While there’s no official record for the fastest shot in soccer history, we do have the necessary knowledge for a countdown of the most powerful strikes known to man.
For a bit of perspective, the fastest pitch in Major League Baseball history was a 105.1-mph fastball heaved by Aroldis Chapman. All five shots on this list bring more smoke than the New York Yankees pitcher.
We begin our countdown back in 1996 with Sheffield Wednesday’s David Hirst crashing a half-volley against the crossbar during a Premier League match against Arsenal. This effort was clocked at 114 mph.
Coming in fourth is Dutch legend Ronald Koeman. The occasion couldn’t have been bigger as it was the 1992 European Cup Final at Wembley between Barcelona and Sampdoria. With the match creeping towards a penalty shootout, Koeman laced this 116.8 mph free kick to hand Barcelona its first European Cup.
We enter the top three with the fastest recorded shot in Premier League history. This thunderbastard was struck by Blackburn’s Steven Reid during a match against Wigan back in 2005. At 117.4 mph, it threatened to take the net off the goal.
The runner-up spot comes from one of the most famous left foots in the history of the game — it’s Arjen Robben for Real Madrid during a 2009 friendly against Borussia Dortmund. The Dutchman didn’t always have to cut inside, as evidenced by this 118 mph volley.
Finally, in the top spot it’s a 131 mph effort that’s really difficult to see. The Brazilian Ronny smashed this one in for Sporting Lisbon during a Portuguese league match. It’d be the only goal he’d ever score for Sporting, because frankly, where do you go from here?
