Argentine goalkeeper Leandro Requena appears to be set to have made the longest goal in soccer history after punting a field-long kick that went from his goal all the way to his opponent’s goal without assistance.
Playing for Chile’s C.D. Cobresal during their 3-1 win over Colo-Colo in the Chilean Primera Division on Saturday, Requena performed what appeared to be an easy kick a few feet in front of his own post in the 77th minute of the game.
The ball flew over the midfield, but when it approached Colo-Colo’s end of the field, their goalkeeper, Brayan Cortés, was standing way too far forward, and Requena’s ball flew right over his head.
To make it all the more embarrassing, when Cortés turned to chase after the ball in a forlorn attempt to intercept it, he stumbled and was far too late to stop Requena’s ball from rolling unimpeded right into the net.
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⚽⚪ El primer gol arco a arco del #CampeonatoBetsson
Así fue la anotación de Leandro Requena desde su propia puerta y que dejó a Brayan Cortés quieto, provocando el error del portero albo en el #CSLvsCCxTNTSports. pic.twitter.com/HDL2K22QnS
— TNT Sports Chile (@TNTSportsCL) March 18, 2023
“According to TNT Sports Chile, the goal was scored from a distance of 101 meters which, if ratified by Guinness World Records, would break the record for the longest-range goal in history,” CNN reported.
The current record was set in 2021 by England’s Tom King when he launched a 96.01-meter goal.
“I asked Juan Silva, the club’s manager, if the request for the record application was really going to be made and he told me ‘obviously yes,’” Requena said, according to Radio Bio.
“So, now we are waiting for what is needed to verify what the distance really was. [Silva] did tell me that the ANFP called him to check the measurements of the field, which is 150 meters and a bit,” Requena added.
“If so, since the area is five meters, it would be logically over 100. The truth is that I am happy with all this, more than anything personally, but also for the institution, for Chilean football. Going down in history with an event like this makes me happy,” he said.
Requena went on to say that he initially thought he hit the ball too far because it went ahead of his own players, who were poised to take it to the Coloo-Colo end of the field.
“The first thing I did as soon as the ball left my foot was hold my head because there were two players in a clear position to counterattack and I realized that it had gone long,” the goalie said, but then added, “When I saw the bounce made it difficult for Brayan and it went past him, I thought the ball could go in.”
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