Galarza scores fastest goal of the 2026 World Cup so far

Paraguay stunned Turkey just 65 seconds into their World Cup match after opening the game aggressively following a 4-1 loss to the United States in the first round. Midfielder Matias Galarza struck a powerful shot from outside the box to give Paraguay an early lead, and his goal became the fastest of the 2026 World Cup so far.

The record lasted only five hours. Earlier in the day, Ismail Saibari had set the previous mark by scoring after 71 seconds for Morocco against Scotland. Galarza also became the only player in World Cup history to score and receive a booking within the first four minutes of a match, scoring in the 65th second and being shown a yellow card in the 3:26 minute.

It was also the second-fastest World Cup goal ever by a Paraguayan player. Paraguay’s national record still belongs to Celso Ayala, who scored after 52 seconds against Nigeria at the 1998 World Cup.

Galarza’s strike still falls far short of the all-time World Cup record, held by Turkey’s Hakan Sukur, who scored against South Korea after 10.8 seconds at the 2002 World Cup. Ironically, that record was set by a Turkish player against the same national team Turkey faced in this match. The 1-0 scoreline was also favorable for the United States, which beat Australia 2-0 earlier in Seattle, because a Turkey comeback would be needed to prevent the U.S. from securing first place in the group. Turkey and Paraguay were still battling for position and survival hopes in the standings.