Atletico Madrid wasted no time as they found the back of the net just 27 seconds into their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second-leg match against Real Madrid. The goal, scored by Conor Gallagher, gave Diego Simeone’s side an early lead and left fans wondering about Los Blancos’ history of conceding rapid goals in Europe’s premier competition.
Gallagher’s strike ranks as the second-fastest goal Real Madrid has ever conceded in the Champions League. The fastest? That record belongs to Roy Makaay of Bayern Munich, who famously scored just 10.12 seconds into their Round of 16 second-leg matchup against the Spanish giants during the 2006/07 season.
Gallagher’s goal wasn’t just significant for Real Madrid; it also shattered records for Atletico Madrid. It is now officially the fastest goal in Atletico’s Champions League history, surpassing Koke’s strike at 89 seconds during a group-stage match against Monaco in 2018.
Adding to the significance, Gallagher’s goal has also been crowned as the fastest of this Champions League season. The previous record belonged to Mexico’s Santiago Gimenez, who scored 37 seconds into AC Milan’s group-stage clash with Feyenoord.
Conor Gallagher celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammates during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid. (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
The fastest goals conceded in Real Madrid’s history
Real Madrid, despite its rich legacy and dominance in European competitions, have found theirself on the wrong side of history with several early goals conceded over the years.
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Beyond the well-documented strikes by Roy Makaay and Conor Gallagher, which stand as the fastest and second-fastest goals ever conceded by the club, Los Blancos have endured other early setbacks before the first minute of play.
In 1986, during a UEFA Cup match against Inter Milan, Real Madrid conceded a goal just 36 seconds into the game, courtesy of Italian legend Marco Tardelli. Another quick strike came more recently in 2018, when Diego Costa found the back of the net just 50 seconds into the Spanish Super Cup clash between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
The five fastest goals in Champions League history
As previously mentioned, Roy Makaay holds the seemingly unbreakable record for the fastest goal in Champions League history, netting just 10.12 seconds into Bayern Munich’s Round of 16 clash with Real Madrid during the 2006/07 season.
Second on the list is Jonas, who found the back of the net in just 10.96 seconds for Valencia against Bayer Leverkusen during a 2011 group-stage match. Close behind is Gilberto Silva, who scored at the 20.07-second mark in Arsenal’s group-stage encounter with PSV Eindhoven in the 2002/03 season.
Legendary Italian forward Alessandro Del Piero takes the fourth spot, having scored 20.12 seconds into Juventus’ group-stage match against Manchester United during the 1997/98 campaign.
Meanwhile, Clarence Seedorf, one of the most decorated players in Champions League history, rounds out the top five. Seedorf’s goal for AC Milan against Schalke in the 2005 group stage came at the 21.06-second mark, cementing his place in this exclusive group.
