10 fastest shots ever in soccer history wasn’t an easy task, as there were many options to choose from. However, we’re happy to have given you the most accurate list you could get on the internet, featuring some of your favorite soccer players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Arjen Robben, and Roberto Carlos.
Who did you expect to see in our list of the top 10 fastest shots ever seen in soccer history that you didn’t get to see? Let us know below.
