Top 10 Goals From Behind the Halfway Line

Following on from Ryan Ledson's long-range screamer for Huddersfield vs Luton in League One, we're counting down the best goals ever scored from behind the halfway line.

We’ve all seen them - a goalkeeper off their line, urges to shoot from the crowd, a speculative shot from the centre circle – such long-distance efforts have provided us with some of the beautiful game’s most iconic moments. So, let’s take a closer look at some of the most memorable goals scored from inside a player’s own half, with the distance from goal, gravity of the match and style points all taken into consideration.

10 – Charlie Adam vs Chelsea, 4 April 2015

Starting off our list is a Premier League cult hero, Charlie Adam. Playing for Stoke at the time, the Scottish midfielder launched a ball from well inside his own half over the head of Thibault Courtois, with the Belgian giant scrambling back to his own goal in vain. No stranger to a long-distance effort, Adam’s 65-yard strike is the longest goal scored by an outfield player in Premier League history.

9 – Josh Windass vs Derby, 1 January 2025

Sheffield Wednesday’s Josh Windass opened 2025 with a bang, scoring an early goal-of-the-season contender on New Year's Day. Windass picked up the ball on the edge of his own box and took one touch before hammering the ball with a perfectly weighted strike into the Derby goal from behind the centre circle. The English attacker’s goal sent the Hillsborough crowd wild, with the Owls going on to win the game 4-2.

8 – Xabi Alonso vs Newcastle, 20 September 2006

Alonso only scored 18 goals in his time at Liverpool, but two came from inside his own half! The Spaniard scored a peach of a goal against Newcastle in the 06/07 season and showcased all his skills in the process, winning the ball in a tackle before looking up, sensing the opportunity and executing a perfect drive from well inside his own half. Alonso also scored from behind the halfway line against Luton with a left-footed effort in an FA Cup tie the previous season.

7 – Kemar Roofe vs Standard Liege, 22 October 2020

Kemar Roofe secured a Europa League win for Rangers with a goal which then-manager Steven Gerrard described as the best he’d ever seen live with his own eyes. With Rangers under the pump in the final minutes of their first group game, Roofe picked up a loose ball and beat two defenders before rifling the ball off-balance into the Liege goal from just inside his own half.  Despite being played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 lockdown, this goal will live on in fans’ memories for some time.

6 – Asmir Begovic vs Southampton, 2 November 2013

Asmir Begovic became one of the few goalkeepers in Premier League history to score when he netted from inside his own box against Southampton. The Stoke keeper received the ball virtually straight from the kick-off, and with the ball finding the back of the opposition net after just 13 seconds of play, Begovic also has one of the quickest goals in Premier League history. The Bosnian said after the game that the windy conditions helped give his clearing kick the deceptive flight needed to catch out his opposite man.

5 – Tom King vs Cheltenham Town, 19 January 2021

Another goalkeeper, King scored a record-breaking goal against Cheltenham in 2021. The Newport keeper’s innocuous-looking goal-kick looped its way over the opposition number 1 with some assistance from the wind once again helping give the ball its deceptive flight. After some measuring, the Guinness Book of World Records judged King’s effort to have travelled 96.01 metres, making it the longest goal in competitive footballing history.

4 – Wayne Rooney vs West Ham, 29 November 2017

Perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing goal on this list, Rooney’s strike was the highlight of his second stint at boyhood club Everton. The then West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart raced off his line to clear a loose ball, but his clearance went straight to Rooney, who connected perfectly, sending the ball into the middle of the net with his first touch. This goal rounded out a hat-trick on the day for the former England legend who has a number of incredible goals to his name.

3 – Kenny McLean vs Denmark, 18 November 2025

The most recent goal on this list was also one of the most significant. With Scotland 3-2 up against Denmark in a match they needed to win to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, Kenny McLean scored a beauty with the last kick of the game. Catching Kasper Schmeichel off his line, McLean chipped the Danish goalkeeper to send Hampden Park into a frenzy and to send Scotland to the World Cup.

2 – Jone Samuelson vs Tromsø IL, 25 September 2011

Samuelson’s goal may not have travelled the longest distance or been in the biggest game on this list, but it is spectacular for another reason. The Norwegian scored from just behind his own halfway line with a header. Samuelson reacted quickly to a clearance from a Tromsø defender, meeting the ball with his head, and with the opposition goalkeeper up for an attacking corner in the dying minutes of the game, the net was wide open. It’s unclear whether Samuelson was aiming for the goal, but his instincts helped earn him the longest headed goal in football history, measuring in at 58.13 metres.

Honourable Mentions –

Harry Kane vs FC Darmstadt, 19 November 2023 – The England captain scored from just behind the halfway line early in his Bayern career during an 8-0 drubbing of FC Darmstadt.

Maynor Figueroa vs Stoke, 12 December 2009 – Figueroa caught everyone napping with a quick free-kick from just inside his own half, sending the ball sailing over the opposition keeper.

Tim Howard vs Bolton, 5 January 2012 – The American adds another goalkeeper to the list, with his wind-assisted goal kick taking a wicked bounce over the head of his opposite man.

1 – David Beckham vs Wimbledon, 17 August 1996

The most iconic goal on this list, Beckham’s strike helped turn the young winger into a global superstar. The Manchester United number 7 hit a peach of a strike in the final minute of the first game of the 1996 season, lifting the ball over the head of Wimbledon number 1 Neil Sullivan. His goal capped off a 3-0 victory, with Sir Alex Ferguson saying he’d never seen it done before, though Gary Neville claimed Beckham practised the technique every day. This legendary goal earns David Beckham the top spot on our list.