João Pedro scored the fastest goal in Premier League opening-weekend history during Fulham’s 2–3 defeat by Chelsea in 2026.
The Brazilian forward opened the scoring at Craven Cottage after only 31 seconds. Cole Palmer created the chance with a flick, allowing João Pedro to break through and give Chelsea an immediate lead in the west London derby.
Chelsea eventually won 3–2 in the final match of the opening weekend. João Pedro scored the opener, while Palmer later scored Chelsea’s third goal. Morgan Rogers also scored for Chelsea, and Fulham’s reply included a goal from new signing Gonzalo García.
The 31-second strike was more than simply an early goal in the match: it was recorded as the quickest goal ever scored on a Premier League opening weekend. It is distinct from the overall fastest goal in Premier League history, which was Shane Long’s 7.69-second goal for Southampton in 2019.