Cvetković Makes Anderlecht History with 16-Second Goal
Young Serbian striker secures victory for Belgian club in Thessaloniki, but in 2024 he scored for Čukarički in an incredible 9.2 seconds.
Young Serbian striker secures victory for Belgian club in Thessaloniki, but in 2024 he scored for Čukarički in an incredible 9.2 seconds.
Mihajlo Cvetković, a young Serbian striker, became Anderlecht's hero in the first leg of the third qualifying round for the Europa League. Away at PAOK in Thessaloniki, at the "Toumba" stadium, he found the net just 16 seconds into the match, which ultimately proved to be the only goal of the game.
He capitalized on a moment of lapsed concentration in the Greek club's defense, giving his team a slender advantage ahead of the return leg in Brussels. But beyond the victory, Cvetković also secured his place in the club's history books with this strike.
Immediately after the match, football records were being scoured. Although the goal did not surpass the famous record of Roy Makaay from 2007, who scored for Bayern against Real Madrid in 10.12 seconds, Cvetković has etched his name in golden letters in the history of the Belgian club.
As reported by Kurir.rs, Anderlecht has never scored a quicker goal, neither on the European stage nor in domestic competitions. Belgian media, such as the portal L'Avenir, even suggest this could potentially be the fastest goal in the history of Belgian club football.
As impressive as 16 seconds sounds, it is not a personal best for Cvetković himself. In November 2024, while playing for Čukarički, the young forward achieved an even more remarkable feat in the Serbian SuperLiga, in a match against Železničar from Pančevo.
Following a long ball from Uroš Miladinović, Cvetković controlled it brilliantly with his left foot and then finished with his right, beating the goalkeeper in an incredible 9.2 seconds. This also stands as the officially fastest goal in the history of Serbia's top-flight competition.
With two goals in three matches at the start of the European qualifiers, Cvetković is signaling an exceptional season ahead. If he maintains this pace, it is not impossible that he might eventually challenge national team records, such as the one held by Nedim Bajrami (23 seconds in a match against Germany).
One thing is certain: defenses across Europe will need to be on high alert from the first whistle.
