Goalkeeper scores longest goal in football history, Guinness World Records confirms [Photos]

Soccer Football - FA Cup - Third Round - Newport County AFC v Brighton & Hove Albion - Rodney Parade, Newport, Britain - January 10, 2021, Newport County's Tom King saves from Brighton & Hove Albion's Neal Maupay in the penalty shootout [Reuters, /Michael Steele]

Newport County goalkeeper Tom King has gone into the record books for scoring the longest goal in a competitive football match. 

King’s hit on Tuesday, January 19 against Cheltenham in League Two, according to the Guinness World Records site, traveled 96.01 metres (105 yards). 

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Newport County goalkeeper Tom King scored directly from his own enormous goal kick this evening to help his side draw with Cheltenham Town!pic.twitter.com/XDdBmMrF0Q

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 19, 2021

Tom King's hit and the goal [Photo: James Marsh/BPI/REX via Daily Mail]

Consequently, King unseats former Stoke City and Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic's effort in November 2013, when he became the fifth goalkeeper in Premier League history to score a goal, one from 97.5 yards (89.15 meters) against Southampton after 13 seconds, 

“With his epic downfield kick, King officially broke the record for the longest goal scored in a competitive football match, which covered an incredible distance of 96.01m (105 yards).” said the official Guinness World Records on their website.

King expressed delight at breaking the record and promised to send his commiserations to Begovic. 

'I'm obviously absolutely delighted because it's not something that I intentionally set out to do,' King told the Newport website. I'm sure it will be talked about for a long time to come, so I'm proud and I'm sure my family will be extremely proud too. I'll have to drop Asmir a message to send my commiserations, but, in all honesty, it's different territory for me,” said King. 

Britain Football Soccer - Chelsea v Sunderland - Premier League - Stamford Bridge - 21/5/17 Chelsea's Asmir Begovic celebrates after winning the Premier League [Action Images via Reuters / John Sibley Livepic]

'It's something I never dreamt of being in the books that you get for Christmas every year. Hopefully, I might actually read it if I get one for Christmas this year. I'm delighted and hopefully, no one beats it for a long time now so I can show my grandkids,” he added. 

BARCELONA’S ANSU FATI ALSO IN GUINNESS WORLD RECORD BOOKS

Barcelona superstar Anssumane Fati Vieira, commonly known as ‘Ansu Fati’, was also added into the record books for being the youngest-ever player to score a goal in the UEFA Champions League, when he got a goal against Inter Milan in a group stage tie on December 10, 2019.

Barcelona´s forward Ansu Fati reacts during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona against Valencia CF at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on September 14, 2019. (Photo by PAU BARRENA / AFP)

Fati’s goal ensured the Catalans remained undefeated at the end of Group F qualifying, consequently knocking out Inter out of the competition.

He scored this goal at the age of 17 years and 40 days – the youngest ever player to do so in the competition.