"007-Baumi"

The whole world marvels at our record-breaking goal

Christoph Baumgartner

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

From across Europe to the USA - Christoph Baumgartner's world record goal is worth a headline. What motivated him, what happened to the shirt. Why "007-Baumi" was already a man for special goals before that, and what other record he holds in the national team.

The clock showed 0:07 seconds when Christoph Baumgartner was already celebrating in Bratislava: "As sharp a shot as James Bond, I'd say," smiled the new world record goalscorer in the stadium catacombs.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Where, of course, he described his goal in detail in the mixed zone before disappearing briefly as his colleagues wanted to celebrate him in the dressing room.

Afterwards, he answered questions again, saying that he had "of course secured a shirt, I won't let that be taken away from me" (I wonder if he has to give it to the ÖFB for the museum?) and that co-trainer Peter Perchtold, responsible for the team's standards, had also motivated him: "He actually told us before the game that the Slovaks are ahead of us, that they have already scored a goal in under ten seconds ..."

EURO goal and lob
So Baumi didn't have to be asked for long and scored after 6.3 seconds - which made headlines around the world, with reports about Austria's world record goal appearing all over Europe and even in the USA.

(Bild: APA/ROBERT JÄGER)

The "Bild" newspaper in particular: firstly, Baumgartner plays in the German Bundesliga for Leipzig, and secondly, he prevented Florian Wirtz, who scored two seconds later against France, from becoming world record holder.

Baumgartner and special goals - nothing new in his team career:

• Since making his debut with the senior team (September 4, 2020 in the 2-1 Nations League win in Norway), he has scored twelve goals in 35 international matches - no other ÖFB colleague has scored more in this period! 
• At EURO 2021, he scored the winning goal against Ukraine in Bucharest to secure promotion. 
• In the last European Championship qualifier, he single-handedly scored a brace to secure an important home win against Sweden. 
• His magnificent lob goal last November in the home triumph against Germany is unforgettable.

The promise
PS: Baumgartner almost scored sitting down in Bratislava later on - would have been in keeping with his series of special and curious goals: "Not scoring that one was more difficult than scoring it." But he promised: "It'll go in at the EURO!" Then the goal would fit into the Baumi series again!