16 Fastest Shots Ever Recorded in Football History (2024)

There’s just nothing in football that beats an absolute barn-storming thunderbolt. The sort of strike that smacks into the back of the net while still rising, leaving goalkeepers thankful it wasn’t arrowing directly at them.

Over the years, football fans have witnessed some incredible rockets, be it a volley, free-kick, or just the sweetest strike from open play. While finding a way to rank these sorts of efforts might seem like a fraught exercise, as they are all truly special, there are means by which it can be done.

One of those methods is by measuring the speed of the strike. So, with that in mind, we thought we’d delve into the archives to list the fastest shots ever recorded on a football field.

16 Obafemi Martins – 135km/h

14th January 2007

In the ever-evolving theatre of the Premier League, few moments remain etched in fans’ memories as vividly as Obafemi Martins’ blistering strike against Tottenham Hotspur. Recorded at a staggering 135km/h, it was more akin to a missile launch than a football shot, and it exemplifies the Nigerian’s audacious talent during his spell in England’s top tier.

Martins’ thunderbolt undoubtedly belongs in our hall of fame. This wasn’t just a goal; it was the Premier League served up with a side of showmanship, flair and sheer power. Martins had this unique blend of agility, footballing IQ, and a penchant for the dramatic. Every touch, every sprint, every shimmy was laced with the promise of something memorable. And that’s precisely what he delivered against Spurs – an unforgettable piece of football history.

15 Tugay – 135.5km/h

3rd November 2001

Players and managers who spent time alongside Tugay Kerimoglu at Blackburn Rovers at the turn of the 21st century are always quick to laud the midfielder’s technical quality. Robbie Savage was convinced that he “could have played for any team in the world”, while manager Mark Hughes – who enjoyed a revered playing career for the likes of Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Barcelona – dubbed Tugay the “best I’ve played against”.

Goals were not a priority for the controlling and commanding defensive midfielder. Across eight Premier League seasons, arguably the greatest Turkish player of all time scored just 10 times. But Tugay can claim one of the fastest on record in the competition, with a blinding strike against Southampton during his debut campaign in Lancashire.

14 Roberto Carlos – 138km/h

3rd June 1997

Certain scenes play in our minds with the clarity of 4K resolution. One such moment? Roberto Carlos’ mind-boggling free-kick rocketing at a jaw-dropping 138km/h. A strike that didn’t just challenge goalkeepers, but seemingly, the laws of physics themselves.

When the former Brazil international stood poised to take the shot, there was this palpable electric charge in the air. It wasn’t just any free-kick; it was a Roberto Carlos free-kick. Fans and pundits alike, even now, often whisper: “Did he really just do that?”

It’s not the speed alone that amazes – although 138km/h is nothing short of phenomenal. It’s the outrageous curve, the sheer audacity to think it possible, to send the ball on such a wild, serpentine journey, only to find its home in the back of the net. It was a shot that defied logic, a shot that left us mere mortals questioning our understanding of geometry. No wonder Fabien Barthez never got near it.

13 Alan Shearer – 138km/h

2nd February 1997

Ever the perfectionist, even after scoring a hat-trick to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory against Leicester City in 1997, Newcastle’s Alan Shearer admitted: “By my own standards, I didn’t think I had a good game. Sometimes goals cover up poor performances.”

Trailing the Foxes 3-1 with less than 15 minutes to play, Shearer reduced the deficit with a 77th-minute penalty. The free kick which Les Ferdinand teed up on the edge of the box earns Shearer a place on the list, battering the cover off the ball to fire Newcastle level. While it didn’t reach quite the same speed, his 90th-minute tap-in secured a famous three points for the Magpies.

12 Matt Le Tissier – 140km/h

18th January 1997

One of the Premier League’s great technicians, Matt Le Tissier was known for a velvet touch more than a steely shot. But when the moment called for a flash of power, Southampton’s talisman could deliver.

Trailing Newcastle United by a pair of goals heading into the final two minutes of a league game in 1997, Neil Maddison halved the deficit for Southampton before the spotlight fell on Le Tissier. The ball sat up for the dextrous playmaker to let rip from 25 yards, thundering an uncharacteristically venomous effort beyond Shaka Hislop. Such is the rich catalogue of Le Tissier’s great goals, one of the fastest strikes ever recorded doesn’t even feature.

11 Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 150km/h

23rd October 2013

There are goals, and then there are Zlatan goals. When discussing ferocious shots that have graced the beautiful game, missing out on Zlatan Ibrahimovic would be akin to a football match without fans – unthinkable. This Swedish titan’s Champions League howitzer for Paris Saint-Germain, a staggering strike measured at 150km/h, stands as a testament to his legendary prowess on the pitch.

Time and again, Zlatan’s audacious exploits have grabbed headlines. But even by his larger-than-life standards, this particular goal was special. It wasn’t just the sheer speed of the strike; it was the embodiment of Zlatan’s unyielding belief in his own abilities, his penchant for producing magic when it matters the most.

10 Tony Yeboah – 154km/h

23rd September 1995

Tony Yeboah loved a screamer. The Ghanian is responsible for some of the greatest goals in Premier League history. His 154km/h monster for Leeds United against Wimbledon in particular was, as so aptly described, ‘breathtakingly brilliant’. It was an unbelievable strike that even left the most unimpressed football fan gobsmacked by what Yeboah did that day.

Just a month earlier, he scored a stunning goal against Liverpool to give Leeds United the win at Elland Road – only to top that with this absolute pelter at Selhurst Park under the south London sunshine. Yeboah enjoyed a spectacular and goal-laden start to the 1995/96 campaign, racking up 11 goals in 10 games before the end of September.

