There is just something about an unstoppable powerful shot that finds its way into the back of the net in football. The raw power and precision some players create with one strike is simply jaw-dropping, leaving goalkeepers helpless and all spectators in amazement.
Over the years, we have witnessed some unbelievable moments when footballers have driven the ball into the net with such ferocity that subsumes everything else into a mere example of raw physical power.
The ranking of the fastest shots ever is not easy. Although there have been several powerful shots in different eras of football, few have been measured and documented that have found their place in the all-time list.
Well, surprise surprise, some of the most renowned fastest shots recorded in football history by Steven Gerrard, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Roberto Carlos aren’t in the top 10, despite them all having rather several long-range screamers.
However, this list does blanket stars and less-heralded players who have had their names marked in history because of these ballistic moments of brilliance.
So, who makes the cut to the fastest shots in football history?
1. Ronny Heberson – 210 km/h
We have witnessed quite a few unbelievable goals in football, but one shot will be remembered as the very best of all times: the breathtaking, ground-shaking shot that made Ronny Heberson for Sporting CP against Naval go down in history at an incredible 210 km/h.
Such a powerful, awe-inspiring goal was it that today it is spoken about by every football fan in hushed tones.
The speed and menace of this shot were unlike anything seen either before or since.
Off Heberson’s foot, the ball exploded hurtling toward the net with a speed almost impossible to comprehend. Had the goalkeeper Pedro Taborda tried to save it, he genuinely could have been injured- such was the ferocity of the shot.
The shot by Heberson remains the fastest one recorded, and it set a new benchmark of what is possible in football.
2. Arjen Robben – 190 km/h
The name itself evokes an image of a winger having skill and finesse to a level never seen before.
Known for the signature move of cutting inside and curling into the top corner, Robben was a nightmare for any defender to handle. But on one particular occasion, he showed that he had more tricks up his sleeve.
In a friendly against Borussia Dortmund, he hit a volley measured at 190 km/h that sent players, fans, and the goalkeeper alike back in utter shock.
The ball seemed to explode off his foot, sending it hurtling toward the net at a speed that was almost beyond belief.
It was an even more incredible goal because it was not the normal Robben. The finesse and delicacy that we had grown so accustomed to seeing from the Dutch winger were gone, and we were simply impressed by raw, naked power.
The Westbrook stadium fully packed with 75,000 screaming fans, was gasping for air as Robben wheeled away in celebration.
His teammates ran to congratulate him on his brilliant goal and even the Borussia Dortmund players couldn’t help but applaud the sheer brilliance of the strike.
3. Steven Reid – 189 km/h
More often than not big-name players steal the headlines in football but sometimes, unlikely heroes come forward to take center stage.
The former midfielder was just that for Blackburn Rovers. That incredible 189 km/h strike against Wigan Athletic in 2005 remains big proof that the beautiful game is equipped to spring surprises and give a lot of delight.
It was a pure magic moment when with one touch of his left foot, Reid let fly with a thunderous shot that left the Wigan Athletic goalkeeper scrambling to pick up the pieces.
The ball seemed to fly off his foot in a perfect blend of power and precision that the DW Stadium crowd gasped at in awe. It was like he had unleashed a bolt of lightning on the football pitch, an incidentally pure chaotic moment that would forever be stored in the memory banks.
4. Ronald Koeman – 188km/h
May 20, 1992, is a date that will forever be in Barcelona fan’s memories. It was the day when the Dutch defender with an uncanny knack of scoring at crucial junctures helped his team win their maiden European Cup crown with a sizzling 188 km/h free-kick.
The venue was Wembley Stadium and Sampdoria was the obstacle that lay between Barcelona and history.
This was a strike of pure magic, of speed, of precision, of timing.
The ball seemed to arrow into the top corner, beating Sampdoria’s Gianluca Pagliuca with an ease that belied the ability of the Italian goalkeeper then considered one of the best in the world, as Koeman’s shot sailed into the net for Barcelona’s most wild of raptures.
The match was an even match and several chances had fallen for both the teams to score. But this goal which came in the 112 minutes proved to be the difference maker between these two teams separating them, thus breaking Sampdoria’s heart as Barcelona sealed a hard-fought win of 1-0.
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5. David Hirst – 183km/h
Some goals win matches, some titles, and goals that become iconic. But sometimes, a strike can be so brilliant, so monumental that it transcends the result of the match itself. David Hirst’s 183 km/h strike for Sheffield Wednesday against Arsenal is one such moment.
