[PART 1] World Cup goal wonders: From an 11-second storm to a 13-goal epic

From 1930 to 2022, a total of 2,720 goals have been scored in 964 matches across 22 editions of the FIFA World Cup. Yet among those thousands of strikes, some are far more than mere statistics -- they are enduring stories etched into football folklore.

Think of Hakan Sukur, who stunned the world with a goal in just 11 seconds, or Just Fontaine, who borrowed a teammate’s boots and went on to score an astonishing 13 goals in a single tournament. Or recall the 17-year-old Pele, whom psychologists had advised Brazil not to include in the squad. From Roger Milla, who rewrote history by scoring at 42, to Cristiano Ronaldo, who demonstrated unmatched consistency by finding the net in five different World Cups -- the global stage has produced countless unforgettable goals and scorers.

Here is a look back at some of the most remarkable among them.

Lucien Laurent: The historic first

World Cup: 1930

It took Lucien Laurent just 19 minutes to secure his place in football history.

On July 13, 1930, at the Estadio Pocitos in Montevideo, the Frenchman struck against Mexico to become the first goalscorer in World Cup history. There were no grand celebrations at the time; his teammates simply congratulated him with handshakes.

Interestingly, Laurent was among four players who worked for an automobile manufacturer and travelled from Europe to South America by ship. As fate would have it, it was Laurent’s volley that would go on to become one of football’s most memorable milestones.

Yet Laurent rarely spoke about it later in life. After retiring from professional football, he bought a bar, but even there he remained reluctant to discuss the goal that had etched his name into the game’s history.

Pele: The beginning of a king’s reign

World Cup: 1958

Before the 1958 World Cup, Brazil’s team psychologist Joao Carvalhaes had objected to the inclusion of a 17-year-old Pele, claiming the youngster was too “childish” and lacked the mental toughness required for international football.

Brazil coach Vicente Feola ignored that advice -- a decision that would change football history.

Wearing the iconic No. 10 jersey, Pele scored against Wales with a moment of individual brilliance to become the youngest goalscorer in World Cup history at 17 years and 239 days. He controlled the ball on his chest inside the box, flicked it over a defender before it touched the ground, turned his body and finished with a half-volley.

The teenager then took the tournament by storm, scoring a hattrick against France in the semifinals and two goals against Sweden in the final. The world had witnessed the rise of a prodigy who would soon be hailed as the King of Football.

Just Fontaine: The incredible 13-goal epic

World Cup: 1958

Born in Marrakesh in French Morocco, Just Fontaine did not even have his own pair of boots when he arrived at the 1958 World Cup.

He borrowed boots from teammate Stephane Bruey -- and proceeded to write one of the greatest scoring epics in football history.

France lost to Brazil in the semifinals, but Fontaine had already scored nine goals by then. To break the then-record of 11 goals, set by Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis in the previous World Cup, he needed three more in the third-place playoff against West Germany.

Fontaine did far more than that. He scored four in that match alone.

Nearly 68 years later, no player has matched his record of 13 goals in a single World Cup. In modern tournaments, six or seven goals are often enough to win the Golden Boot, rendering Fontaine’s achievement as one of the unconquered peaks of football.

Oleg Salenko: A one-man show

World Cup: 1994

On June 28, 1994, at Stanford Stadium in California, the match between Russia and Cameroon carried little significance as both teams were on the brink of exiting from the group stage.

But Oleg Salenko, then 25, turned it into a historic spectacle.

The night before the game, he dreamt of scoring many goals. What followed surpassed even that dream. Salenko struck five times against Cameroon, setting the record for the most goals scored by a player in a single World Cup match.

Although Russia failed to reach the knockout stage, Salenko finished the tournament with six goals, sharing the Golden Boot with Bulgaria’s Hristo Stoichkov.

Yet there was a tragic twist to his story. Following disputes with his coach and a loss of form, Salenko never played for Russia again. He became a legend through a single match – and disappeared from the international stage just as suddenly.

Roger Milla: The roar of a 42-year-old ‘young’ warrior

World Cup: 1994

In that same match where Salenko ran riot, Cameroon’s ‘Old Lion’, Roger Milla, also created history.

By scoring against Russia at 42 years and 39 days, Milla became the oldest goalscorer in World Cup history, a record that still stands.

Although he had retired from international football in 1987, Cameroon’s then-president Paul Biya personally urged him to return ahead of the 1990 World Cup, when he was already 39. Milla responded with four goals, helping Cameroon reach the quarterfinals.

His 1994 goal could not prevent Cameroon’s defeat, but his iconic hip-shaking celebration beside the corner flag remains one of the most memorable sights in World Cup history. He also holds the distinction of being the oldest outfield player to appear at a World Cup.

Hakan Sukur: The 11-second storm

World Cup: 2002

Turkey’s Hakan Sukur, often dubbed the country’s “Golden Boy”, had spent 8 hours and 22 minutes on the field during the 2002 World Cup without scoring a single goal.

Speculation grew that he might be dropped from the starting lineup. But coach Senol Gunes kept faith in him for the third-place playoff against South Korea.

Sukur needed barely 11 seconds -- or more precisely 10.8 seconds -- to repay that trust.

From the kickoff, the ball reached South Korean defender Hong Myung-bo, but Turkey’s Ilhan Mansiz pounced to win possession and laid it off to Sukur, who calmly finished.

Many spectators were still settling into their seats when the ball hit the net.

The strike broke the previous record of 15 seconds, set by Vaclav Masek of Czechoslovakia in 1962, and remains the fastest goal in World Cup history.

Miroslav Klose: The throne of 16 goals

World Cups: 2002-2014

Few names symbolise relentless determination like Miroslav Klose.

His World Cup journey began spectacularly in 2002, when he scored a hattrick against Saudi Arabia. From there, he led Germany’s attack across four consecutive tournaments -- scoring five goals in 2002, five in 2006, four in 2010, and two in 2014.

Klose reached the pinnacle of his career on July 8, 2014, in his final World Cup.

During the historic semifinal in which Germany demolished hosts Brazil 7-1, he scored his 16th World Cup goal, becoming the highest goalscorer in the tournament’s history. The man whose record he surpassed, Brazilian legend Ronaldo, watched from the stands as Klose celebrated.

Cristiano Ronaldo: The embodiment of consistency

World Cups: 2006-2022

When a 21-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first World Cup goal -- a penalty against Iran in Frankfurt in 2006 -- few could have predicted the extraordinary journey ahead.

He went on to score in South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022.

Ronaldo’s goal against Ghana in the Qatar World Cup saw him become the only player in history to score in five different World Cups.

Among those moments, his stunning hattrick against Spain in 2018, achieved at the age of 33, remains one of the tournament’s most unforgettable performances.

Across a remarkable 20-year journey, Ronaldo has repeatedly proven that, regardless of the stage, the opponent, or his age -- finding the net remains his enduring instinct.