DORTMUND -- Albania's Nedim Bajrami scored the quickest goal in men's European Championship history when he opened the scoring after just 23 seconds against defending champions Italy on Saturday.
The match was being played at Borussia Dortmund's stadium, with Albania's supporters comfortably outnumbering their Italian counterparts.
With as many as 50,000 Albanians travelling to the Euros to support their country, the stadium erupted when Bajrami scored inside the opening minute.
Albania were underdogs for the match, but made a lightning-quick start as Bajrami pounced on an Italian error at the back. Federico Dimarco had a throw-in on the left side, and threw the ball back towards Alessandro Bastoni. But it was a tame throw-in, and Bajrami pounced and lashed the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Bajrami's strike broke the record set by Dmitri Kirichenko who scored after 1 minute 5 seconds for Russia against Greece in Euro 2004.
It was also Italy's earliest-ever goal conceded at a major tournament and their second 1st-minute goal at a major tournament, after Bernard Lacombe scored against them for France after 31 seconds in the 1978 World Cup.