The stage was set for an Arsenal romp at Highbury, one that would underline the Gunners’ dominance over this Premier League season. That was until Hirst intervened. A thunderous drive off the crossbar left David Seaman, one of the finest goalkeepers of his generation helpless.
What makes Hirst’s strike a bit more incredible is that it did not even find its way to the back of the net. The ball bounced off the crossbar and denied Hirst what would have been one of the goals of the season in the Premier League.
But sometimes the strike itself is the moment worth remembering, a reminder that football is as much about the journey as it is about the destination.
6. Ibrahim Sangare – 170km/h
It’s not very often that defenders steal the headlines- their efforts are usually eclipsed by the goal-scoring heroics of their attacking colleagues. But now and then one such strike comes along from a defender that will just leave everyone speechless.
His 170 km/h screamer for PSV Eindhoven against ADO Den Haag in the Dutch Cup is such an instant.
It had been a perfect example of raw, unfiltered power; the ADO Den Haag goalkeeper Sonny Stevens could do nothing but watch in utter helplessness. Stevens had been an experienced goalkeeper for years, yet he could only watch as it blasted by him, away from his reach a pure spectator to this wonder strike.
What made Sangare’s goal all the more impressive was the context in which it came.
PSV Eindhoven were well in control of the tie, 2-0 up at halftime. But Sangare’s second-half strike was merely the icing on the cake, a moment that sealed the win for his team and left the opposition reeling.
7. David Beckham – 157.5km/h
The 1996/97 season was David Beckham’s defining year, those moments that could never be erased, moments showing unbelievable talent. Among all those moments, the unimaginable, the truly sensational one was his breathtaking strike against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
It was a fierce volley from Beckham that shook the crossbar to its concrete foundation. For one fleeting second, it just seemed as though the laws of physics had been suspended and pure magic had descended upon the field.
The ball had seemed to explode off his foot leaving defenders and goalkeeper Frode Grodas who had just replaced Kevin Hitchcock dead in the water.
While he was celebrated for his precision in bending free kicks, this rocket of a shot proved he had the power to match. Intent declaration stated that he was more than just a set-piece specialist.
8. David Trezeguet – 154.4km/h
Trezeguet possessed one of the most feared and powerful shots in football history. The cannonball he could let fly was feared to rip any kind of defense to shreds.
The occasion was against Manchester United on Europe’s grand stage on which he gave a stellar performance for Monaco. He broke away to the right-hand side of the box and let fly with reported estimates as high as 154.4 km/h giving no chance to Fabien Barthez.
The ferocity with which the ball came off his foot into the net was such that it seemed the ball had disregarded physics, leaving fans and players alike in awe.
While he became one of Juventus’ most prolific goal scorers with 171 goals in 320 games, this thunderous strike against Manchester United remains one of the standout moments of his career.
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9. Ritchie Humphreys – 154km/h
August 17, 1996, will remain as a watershed day in the memory of football enthusiasts with Beckham scoring from midfield against Wimbledon. But on the same day, another young man was perhaps making his ripples in the Premier League.
A certain Ritchie Humphreys, an 18-year-old sensation let rip a fierce shot against Aston Villa, which clocked at 154 km/h.
This thunderous strike gave the Aston Villa goalkeeper no chance, as the ball flew into the net with incredible power and precision. A moment of pure magic from the young Englishman sent the Hillsborough faithful into raptures.
While Humphreys’ career never really lived up to that promise, his record-breaking shot remains one of the most powerful ever recorded in the Premier League.
He scored only one more top-flight goal in his career and became one of those talents that was lost on what could have been.
10. Tony Yeboah – 154km/h
The time he spent in the Premier League was characterized by thunderous strikes that always left opponents and onlookers agog. But one goal stands amongst the rest: the unforgettable strike against Wimbledon in 1995.
It was just another ordinary Premier League match at Selhurst Park, both teams competing with all their might. But in one magical moment, he turned that match around.
Taking the ball on his chest outside the penalty area, he shot from what appeared to be nowhere. The ball flew past the helpless Wimbledon goalkeeper and clocked in at 154 km/h to leave those inside the stadium utterly speechless.
Yeboah had already proven a month earlier that he could strike the ball with phenomenal power – a wonderful strike against Liverpool at Elland Road. This one against Wimbledon, however, was something else.
Notable Fastest Shots In History
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic 150 km/h
- Matt Le Tissier 140 km/h
- Roberto Carlos 138 km/h
- Alan Shearer 138 km/h
- Obafemi Martins 135 km/h
- Tugay1 35.5 km/h
