Thirty-one seconds. That’s how long Fulham fans got to enjoy their matchday pints before João Pedro reminded them that the Premier League waits for no one. Chelsea’s Brazilian forward buried the ball into the net before most viewers had even found their remote, setting a new record for the fastest goal ever scored on Matchweek 1 of a Premier League season.
The strike came during Chelsea’s away trip to Craven Cottage on August 24, 2026, and it proved to be the only goal in a 1-0 victory that doubled as Xabi Alonso’s Premier League managerial debut.
How the goal unfolded
Chelsea won possession almost immediately from kickoff and launched a rapid break forward. Cole Palmer threaded a pass that found Pedro in space. The 24-year-old Brazilian made no mistake, finishing with his right foot to send the away end into delirium before the first minute was even up.
The record he broke is specific but significant: no player had ever scored faster in the opening match of a Premier League campaign. Worth noting what this isn’t, though. The all-time fastest goal in Premier League history still belongs to Shane Long, who scored for Southampton against Watford in just 7.69 seconds back in April 2019. Pedro’s effort operates in a different statistical category, one tied specifically to the season-opening matchweek.
