Football
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Denmark and Croatia set World Cup record for fastest goals

Denmark and Croatia set a World Cup record on Sunday as each team scored inside four minutes in their round of 16 clash.

Mathias Jorgensen had provided the lead for Denmark after just 57 seconds, but Mario Mandzukic answered for Croatia after three minutes and 40 seconds.

That broke the record for the fastest time in which both teams have scored at a World Cup match -- by all of seven seconds.

The previous mark was set by Argentina and Nigeria in a group-stage match in 2014, when Lionel Messi scored in the third minute, only for Ahmed Musa to respond at three minutes and 47 seconds.

Jorgensen's goal, his first for his country, was the fastest in Denmark's World Cup history, while Mandzukic's was the second earliest for Croatia, after Darjio Srna scored in the opening minute in 2006.

Denmark's goal was the third ever in the opening minute of a World Cup knockout stage match, coming in behind Sweden's goal in a 1938 semifinal and North Korea's in a 1966 quarterfinal -- and both of those teams went on to lose the match.

That was the case again on Sunday as the two teams saw out the rest of the 120 minutes without another goal, before Croatia beat Denmark 3-2 on penalties. 

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