What are the Fastest Red Cards in the History of Football?

One of the many reasons why so many people love football is because of the dramatic moments that change games. Goals are the most important moments of any football match, but a red card can have an enormous impact on the game, especially if it comes early. 

There have been several incidents which have led to early red cards in games, and these can be early in the match itself or early for a specific player. In the latter category we find Steven Gerrard, in what is perhaps the most famous of the fastest red cards in this article. The Liverpool midfielder came off the bench to join the action against bitter rivals Manchester United in 2015. The former captain of the club let himself, his teammates, and the fans down when just 38 seconds after coming on to the pitch, Gerrard stamped on Ander Herrera’s leg following a challenge and was given his marching orders. 

However, Mouhamed Niang can beat that having been shown the red card after only 25 seconds. Niang was on loan at Alloa Athletic from Partick Thistle and was playing against Cove Rangers in Scotland. Niang committed a rash challenge on Cove defender Shay Logan and the referee has no hesitation in sending him for an early bath. You can read about similarincidents across world football in this article via betting-offers.com.

Life can be tough for goalkeepers and their job became more difficult following the introduction of the back pass law. Kevin Pressman was one man who will want to forget attempting to play with his feet when he moved out of his box to clear a through ball. Unfortunately for Pressman, he misjudged the flight of the ball and was forced to handle the ball outside the penalty area. The referee quickly moved to his pocket to produce the red card and Pressman was sent off after only 13 seconds of the match.

Pressman will be relieved to know a fellow goalkeeper has managed to beat that time in 2021. In fact, the record set by goalkeeper Jean Fernandes in the Paraguayan Super Cup in December 2021 is unlikely to be beaten. Fernandes was representing Cerro Porteno in the show piece occasion against Olimpia and ran onto the pitch with the rest of the team ahead of the highly anticipated match. As Fernandes entered his penalty area, he was greeted by the Olimpia fans behind the goal. However, instead of focusing on the job at hand, he decided to engage with the crowd and in a moment of madness, opted for a throat-slitting gesture.

Although the referee did not see the incident, it was viewed by VAR, and they instructed the referee to dismiss Fernandes before the game had even started. Fernandes was keen to explain his actions and said, “When I went to put my rosary by the side of the goalpost, something which I always do, the rival fans began to throw several things at me including firecrackers,” Fernandes explained.

“I reacted by making a gesture which in Brazil is normal. I don’t know what the ref thought, but he ended up red cardingme. It was a misunderstanding.”