29/06/2002 (Daegu, Daegu World Cup Stadium), third place play-off
Eleven seconds. That's all it took for a 40-year-old record to fall in the penultimate match of the 2002 World Cup in South Korea. Eleven seconds. Time for the hosts, guided to the semi-finals by Guus Hiddink and riding a euphoric wave of home support, to kick off, play the ball backwards and eventually find Hong Myung-bo. That's where things went wrong. The defender lost the ball under pressure from Ilhan Mansiz, who immediately fed Hakan Sukur and the Parma striker did the rest, slotting home to silence the disbelieving crowd. Eleven seconds. The record remains to this day unbeaten.
2. Vaclav Masek (1962): 16 seconds
07/06/1962 (Vina del Mar, Estadio Sausalito), first round
The proud holder of that 40-year-old record was Vaclav Masek, a Czech striker who took a mere 16 seconds to open the scoring against Mexicoin Chile. Played in on goal Masek coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the net to give his side the earliest of early advantages, although it proved to be a shortlived one as the Mexicans came back to secure a 3-1 win. Still, Masek's feat went down in football folklore and did not look like being bettered until Sukur's barely conceivable efforts.
3. Ernst Lehner (1934): 25 seconds
07/06/1934 (Naples, Stadio Ascarelli), third place play-off
Another player to hold the record for a lengthy period of time was Germany's outside right Ernst Lehner, whose benchmark ended up lasting for 28 years. The TSV Schwaben Augsburg player set the mark during the third place play-off in Naples, finding the back of the net after 25 seconds in a bitter encounter with Germany's neighbours Austria. Lehner went on to score a second to put the Germans 3-1 up before the break and from there they did not relinquish their lead.
4. Bryan Robson (1982): 27 seconds
16/06/1982 (Bilbao, Estadio San Mamés), first round
One of England's most famous goals came in the heat of Bilbao in 1982 and from the boot of Bryan Robson, then fresh-faced at the age of 25 and before the days of his captaincy. It took the Manchester United midfielder just 27 seconds to make his mark on the game against France, acrobatically volleying past keeper Jean-Luc Ettori after Terry Butcher had flicked on Steve Coppell's long throw. The French defence looked to have still been in the dressing rooms - at least their minds were - as Robson stole in to send England on their way to victory, which was then secured when Robson scored a second - a brilliant header - and Paul Mariner - with another volley - swooped late on.
5. Clint Dempsey (2014): 29 seconds
17/06/2014 (Natal, Estadio das Dunas), group stage
After a deathly dull 0-0 draw between Nigeriaand Iran produced the first dud game of the World Cup, we needed something to spark Brazilback into life, and Dempsey provided it. The forward strode into the Ghana box superbly, lost John Boye with another trick and then poked his effort inside the far post.
6. Emile Veinante (1938): 35 seconds
05/06/1938 (Colombes, Yves-du-Manoir), first round
Forty-four years before his compatriots conceded Robson's goal, France's Emile Veinante was ensuring he gave his side the best possible starts. After just 35 seconds, the Racing Club de Paris forward turned in a rebound against neighbours Belgiumin Colombes to give rise to hope France could have become the third host nation to win the tournament. They eventually succumbed to winner Italyin the quarter-finals.
16/06/1938, (Paris, Parc des Princes), semi-final
Barely a week after the game between France and Belgium, amazingly Sweden's Arne Nyberg matched Veinante's exploits, at the Parc des Princes against Hungary. Another goal in 35 seconds might have brought Nyberg a degree of personal glory, it meant nothing in the context of the game - the Hungarians were soon back on level terms before going on to trounce the Swedes and book a place in the final.
8. Bernard Lacombe (1978): 37 seconds
02/06/1978 (Mar del Plata, Parque Municipal), first round
There can't be many better ways of launching a World Cup than with a goal within 37 seconds of the opening match. Bernard Lacombe ensured the 1978 edition opened with an immediate bang when he headed home from Didier Six's cross inside the first minute to put France ahead against their great rivals Italy. Les Bleus had not beaten the Azzurri since 1920 and despite the hope Lacombe's goal gave the French, that barren streak continued as Italy ran out 2-1 winners.
9. Florian Albert (1962): 50 seconds
03/06/1962 (Rancagua, Braden Copper Company Stadium), first round
As far as individual performances go Florian Albert's against Bulgaria in the group stage of the 1962 World Cup was arguably one of the greatest of all time. It took the Hungarian marksman 50 seconds to open his account before, six minutes to grab a brace, and 53 for his hat-trick as Hungary destroyed the hapless Bulgarians. Albert, who played his entire club career for Ferencvaros, would go on to win the Ballon d'Or in 1967.
10. Adalbert Desu (1930): 50 seconds
14/07/1930 (Montevideo, Estadio Pocitos), first round
Details of the first ever World Cup, held in Uruguay, are rather sketchy, but even in the absence of statistics in a world before data journalism, what is clear from that day in 1930 is that a Romanian goal was scored after 50 seconds in Montevideo. There is some dispute over the exact identity the scorer with some sources crediting Constantin Stanciu, but FIFA's official website credits Adalbert Desu, so we'll have to believe that. The quick-fire goal - Romania's first World Cup goal - set them on their way to their maiden victory, although they failed to progress out of the group stage.