9 Ritchie Humphreys – 154km/h

17th August 1996

On the same afternoon that saw David Beckham score one of the best Premier League goals from the halfway line, Sheffield Wednesday’s Ritchie Humphreys produced a strike that was even more powerful. It was the first of three goals in four games for the then-18-year-old announcing himself to the wider world of English football.

Unfortunately for Humphreys, he only scored one more top-flight goal in the rest of his playing days. The roaming midfielder carved out an impressive career in England’s Football League, amassing more than 600 professional appearances, but could never replicate the heights – or speeds – of that glorious summer in 1996.

8 David Trezeguet – 154.4km/h

18th March 1998

David Trezeguet might be best known for firing a crucial penalty in a World Cup final against the frame of the goal, but what is often forgotten was that he had a right foot to end all right feet. His goal against Manchester United in the 1998 Champions League knockout phase showed just how much power he possessed.

Few strikes resonate as loudly as Trezeguet’s 154.4km/h cannonball. In a split second, the ball was propelled with such ferocity that it seemed to blur the very fabric of time and space. It wasn’t just a goal; it was a statement, a reminder of the raw power the Frenchman could unleash.

7 David Beckham – 157.5km/h

22nd February 1997

David Beckham enjoyed his breakout season in 1996/97. A campaign that began with his stunning halfway-line strike against Wimbledon was lit up by eight top-flight goals – a tally only bettered in the United squad by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and captain Eric Cantona.

If Beckham’s stunner on the opening day is the most memorable, his sizzler against Chelsea in February may have been the most satisfying. Watching Frank Sinclair’s limp-headed clearance onto his laces, Beckham belted a volley off the underside of the crossbar. Chelsea had been forced to replace their first-choice goalkeeper Kevin Hitchcock with backup Frode Grodas 15 minutes earlier, but no custodian would have gotten anywhere near that crisp effort.

6 Ibrahim Sangare – 170km/h

Ibrahim Sangare won plenty of matches, hearts and minds at PSV Eindhoven, dominating central midfield with a swollen skillset which prompted his former manager, Alain Casanova, to hail him as a “very complete player” with “all the qualities of a modern footballer”. Alongside an unrivalled ability to win back possession, the hulking Ivory Coast international could unleash a thunderous drive.

ADO Den Haag’s Sonny Stevens found himself on the wrong end of a 170km/h howitzer during a Dutch Cup tie in 2023, barely catching a glimpse of Sangare’s second-half ripsnorter. Nottingham Forest won the race for the midfielder’s coveted signature that summer but injury and illness hampered his debut campaign in England. Sangare didn’t register a shot on target at any velocity during his first season of Premier League football.

5 David Hirst – 183km/h

16th September 1996

Sadly for David Hirst, his entry into the list didn’t end up in the back of the net. Instead, his ridiculous volley for Sheffield Wednesday against Arsenal in 1996 cracked off the woodwork and ultimately came to nothing. David Seaman could barely see the ball, let alone try and get a glove on it.

It’s a testament to the unpredictability and beauty of football that even non-goals can become iconic. The baffling question that lingers in the minds of many is: how did that crossbar not snap in two? Given the ferocity of Hirst’s strike, it seemed like a genuine possibility.

4 Ronald Koeman – 188km/h

Ronald Koeman’s dart of a free-kick was the goal that saw Barcelona win their first European Cup in 1992. As a squall of Sampdoria players charged forward, the Dutch centre-back blasted the ball towards the side of goal guarded by Gianluca Pagliuca, beating him before the floundering stopper could say: “How do you do?”.

As far as dead-ball strikes go, this one was as sweet as a nut. It wasn’t just the speed, but the timing and significance of this iconic goal that etched it into football folklore. It’s no surprise that Koeman is one of the highest-scoring defenders in football history.

3 Steven Reid – 189 km/h

31st December 2005

Perhaps not a name you expected to see on this list but a more than deserving cast member. Steven Reid’s unreal strike was still rising when thundered into the back of the net for Blackburn Rovers against Wigan Athletic in 2005, with the goalkeeper’s dive coming ages after the ball had rocketed past him.

While Reid’s name alone might not frequently dominate headlines, this strike ensured he’d forever be remembered in football folklore. In a game filled with celebrated maestros and textbook plays, Reid’s strike stands out as a testament to the unexpected, exhilarating moments that make football the beloved game it is.

2 Arjen Robben – 190km/h

19th August 2009

Arjen Robben is known for a very specific kind of goal. One of the best one-footed players in football history just loved to cut in from the right and curl it with his left. The Dutch international’s finesse was unmatched but he could also fire off an unstoppable bullet sporadically.

His volley for Real Madrid against Borussia Dortmund proved he wasn’t all about that curve. Instead of placing his shot, Robben chose power. The connection was pure, the execution flawless, and the ball torpedoed into the net with such ferocity that it left spectators, players and even the goalkeeper in awe.

1 Ronny Heberson – 210km/h

26th November 2006

The throne of the true king of power goes to Heberson thanks to his eye-watering 210km/h strike. Goalkeepers face a myriad of challenges in their line of duty, but this shot was in a league of its own. While many might initially think of the missed save as a blemish on the keeper’s record, the reality is far different. The goalie might very well have dodged a literal bullet.

The sheer velocity of Heberson’s strike for Sporting CP in 2006 was such that had Naval’s Pedro Taborda managed to get even a fingertip to it, the repercussions could have been both unpredictable and potentially dangerous. Every spectator, player, and official that day would have been silently muttering a word of gratitude that it wasn’t them standing between the posts.