ZURICH (AP) - FIFA says Belgium forward Christian Benteke took 8.1 seconds to score the fastest goal in World Cup history.
The official timing confirmed Tuesday means Benteke’s goal in a qualifying match against Gibraltar was 0.2 seconds quicker than Davide Gualtieri for San Marino in 1993. Gualtieri needed 8.3 to score in a qualifier against England.
While Benteke went on to score three in Belgium’s 6-0 win on Monday, San Marino eventually lost 7-1 after its record start.
Benteke scored despite Gibraltar kicking off. The Crystal Palace forward robbed the ball after two touches by the defense, drove forward and scored with a clipped shot over the goalkeeper.
Gibraltar helped write a chapter of World Cup history in just its third qualifying match after joining FIFA in May.
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