Egypt’s Emam Ashour tops Mbappe and Kane in World Cup shot-speed rankings

TORONTO: Egypt midfielder Emam Ashour scored the fastest goal in the first round of group-stage games at 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Data captured by the “Connected Ball” technology inside the official Adidas tournament ball revealed that his strike against Belgium reached a speed of 123.4 kph, surpassing the efforts so far by some of football’s biggest names, including the English and French captains Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe.

Ashour’s goal was one of the standout moments from Egypt’s opening Group G match against Belgium. The midfielder latched onto a pass from captain Mohammed Salah and unleashed a powerful strike from outside the penalty area to give the Pharaohs the lead.

The 28-year-old, who has won domestic titles and the CAF Champions League with Al-Ahly, is already emerging as one of Egypt’s key players at the tournament. The goal, which ultimately earned Egypt a 1-1 draw with one of the favorites to lift the trophy, was Ashour’s first at a World Cup and capped a standout individual display that earned him the Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match award, voted for by fans.

Kane ranked second in the speed rankings with a strike recorded at 121.6 kph during England’s match with Croatia, while Mbappe’s goal for France against Senegal hit 121.2 kph. Ibrahim Mbaye of Senegal and Martin Baturina of Croatia completed the top five opening round shot-speed rankings.

Next up for Egypt is their game against New Zealand in Vancouver on June 21, followed by Iran in Seattle on June 26. With both of the opening games in Group G ending in draws, the battle for a place in the knockout stages remains wide open as Egypt attempt to reach the knockout stages for the first time since Italia ’90.

The Connected Ball technology being used at the World Cup tracks key match data, including shot speeds and distances, in real time, providing additional insights into player performance and some of the tournament’s defining moments.

Mbappe led the rankings for longest-range goal in the opening round of group games, with a strike from 28 meters against Senegal. Australia’s Connor Metcalfe and Sweden’s Yasin Ayari were also in the top three strikes from distance.